https://www.scmp.com/rss/13614/feed Mark Andrews is a Shanghai based writer who mainly writes about travel and motoring topics. He is the author of Driving the Dragon: The Extraordinary Rise of the Chinese Car Industry en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Mark Andrews Mark Andrews China’s car industry is expected to stagnate this year as it tries to catch its breath after years of growth. New energy vehicles (NEVs) are likely to continue increasing their market share but growth will be much lower than in recent years, with the penetration rate reaching around 60 per cent. “Involution” was the major theme last year, and despite efforts by the government and manufacturers, the situation is unlikely to improve until the second half of the year, due to a tepid economy and a... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3338636/innovation-and-exports-will-winnow-chinas-car-industry-2026?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3338636/innovation-and-exports-will-winnow-chinas-car-industry-2026?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 06 Jan 2026 08:30:09 +0000 Mark Andrews Mark Andrews Surprisingly, the weather 200 years ago obliged, with the Durham County Advertiser describing it as “propitious”, which is just as well given that the vast majority of the reported 533 train passengers were seated in open wagons. There was, though, one covered coach on the opening of the Stockton and Darlington Railway (S&DR), the world’s first public rail service, on September 27, 1825. That coach, named The Experiment and the precursor to today’s train carriages, was reserved for the railway’s... https://www.scmp.com/postmag/travel/article/3326625/5-britains-best-heritage-train-experiences-luxury-sleepers-steam-locomotives?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/postmag/travel/article/3326625/5-britains-best-heritage-train-experiences-luxury-sleepers-steam-locomotives?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Sep 2025 21:15:07 +0000 Mark Andrews Mark Andrews The Post has embarked on a six-part series of motoring reviews focusing on Chinese electric vehicles made for the export market. In the final instalment, Mark Andrews test drives Xpeng’s hit new model the P7+. Read the previous reviews of Xpeng’s G6, Nio’s ET7, BYD’s Dolphin, Geely’s Galaxy E5 and Xiaomi’s SU7. Earlier this year when Xpeng launched the Mona M03, the company found it had a hit on its hands, and early indications are that the Guangzhou-based company’s P7+ will follow on nicely.... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-evs/article/3289466/test-drive-xpeng-p7-ev-combines-luxury-space-ai-powered-driving-assistance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-evs/article/3289466/test-drive-xpeng-p7-ev-combines-luxury-space-ai-powered-driving-assistance?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Dec 2024 02:00:12 +0000 Mark Andrews Mark Andrews The Post has embarked on a six-part series of motoring reviews focusing on Chinese electric vehicles made for the export market. In the fifth instalment, Mark Andrews test drives the Xiaomi SU7 and is surprisingly pleased to find how well the car drives. Read the previous reviews of Xpeng’s G6, Nio’s ET7, BYD’s Dolphin and Geely’s Galaxy E5. Within days of going on sale in March, the Xiaomi SU7 had sold out the year’s planned 100,000 production run. In June, Xiaomi added a second shift and is... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-evs/article/3288511/test-drive-xiaomi-su7-capable-ev-win-buyer?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-evs/article/3288511/test-drive-xiaomi-su7-capable-ev-win-buyer?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Dec 2024 02:00:10 +0000 Mark Andrews Mark Andrews The Post has embarked on a six-part series of motoring reviews focusing on Chinese electric vehicles made for the export market. In the fourth installment, Mark Andrews spends a day with Geely’s Galaxy E5 SUV and comes away impressed with its overall value, albeit with some concerns. Read the previous reviews of Xpeng’s G6, Nio’s ET7 and BYD’s Dolphin. “I was just dreaming of you,” the Geely Galaxy E5’s artificial intelligence (AI) assistant said in an alluring voice as I got into the car early... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-evs/article/3287761/ev-review-geelys-galaxy-e5-good-value-and-easy-live-flirty-ai-aside?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-evs/article/3287761/ev-review-geelys-galaxy-e5-good-value-and-easy-live-flirty-ai-aside?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 24 Nov 2024 04:30:08 +0000 Mark Andrews Mark Andrews The SCMP is embarking on a six-part series of motoring reviews to focus on Chinese electric vehicles that are made for the export market, either in the right-hand drive versions or their original left-hand drive editions. In the third of this six-part series, Mark Andrews puts BYD’s Dolphin electric car through its paces, concluding that what has been ranked the world’s second-safest car is also the ideal city car for zipping around town. Read the first review of Xpeng’s G6, and the second... