Beijing Auto Show 2026: The foreign brands

The new Capital International Exhibition Center of China

As per 2024 and 2025, we will cover the Show in three different articles: notable foreigners, notable domestic brands and the 3 most impressive brands overall. We will go through almost 200 pictures and just under 40 brands. Let’s start with studying the notable foreign brands present at the Show, in alphabetical order.

Audi

Last year Audi made a splash by launching a new China-only brand in cooperation with SAIC: AUDIi in capital letters instead of the four rings. Hopes were high this would revive the German manufacturer, and the E5 sportback was presented. However the E5 EV only accumulated a little more than 10,000 units since its launch in August, peaking at 2,630 sales last month. Only a drop in the ocean of the very competitive Chinese EV market, and as a result Audi sales are down again over Q1 2026. One year on, and with added pressure to succeed, the carmaker presented the E7X electric SUV, featuring the same end-to-end digital dashboard and digital rear view mirrors, and the same LED light both at the front and back as the E5. One more EV is scheduled to start in 2027, a pace of new launches far from what the Chinese are doing.

BMW

BMW came to the Show all guns blazing with a gigantic stand across two sections of its hall (see picture above). Its main new model is the iX3 SUV, which in my view is one of the most beautiful car designs currently on sale.