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Beijing motor show: China means (auto) business

By Guy Bird Motor Shows 22 April 2008 05:34 Only a fool wandering around this week's Beijing motor show would still dismiss China as some also-ran automotive market full of rip-off designs and outdated ‘new’ cars based on old Western designs. While all of those clichés were still in evidence at the Chinese auto show, the copycat mentality is much less obvious than even a year ago at last year's Shanghai show. And every western car exec CAR spoke to was in awe of the upward sales trajectory that means China is still the place to do business in 2008.Yes, there are still some odd automotive fish, usually small ‘three-box’ saloon in shape such as the Chinese market only Citroen C-Elysee and the VW Lavida (a Jetta/Bora Plus car with less style).

Here's a SpongeBob-themed Toyota Highlander turned into an aquarium

Are ya, ready, midsize crossover shoppers? Aye aye, Akio! I caaaaaan't hear you!

Jaguar Crossover could be the Q-Type or XQ

The fastest growing segment in the car market is the Crossover / SUV, especially the more compact crossovers. So if Jaguar are going to compete in the big league they’re going to have to tap in to Land Rover’s expertise at some point and come up with their own Crossover (NOT a Jaguar SUV, as Ian Callum made clear). That could perhaps be getting closer with the news that Jaguar has registered both the Q-Type and XQ monikers after Pistonheads played Sherlock and dug the details out from the bowels of the European Union trademark database.