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-evs/article/3285754/ev-review-byds-fun-and-capable-dolphin-may-be-ideal-city-car-zipping-around?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-evs/article/3285754/ev-review-byds-fun-and-capable-dolphin-may-be-ideal-city-car-zipping-around?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 Nov 2024 02:00:11 +0000 Mark Andrews Mark Andrews The South China Morning Post is embarking on a six-part series of motoring reviews to focus on Chinese electric vehicles that are made for the export market, either in the right-hand drive versions or their original left-hand drive editions. In this instalment, Mark Andrews puts Nio’s ET7 through its paces, concluding that the car’s quality materials make it a rival for German marques – for significantly less money. Read the first review, of Xpeng’s G6. Nio believes that it has the best answer... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-evs/article/3284846/ev-review-nios-et7-rivals-germanys-best-some-aspects-lower-price?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-evs/article/3284846/ev-review-nios-et7-rivals-germanys-best-some-aspects-lower-price?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 Nov 2024 03:30:13 +0000 Mark Andrews Mark Andrews The SCMP is embarking on a six-part series of motoring reviews to focus on Chinese electric vehicles that are made for the export market, either in the right-hand drive versions or their original left-hand drive editions. In the first of this six-part series, Mark Andrews puts Xpeng’s G6 sports-utility vehicle through the paces, concluding that it is not so much a car that you drive than the car that drives you. Xpeng is currently the biggest disappointment of the three best-known Chinese... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-evs/article/3283974/car-review-xpengs-g6-has-slight-edge-over-teslas-model-y-fools-errand-lidar?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-evs/article/3283974/car-review-xpengs-g6-has-slight-edge-over-teslas-model-y-fools-errand-lidar?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 27 Oct 2024 01:00:15 +0000 Hainan is the only province in China to have a date, 2030, by which the sale of new vehicles with internal combustion engines will be banned. What China calls new energy vehicles (NEV), a term that encompasses fully electric cars and plug-in hybrids, may have accounted for more than 35 per cent of vehicle sales in 2023, but there is as yet no date for a nationwide switch to the less polluting machines. Hainan’s leadership was probably bittersweet knowledge for the hundreds of drivers of NEVs who... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3254511/chinas-electric-vehicle-infrastructure-falls-short-lunar-new-year-holiday-woes-ev-drivers-hainan-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3254511/chinas-electric-vehicle-infrastructure-falls-short-lunar-new-year-holiday-woes-ev-drivers-hainan-and?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 08 Mar 2024 11:15:13 +0000 Mark Andrews Mark Andrews Ten years ago, tourists visiting China would have been struck by the cash-based nature of its society. But the country has since gone full swing, leapfrogging the use of credit and debit cards to run on a system based almost exclusively on phones. However, a big problem for visitors had been that it was difficult to link foreign bank cards to the ubiquitous WeChat and Alipay QR payment systems. That was, until recently. In July, both WeChat and Alipay began allowing users to link international... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3230794/best-apps-foreign-visitors-china-and-which-are-useless-google-maps?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3230794/best-apps-foreign-visitors-china-and-which-are-useless-google-maps?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 13 Aug 2023 11:15:15 +0000 These days, when even a Tesla sedan gives you supercar acceleration, you really have to push the design and engineering envelopes if you want to craft a truly head-turning sports car. As to where to debut such a vehicle, that’s easy. The annual Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, taking place at the end of August in California, was the finale of Monterey Car Week. Once all about rebuilt classic cars, it is now the setting for the most exclusive of model launches. Very much a place to be seen among... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/luxury/article/3198107/4-cutting-edge-multimillion-dollar-luxury-cars-we-love-bentley-mulliner-batur-and-aston-martin-dbr22?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/luxury/article/3198107/4-cutting-edge-multimillion-dollar-luxury-cars-we-love-bentley-mulliner-batur-and-aston-martin-dbr22?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 02 Nov 2022 05:33:46 +0000 When the HiPhi X was released in September 2021, it zoomed past the Porsche Taycan to become China’s most popular luxury electric vehicle (EV) – making it the first domestic brand to produce the country’s bestselling EV priced over 500,000 yuan (US$78,700). Now anticipation is growing for the HiPhi Z, which was described as a “Digital GT” following its November unveil – and is expected to cost upwards of US$100,000 when it goes on sale later this year. The way EVs are shaking up the top end of... