Pictures From The Chengdu Motor Show. The What?

You are familiar with that toothy grin. But have you ever heard of the Chengdu Motor Show?  The annual affair in the city of 14 million in China's Southwest is gaining in importance as the car industry reaches into China's vast hinterlands and to demographics that just yesterday were thought to live under a rock. The Chengdu show is the perfect stage to show off cars that appeal to China's masses of all strata. Here are the first impressions. TTAC didn't go to the show. We will be in Chengdu next week as guests of the Global Automotive Forum, and three days of spicy Sichuan cuisine is enough. Our friend Tycho de Feyter of Carnewschina has a solid handle on the show anyways. Ford announced only two days ago that the Lincoln brand would come to China in 2014. Today we see  three Lincolns arriving at the exhibition hall for the Chengdu Auto Show. The Chevrolet Malibu 1.6 Turbo has been launched on the China auto market, priced at 209.900 yuan  ($33,000). The 1.6 turbo comes with 180hp and 235nm, mated to a 6-speed manual. The monster Cadillac CTS-V Coupe was officially launched on the China auto market during the first day of the Chengdu Auto Show. Price is set at 1.28 million yuan or 202.000 USD. The CTS-V Coupe is powered by a 6.2 liter supercharged V8  with  556hp and 747nm. Cadillac already sells the CTS sedan in China but only with the 3.0 and 3.6 V-sixes. The star of the show is the new Jetta.  Two were seen driving around in downtown Chengdu on the day before the show – without license plates. The new Jetta replaces the ancient Jetta MK2, which coincidentally can be seen right behind the two new cars. This is the new Volkswagen (China) Jetta debuted earlier today and will be launched in China before the end of this year. Despite other rumors from Brazil (that got lost in a tempest in the Oriental tea pot), the new Jetta swill definitely be based on Volkswagen's PQ25 platform  which also underpins the new Volkswagen Santana which is expected to debut at the Guangzhou Auto Show in November. The new Jetta will be made in China by the FAW-Volkswagen joint venture, it will be produced in Changchun and in a new factory in Chengdu. Engines: 1.4 with 89bhp or a 1.6 with 109bhp, mated to a five-speed manual or a six-speed automatic.   A new arrival from Germany: The Mercedes-Benz B-class. The B-class is imported, there are no plans yet for local production. Prices start at 278.000 yuan ($44,000) and end at 328.000 yuan ($52,000). Two engines: B180 with 122hp and the B200 with 156hp. The first B's will be delivered to customers late next month. For more Chengdu coverage, head over to Carnewschina. They will be on it all week. from The Truth About Cars http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com

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