If you're a car, it's difficult to stand out from the 2015 Guangzhou Auto Show, which opened last Friday in the capital city of Guangdong Province. As the second-largest auto show in China, it is displaying nearly 1,000 models, including 36 models for their global debut.
The "new normal," which China's Premier Li Keqiang used to describe the cooling of the country's economic boom earlier this year, has become an entrenched part of reality for carmakers missing the stellar years.
As the double-digit growth age drifts further away, new product releases come under extra scrutiny or their competitiveness. Devils are always in the details.
Land Rover Discovery Sport
The 7-seat SUV comes out as a visionary new killer product for China's off-road family excursion as the country is set to roll out its second-child policy nationwide next year, which means more family members to bring along the way.
While retaining a more compact footprint than traditional 5-seat SUVs, the highly versatile car is made deceptively spacious by its innovative 5+2 seating. An optional sliding second row can offer a sector-leading 160mm of travel, and two little ones can fit comfortably in the back, which features a simple, single-handed 50:50 deployment.
Driving off the beaten track has never felt so sure-footed thanks to the car's all-terrain progress control that helps drivers to accelerate in low-speed situations.
New Porsche 911
Even the legend must change with the times. The time-honored engine-powered sports car series has embraced the industry-wide trend of turbo-charging, leading to the fastest 911 Carrera ever.
The twin-turbo technology enables the completely new engine generation to offer a 20hp increase. The 3.0L engine in the standard Carrera now develops 370hp while the 911 Carrera S delivers 420hp from the same displacement.
Both of their engines are characterized by significantly increased torque, offering up to 331lb-ft and 368lb-ft, respectively, from 1,700 rpm up to 5,000rpm.
The turbocharging, coupled with its first-time option of rear-axle steering for enhanced ability, makes the latest Carrera S beat its predecessor by 10 seconds on the North Loop of the Nürburgring, chalking up a record lap time of only 7 minutes and 30 seconds.