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/luxury/article/3171001/will-luxury-car-world-be-completely-electric-2030-porsche?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/luxury/article/3171001/will-luxury-car-world-be-completely-electric-2030-porsche?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 19 Mar 2022 22:00:20 +0000 Can China produce a car to take on Tesla? Last year saw two models account for 20 per cent of sales for plug-in electric cars, or what China calls new energy vehicles (NEV). The made-in-China Tesla Model 3 went on sale right at the beginning of 2020, and went on to claim 11 per cent over the year. The ultra-compact Wuling Hongguang Mini EV, released in the middle of the year, took second place, with retail prices starting as low as 28,800 yuan (YS$4,400) helping it eclipse Tesla sales in several... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/3129167/tesla-recharge-can-chinas-ev-brands-dethrone-elon-musk?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/3129167/tesla-recharge-can-chinas-ev-brands-dethrone-elon-musk?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Apr 2021 04:17:21 +0000 There was no shortage of eager takers for the free mushroom frittatas and omelets at Future Food Studio, an outdoor pop-up at a glitzy Shanghai shopping mall in October. But the egg dishes—all made by well-known local chefs—contained no eggs. Instead, the main ingredient was Just Egg, a plant-based alternative consisting of mung bean and legumes. In recent years, the plant-based food craze has reached Asia, with international heavyweights such as Beyond Meat and Impossible expanding to the... https://www.scmp.com/food/beyond-impossible-china-ready-vegan-meat/article/3114184?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/food/beyond-impossible-china-ready-vegan-meat/article/3114184?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Dec 2020 08:59:47 +0000 Northeastern Thai-style (Isaan) food is actually derived from Lao cuisine, and with a proliferation of restaurants in Laos serving Thai cuisine it is easy to get into a sticky situation with the food. These five typical Lao dishes will help you see the difference. Larb View this post on Instagram Don’t live in LA and want to cook with me? Easy, download @mavencook and join me for my first online cooking class this Wednesday, May 8th at 6PM (PST). I’ll be... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/leisure/article/3046167/thai-food-or-lao-5-typical-dishes-laos-will-help-you-see?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/leisure/article/3046167/thai-food-or-lao-5-typical-dishes-laos-will-help-you-see?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Jan 2020 07:00:04 +0000 One thing you soon realise in Xian is how important wheat is to the cuisine, whether it is in the form of bread or noodles. Rice doesn’t grow in the region but throw a handful of wheat over the parched ground and it will germinate. How to eat like a local in Kuala Lumpur Most of these dishes are easily found in restaurants in the centre of the central Chinese city, particularly in the Muslim Quarter. 1. Roujiamo Probably the easiest Chinese dish name for foreigners to remember thanks to a... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/travel-food/article/3015530/eat-local-xian-5-ways-get-your-carb-fix-city-wheat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/travel-food/article/3015530/eat-local-xian-5-ways-get-your-carb-fix-city-wheat?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Jun 2019 06:00:05 +0000 China has had an on-off relationship with golf. It can lay claim to having played a similar sport as early as AD1000, but the modern game has a much shorter and chequered history in the Middle Kingdom. Unlike Japan and Korea, the sport is strictly for the elite. From 1949 to the early 80s, it was banned. What followed was a frenzy of course building, providing some of the best in Asia. These are five of the top golf courses in China: 1. Sheshan International Golf Club Built in one of hilliest... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/2165794/5-top-hole-golf-courses-china-elites?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/2165794/5-top-hole-golf-courses-china-elites?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Sep 2018 06:44:39 +0000 Performing recently in a Shanghai park, a musician gingerly glides his bow across the strings of his erhu before tightening them to bring the instrument back into tune. Soon he is immersed in the haunting sounds of his composition, Snow Legend, with little but the calling of birds in the park for accompaniment. Across China, it is common to see elderly people in parks playing the two-stringed instrument often referred to in English as a “spike fiddle”. But what makes this performance in Shanghai... https://www.scmp.com/culture/music/article/2143650/canadian-erhu-master-his-love-chinas-stringed-instruments-and-how?