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Jackson Lowen
lamborghini-urus-via-lambo
As China's automotive market continues to expand, carmakers the world over are hoping to cash in. Nowhere is that more apparent than at the 2012 Beijing Auto Show, which features everything from first cars for urban dwellers to ostentatious rides for the showiest tycoons – plus a smattering of hybrids and EVs.
It's a testament to China's influence in the global automotive market that this year's Beijing Auto Show also features several global debuts in addition to vehicles intended solely for domestic consumption. The much anticipated Lamborghini Urus (above), for example, didn't bow at Geneva or Frankfurt, but in Beijing. It's also telling that Bentley and Jaguar both introduced special editions of their range-topping sedans tailored specifically for the Chinese market.
Such attention would've been unimaginable a mere 10 years ago, when automotive status symbols in China were warmed-over Buicks and aging Audis. Today, there are eight times as many vehicles on the road, and that number only continues to grow. Here are 10 debuts from the Beijing Auto Show that represent China's automotive future – and, by extension, the world's automotive future as well.
Photo: Lamborghini
