The Beijing Auto Show has changed scale for its 2026 edition, with 380,000 square meters of stands spread across seventeen exhibition halls, equivalent to about fifty football fields. This biennial event, which alternates with Shanghai, is taking place for the first time from April 24 to May 3 at two adjacent sites near the capital’s airport, including the brand new International Exhibition Center that opened in February 2025 to form the world’s largest auto show. Inside, professionals, distributors, journalists, influencers, and curious onlookers are flocking to discover the 1,451 cars on display, including 181 global premieres.
As in previous years, industry leaders are showcasing themselves as selling points in a battle for attention where novelty is the primary weapon. Figures like Lei Jun of Xiaomi, who attracts crowds with his Vision Gran Turismo (VGT) supercar; Stella Li and Wang Chuanfu of BYD, the top electric vehicle manufacturer; as well as Robin Zeng of CATL, unveiling their most powerful batteries, and He Xiaopeng, presenting a “flying” car – all were present at the show’s opening.
This competitive spirit is a direct result of a saturated Chinese market, where brands are launching new models to stake their claim. The goal is no longer just to present a viable model but to occupy the market at all costs. The show then becomes a massive commercial funnel where the aim is to attract the maximum number of visitors (almost a million are expected), even if the conversion rate remains low.
The latest trend at the show this year is the very large electric SUV, often over five meters, with six seats across three rows. These vehicles feature high-tech amenities like doors that open at the push of a button or via facial recognition, panoramic touchscreens, voice assistants, and even rotating seats. These SUVs are designed to appeal to the Chinese clientele with their spaciousness, versatility, family comfort, and premium experience.
For brands, these XXL models help enhance their image and move upmarket. In a market where margins are under pressure, the large SUV justifies higher prices while focusing on innovative features under the hood – from long-range batteries to advanced autonomous driving capabilities.
The competition at the show is now centered less on prices and more on technology, as highlighted by François Marion, Valeo’s communication director, showcasing the group’s latest innovations: a rotating LiDAR laser that scans the vehicle’s surroundings in 3D, headlights that illuminate the road without blinding others, and a video game system that recreates the driving environment for entertainment and motion sickness reduction.