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/music/article/2143650/canadian-erhu-master-his-love-chinas-stringed-instruments-and-how?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Apr 2018 14:00:00 +0000 Small boutique hotels with limited function facilities might initially seem no match for the marketing might of international chains when they pitch for meetings business.  Yet,  boutique properties can use their facilities and locations to win clients, as Villa Song Saigon does in Ho Chi Minh City. 5 luxury boutique hotels you must visit in Malaysia for an unforgettable experience “Despite being a small 23-room boutique hotel, we actually do a lot of events,” says Yega Thiyagarajan, the... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/travel-food/special-reports/topics/mice-biz/article/2142106/boutique-hotels-take?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/travel-food/special-reports/topics/mice-biz/article/2142106/boutique-hotels-take?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Apr 2018 07:00:30 +0000 When Chairman Mao’s Red Guards embarked on their mission to eradicate any sign of China’s feudal past, an untold number of ancient texts, relics, religious sites and citizens’ private belongings were targeted for destruction. For Wu Jianguo, a former Red Guard from the poor farming village of Lijia Shizi, 90 kilometres from downtown Xian, in northwest China, there was nothing to destroy. Book review: the Red Guard generation and how they shaped modern China “You hear or read about Red Guards... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/2141217/why-former-red-guard-now-saves-chinese-antiques-and-uses-his-collection?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/2141217/why-former-red-guard-now-saves-chinese-antiques-and-uses-his-collection?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 12 Apr 2018 11:45:00 +0000 Spurred on by Beijing’s drive to go electric, the last few years have seen a slew of companies spring up with plans to enter the burgeoning new-energy vehicle market. Along with a desire to cut pollution and reduce reliance on imported oil, China hopes to position itself as a world leader in electric vehicles, something it has struggled to achieve with petrol-powered cars. To encourage sales, the government offers research and development grants and consumer subsidies, and has exempted... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/2127596/another-chinese-tesla-wannabe-one-may-be-different?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/2127596/another-chinese-tesla-wannabe-one-may-be-different?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 10 Jan 2018 04:43:38 +0000 The War for China’s Wallet by Shaun Rein 2.5/5 stars Shaun Rein cemented his position as an expert on doing business in China through his previous books, End of Cheap China and End of Copycat China. Many will have listed to Rein because he married into Chinese political royalty – his wife is a granddaughter of late PLA marshal Ye Jianying – and mixes with many of China’s movers and shakers. But the title of Rein’s latest offering, The War for China’s Wallet, may mislead readers into thinking it... https://www.scmp.com/culture/books/article/2126477/book-review-war-chinas-wallet-readable-if-one-sided-view-chinas?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/culture/books/article/2126477/book-review-war-chinas-wallet-readable-if-one-sided-view-chinas?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Jan 2018 12:30:56 +0000 The first offering from Chinese carmaker Lynk & Co, a joint venture between Sweden’s Volvo and parent group Geely, does not feel like the usual Chinese car made to world market standards: in the 01 sports utility vehicle (SUV) you feel as if you’re in a European car that happens to be made in China. The 01 – Lynk is simply going to use a number order for its models – panders to China’s taste for all things SUV. Unlike the myriad of generic Chinese off-roader wannabes, the 01 looks genuinely... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/motoring/article/2124973/review-it-aint-no-porsche-lynks-debut-01-suv-sure-footed-offering?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/motoring/article/2124973/review-it-aint-no-porsche-lynks-debut-01-suv-sure-footed-offering?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Dec 2017 00:04:13 +0000 “A lot of people who come to Shanghai think the art scene is M50,” says guide Arthur Humeau, referring to an old industrial district of the city that has been transformed into an arts hub. To prove that is not the case, the Frenchman kicks his Chang Jiang 750 motorcycle into life as I clamber into the sidecar, and we roar off on an art tour of the city. The tour has been organised by Shanghai Insiders, a group which offers city guides by motorbike for one or two people. The tours are tailored to... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/2117742/how-shanghai-art-tour-motorbike-reveals-citys-galleries?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/2117742/how-shanghai-art-tour-motorbike-reveals-citys-galleries?