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Chery, China's top car exporter, announced plans to establish an R&D center in Paris to develop a Europe-specific small city car tailored to local consumer preferences. The move marks Chery's strategic pivot from its SUV-focused European entry—via Omoda and Jaecoo brands—into the continent's iconic compact segment. "We want to build a French car for the French," stated Hanbang Yu, Chery France director, emphasizing the company's commitment to understanding regional design tastes. The initiative targets France's significant small car market, positioning Chery to compete against established European urban runabouts like the Fiat Cinquecento and Renault Twingo on their home terrain.

SAIC Volkswagen will launch the Passat ePro and Tiguan L ePro plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) in late May. Both models feature an EA211 1.5T turbocharged engine paired with a single electric motor, mated to a TQ251 transmission and a 22kWh battery pack. Exteriors adopt new energy vehicle design language, including full-width LED light bars and illuminated logos. The Passat ePro measures 5017/1850/1489mm with a 2871mm wheelbase, while the Tiguan L ePro measures 4744/1842/1684mm with a 2791mm wheelbase in a 5-seat configuration.

The Starlight 730 Premium Edition launched on April 27, built on the Intelligent Island Manufacturing System (I²MS) with comprehensive configuration upgrades. Standard features include a right-side power sliding door, smart power tailgate, and Lingmu intelligent ADAS, complemented by the Lingyu AI agent for enhanced voice interaction, plus automatic climate control, auto headlamps, and rain-sensing wipers. Powertrain options span PHEV, BEV, and ICE variants, with the PHEV featuring Lingxi Power 3.0 delivering 5.3L/100km fuel consumption and 1,100km combined range, while the BEV offers 500km CLTC range with 2C fast charging via a 60kWh Shenlian battery. Cumulative sales have surpassed 40,000 units.

At the 2026 Beijing Auto Show, FREELANDER—the luxury NEV tech brand jointly created by Chery and Jaguar Land Rover—unveiled its first concept vehicle, the Concept 97, at the Huawei Qiankun booth. The full lineup features the latest Huawei Qiankun ADS 5.0 intelligent driving system and the world's first 896-line LiDAR. Through deep joint calibration, the two brands developed the world's first i-ATS intelligent all-terrain system, pioneering the integration of high-thread LiDAR data into terrain control. The Concept 97 upholds the brand's 78-year design heritage, blending pure luxury with tech aesthetics to become a show highlight.

The new Buick Century is set to launch on April 28 as a model-year update, retaining the current design with four- and seven-seater configurations and a 2.0T turbocharged engine. Exterior features include full-width chrome trim connecting LED headlamps, vertically arranged lighting extending to the front bumper, and a large ventilated grille with segmented slats. The four-seater variant introduces the "Guanshan Feixue" two-tone finish, inspired by Wen Zhengming's classical painting, infusing Eastern aesthetics into the luxury MPV segment, with targeted configuration upgrades expected.

At the 2026 Beijing Auto Show, 212 Off-Road unveiled its first off-road ecosystem series, METTA, along with the global debut of the T01 METTA and T01 METTA Badain Jaran, priced at 189,900 and 219,900 yuan respectively. The T01 METTA features a rugged ladder-frame chassis with solid front and rear axles, electronic differential locks, and a part-time 4WD system. Powered by a 2.0T engine paired with a ZF 8AT producing 185kW and 410N·m, its BorgWarner transfer case offers 2.64x torque multiplication in 4L mode, catering to both seasoned off-roaders and new-generation light off-road users with "all-round balanced" and "extreme fully-equipped" variants.