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Oct 2017 23:15:45 +0000 As dusk envelops the village of Xiazai in Yongding district, Fujian province, in southwest China, swallows swoop low over a stream and calm descends as the tourists drift away. The old residents, all members of the Lin clan, while away the evening talking as bats dart between the rafters of the tulou earthen buildings. They reminisce about the old times, lamenting that the village’s youth have all left for the cities. There are around 3,000 tulou, literally meaning earthen house, spread around... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/2115578/inside-fujians-tulou-unesco-listed-hakka-roundhouses-their?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/2115578/inside-fujians-tulou-unesco-listed-hakka-roundhouses-their?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Oct 2017 04:45:45 +0000 Several doubts were raised in the car world when China’s Geely Holdings bought Volvo in 2010. The low-cost Chinese manufacturer until a few years prior had garnered a reputation for poorly built cars with heavily inspired designs. At the time, Chinese companies such as SAIC/Nanjing Autos had achieved little with their takeovers of western marques, such as MG Rover. Despite some initial tension between the Chinese and Swedish sides on their future direction, Volvo was largely left to manage... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/motoring/article/2106439/volvos-daqing-made-long-wheelbase-s90-could-well-challenge-german?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/motoring/article/2106439/volvos-daqing-made-long-wheelbase-s90-could-well-challenge-german?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 11 Aug 2017 09:01:39 +0000 The peace among the lotus-filled ponds of Zili village is shattered by a cacophony of quacking ducks. The verdant countryside near Kaiping city, in China’s southern Guangdong province, is largely deserted. The younger generation have gone to the burgeoning towns and cities of the Pearl River Delta in search of their fortune. About 150 years ago, the exodus was overseas. Nine diaolou buildings and six Western-style villas built by those who struck it rich are now protected by their status as... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/2102620/how-chinese-gold-miners-helped-build-new-zealand-and-how-discrimination?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/2102620/how-chinese-gold-miners-helped-build-new-zealand-and-how-discrimination?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 15 Jul 2017 23:31:40 +0000 Audi has traditionally held the premium crown in China, thanks to its early entry into the market. However, BMW and Mercedes-Benz have been rapidly catching up with sales over the past few years. Audi has also reportedly had a dispute with some of its dealers, so BMW hopes that it can take over the Four Rings’ mantle with a string of new locally produced models. As such, the 1 Series saloon is a key model. China-only models are not a new phenomenon; they have been done by mainstream... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/2102654/bmws-1-series-saloon-thrives-shanghai-exclusively-fresh-chinese?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/2102654/bmws-1-series-saloon-thrives-shanghai-exclusively-fresh-chinese?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 15 Jul 2017 00:32:24 +0000 The 17th biennial Shanghai Auto Show opened on Wednesday and runs until April 28. In the city’s clover-leafed National Exhibition and Convention Centre, car manufacturers are feeling pretty lucky with 113 world premieres on display. Visitors are not quite so fortunate, thanks to the event’s confusing layout and poor signage. Volkswagen Audi Group has the strongest showing among the international original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), and also reflects the show’s overriding themes: electric... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/2089609/shanghai-auto-show-draws-automotive-world-chinas-motoring?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/2089609/shanghai-auto-show-draws-automotive-world-chinas-motoring?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Apr 2017 12:15:39 +0000 Japanese luxury carmaker Infiniti has confirmed its commitment and confidence in the mainland China market at the Shanghai Auto Show. “We have a very good base [in China] now to move forward. We have just launched two new vehicles – the QX30 and Q60 – and they’re just establishing themselves on the market,” said CEO Ronald Krueger. Infiniti sold about 10,000 vehicles in China in the first three months of 2017, a 4 per cent increase from the same period a year earlier. The company, headquartered... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/2089239/japanese-carmaker-infiniti-confirms-commitment-mainland-market?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/2089239/japanese-carmaker-infiniti-confirms-commitment-mainland-market?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Apr 2017 10:23:28 +0000 “By 2025, we believe most vehicles will still be driven by internal combustion engines [ICE] and the traditional ICE still has major potential to further reduce emissions,” said Enno Tang, head of chassis and safety technology at Continental, at the 2016 Global Automotive Forum in Chongqing. Despite US President Donald Trump’s March 15 announcement of a review of fuel efficiency standards, there is a move worldwide, prompted by regulation and consumer demand, to get more mileage out of... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/2085753/six-car-technologies-will-help-you-go-extra-mile?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/2085753/six-car-technologies-will-help-you-go-extra-mile?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Apr 2017 07:40:24 +0000 In Europe in the 1980s, hot hatches were all the rage. There was the Ford Escort XR3i, VW Golf GTI and the tiny Peugeot 209 GTI. These pocket rockets offered enough performance to rattle a supercar at the traffic lights while based on an otherwise mundane small family hatchback. China, of course, missed out on all the fun, and until recently performance models were strictly import only. Geely had a go at producing a sports car with the Beauty Leopard, in 2003, but didn’t have an engine to match... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/motoring/article/2071795/geely-packs-quality-little-added-fun-emgrand?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/motoring/article/2071795/geely-packs-quality-little-added-fun-emgrand?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Feb 2017 08:22:32 +0000 I feel my way along the tunnel; it’s pitch black and narrow, and all I can do as I inch forward is grope for the spot. Hidden below the altar of the Zenkoji Temple’s main hall is, so legend has it, the key to enlightenment. Those who feel it achieve satori. My hand glides over some­thing on the wall; it is smooth, long and cylindrical, and made of metal. Outside, snow is steadily falling on Nagano city, tempering the incense-filled air. If enlightenment means having discovered, as a non-skier,... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/2061544/japan-non-skiers-nagano-offers-chills-and-thrills?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/2061544/japan-non-skiers-nagano-offers-chills-and-thrills?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Jan 2017 03:00:15 +0000 The Guangzhou Auto Show winds up this weekend, and judging by the number of important models debuted over the past week, the southern Chinese city seems to be experiencing a resurgence in popularity among carmakers. About 1,130 vehicles were on display at the same sprawling complex used for the Canton Trade Fair, including 56 global premieres, and simultaneous electric vehicle and commercial vehicle exhibitions. One has to wonder what SAIC Motor Corporation has in store on home turf in Shanghai... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/motoring/article/2049224/guangzhou-auto-show-winds-down-amid-major-interest-exhibitors?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/motoring/article/2049224/guangzhou-auto-show-winds-down-amid-major-interest-exhibitors?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 25 Nov 2016 07:00:30 +0000 British Leyland, Austin Rover, MG Rover, or whatever else you want to call it, was like a British soap opera – long running, with a plot lurching from one crisis to another, with never really any glamour and it generally left you feeling disappointed. It should have been all over in 2005 with the appointment of the administrators, but the Chinese decided to kick-start their car industry with the remains of the last British volume carmaker. MG Roewe, by way of divorce, reconciliation and a name... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/motoring/article/2047326/mgs-reasonably-priced-suv-gets-things-mostly-right?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/motoring/article/2047326/mgs-reasonably-priced-suv-gets-things-mostly-right?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Nov 2016 14:28:16 +0000 Being 4,830 metres above sea level, at the snowline atop the pass over Mount Zhuodala, was not the best place to get a puncture. It was, however inevitable; while huge sums of money are being poured into transport infrastructure in rural Sichuan province, transforming the area with new tunnels and bridges, there are still old and temporary roads where construction is under way, and this section of the Ganbai Road is no exception. We were relieved to discover that the Land Rover Discovery Sport... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/motoring/article/2041043/getting-tough-land-rovers-discovery-sport-sichuan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/motoring/article/2041043/getting-tough-land-rovers-discovery-sport-sichuan?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Nov 2016 13:27:29 +0000 Geely once epitomised all that was wrong with Chinese cars, but these days it seems it can do no wrong. The Hong Kong listing of Geely Automobile Holdings has more than doubled in value over the last year, and at the end of September the British Bloodhound supersonic car project announced the company as its major sponsor. This progress has been built on a slew of new products. Last year’s GC9 saloon went on to be named the 2016 China Car of the Year in an awards ceremony at the Guangzhou Auto... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/motoring/article/2027767/geely-boyue-suv-benefits-volvo-makeover?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/motoring/article/2027767/geely-boyue-suv-benefits-volvo-makeover?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 14 Oct 2016 06:01:47 +0000 Although it’s a global powerhouse, Ford has not done so well in the Chinese market, trailing sales by Volkswagen, General Motors and even Hyundai. In the past this was partly due to the limited range of vehicles it offered compared to competitors. The Ford Taurus is the latest addition as the carmaker attempts to build a range that covers most market segments. Surprisingly the Ford Escort based on the last generation Focus’ platform, the company’s first attempt at a car specially designed for... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/motoring/article/2019991/fords-chinese-taurus-spacious-affordable-and-ready-compete-its?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/motoring/article/2019991/fords-chinese-taurus-spacious-affordable-and-ready-compete-its?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Sep 2016 04:48:18 +0000 It’s not easy taking photos when you’re being thrown around the cockpit as the R8 V10 Coupe Performance does speeds of over 200km/h. I’m in the passenger seat for a hot lap of half the Shanghai International Circuit on an Audi Driving Experience day. You can hear the rear wheels scrabbling for grip as the mid-engined sports car is thrown around a corner. Earlier I had done three half laps myself but could achieve nowhere near the speeds I am now experiencing with pro driver Mark Allison. The... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/motoring/article/2013187/blue-skies-shimmering-asphalt-and-powerful-audis-shanghai?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/motoring/article/2013187/blue-skies-shimmering-asphalt-and-powerful-audis-shanghai?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Sep 2016 15:09:46 +0000 Back in 2011 the Chinese joint ventures started launching China only sub brands. Many of these were filled with electric cars. It was largely an effort to placate the government’s realisation that the whole joint venture (JV) model had not catapulted China into being a producer of world-class cars and merely created the largest car market for the big multinationals. With the new sub brands the government wanted to get hold of the latest electric vehicle (EV) technology and transfer this to the... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/motoring/article/2006113/denza-banks-pedigree-stay-ahead-ev-pack-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/motoring/article/2006113/denza-banks-pedigree-stay-ahead-ev-pack-china?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Aug 2016 07:57:12 +0000 Qoros originally talked of full-blown European sales by this year – currently its cars are only on sale outside China in the Slovakia test market. While sales in the company’s Chinese home market have been increasing it is no secret they are much lower than expected. Unlike the Qoros 3 City SUV this is a proper SUV style vehicle, albeit currently front-wheel drive only, rather than a crossover dressing up of a hatchback. They do, however, share the same drivetrain and the Qoros 5 SUV is built on... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/motoring/article/1996545/good-looker-moving-right-direction-never-likely-excite?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/motoring/article/1996545/good-looker-moving-right-direction-never-likely-excite?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 Jul 2016 08:59:16 +0000 So much for the new Calvin Kleins. Warm, thick brown oil drips down my body as the hands of masseurs Manjula and Kumara work in unison. I have had my fair share of massages, but none quite like this. Cut the sniggering - this is a serious part of Ayurvedic treatment and the two men working on me are masters, leading me to a near slumber state. Founded in 1968, Barberyn Reef Resort, located at Moragalla near Beruwala on the west coast of Sri Lanka, in 1984 became the country's first health resort... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/48hrs/article/1265988/pummel-vision?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/48hrs/article/1265988/pummel-vision?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 26 Jun 2013 16:00:00 +0000 It's no accident that Bentley chose Beijing for the international media test-drive of its new Flying Spur. China is now the carmaker's No 2 market and accounted for 55 per cent of sales of the first-generation Flying Spur. With the new model, the Volkswagen Group's upscale marque is hoping that will increase to 60 per cent. Bentley is keen to point out it is an all-new model, but with its evolutionary approach to design it could easily pass for a facelift of the previous generation. Going along... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/motoring/article/1244237/bentleys-flying-spur-elegant-evolution?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/motoring/article/1244237/bentleys-flying-spur-elegant-evolution?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 May 2013 16:00:00 +0000 While it may be a cliché to describe this year's Shanghai Motor Show as the biggest and best ever, it's true that it has grown more important than ever on the world stage. Since 2009, the mainland has been the largest car market in the world, with sales last year exceeding 13 million units - a year-on-year rise of 7.6 per cent. And with domestic brands' market share falling from 46 per cent in 2010 to 42 per cent last year, it's no surprise that foreign brands struggling to make headway in... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/motoring/article/1222942/foreign-brands-china-only-cars-prevail-shanghai-motor-show-2013?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/motoring/article/1222942/foreign-brands-china-only-cars-prevail-shanghai-motor-show-2013?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Apr 2013 16:00:00 +0000 Ask someone on the street in Kaiping, Guangdong province, what the population of the town is and they may well say, '680,000, plus 750,000'. The fact that many members of this overseas 'population' may never have set foot in Kaiping does not matter; this town is a symbol of 19th century emigration. Unesco named Kaiping a World Heritage site in 2007, because of the tower-like structures, known as diaolou, that dot the surrounding countryside. At one time they numbered as many as 3,000 but at... https://www.scmp.com/article/969683/all-around-watchtowers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/969683/all-around-watchtowers?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Jun 2011 16:00:00 +0000 When it comes to Chinese producers, this year's Shanghai Auto Show clearly separates the men from the boys. Unlike previous years, the show - which opened to the public on Thursday - has largely ignored the plethora of smaller Chinese producers. With China now the world's largest car market, the Shanghai show, held on alternate years with Beijing, is becoming one of the most important on the global circuit. While the world launches of the Audi Q3 and Chevrolet Malibu at the show grabbed the... https://www.scmp.com/article/965796/market-driven?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/965796/market-driven?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Apr 2011 16:00:00 +0000 Clouds of dust dance in the early morning light filtering through the canopy as our pick-up races to conquer the hill. Jolted in the back of the truck, I'm finding it hard to believe that less than 24 hours earlier my transport had been so much more sedate. Perched on an elephant's head, I had unwittingly ended up a star in the mahout training school event at the Laos Elephant Festival. This year's Elephant Festival takes place from February 18 to 20 in Pak Lai (also spelled Pak Lay), a small,... https://www.scmp.com/article/735484/rumble-jungle?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/735484/rumble-jungle?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 11 Jan 2011 16:00:00 +0000 BYD looked set to become one of the leading forces in the mainland motoring industry earlier this year. The company only started manufacturing cars in 2005, but in the first quarter of this year it topped sales figures on the mainland with the F3. For total production figures, the carmaker came in fourth place, behind two Volkswagen joint ventures and General Motors. It has since taken a tumble, however. Last month the carmaker reported a 99 per cent profit slump for the third quarter, after... https://www.scmp.com/article/729646/bolt-out-blue?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/729646/bolt-out-blue?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Nov 2010 16:00:00 +0000 The MG 6 was the spearhead of Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation's (SAIC) assault on Europe. It is the Business Car of Choice for the British Pavilion at the 2010 Expo. And by the end of the year it should go on sale in Britain and be produced - most likely from CKDs ('completely knocked-down' kits) - at Longbridge. Despite a number of test drives being conducted in Britain, MG is unwilling to allow official test drives in the mainland. With a car park full of the model, it seems... https://www.scmp.com/article/717468/marque?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/717468/marque?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Jun 2010 16:00:00 +0000 I don't do questions on politics or economics,' quips Tess Johnston at the end of her talk. Ever the diplomat, the retired US Foreign Service officer who has since become part of Shanghai society, has been regaling an audience with extracts from her memoirs Permanently Temporary (Old China Hand Press). Subtitled From Berlin to Shanghai in Half a Century, it looks back over her life, including 33 years in the Foreign Service. Starting in shattered post-war Berlin, Johnston skilfully whisks... https://www.scmp.com/article/711073/city-brink?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/711073/city-brink?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 10 Apr 2010 16:00:00 +0000