PEOPLE TIME OUT DIVERSIONS ON AIR

www.scmp.com SOUTH MORNING POST SATURDAY, APRIL 23, 2011 C

From top: FAW’s GO concept; 630; MG5 concept; FAW X concept; Gleagle Star CC convertible concept. Photos: Mark Andrews

Market driven

The Shanghai Auto Show reflects the mixed fortunes of the mainland industry, writes Mark Andrews

hen it comes to surprisingly decided not to display introduction of some important impressive new H6. Largely absent Chinese producers, its Saab-based offerings. technology with its direct-injection, were small and in their this year’s Shanghai FAW is one of the few large 1.5-litre turbo engine and six-speed place was a comprehensive range Auto Show clearly state-owned companies displaying dual-clutch transmission – both of Volex saloons. separates the men a coherent own-brand range. As firsts for a Chinese manufacturer. Always the dark horse, Brilliance Wfrom the boys. Unlike previous ever, its Besturn fail to excite, With the e6 electric car – on display Automotive, while having relatively years, the show – which opened to but it also offers four strikingly in the guise of a taxi – appearing no few models, manages to cover a the public on Thursday – has good concepts. The X concept is a closer to production and the Lexus large market sector with its family largely ignored the plethora of radical-looking SUV that also RX clone, the S6, about to go on sale of vehicles. Displayed along with a smaller Chinese producers. sports a futuristic interior. Similar next month, BYD appears to be stunning concept is the new 530, With China now the world’s design flair is seen in the GO sports struggling for direction. the replacement for the BS4 largest car market, the Shanghai concept and B9 saloon. ’s large floor space Splendor. As with Brilliance’s cars show, held on alternate years with In the past, the large state- appears to be trying to make up for in the last few years, the 530’s , is becoming one of the owned companies were happy to a lack of development. Cars spread interior has most important on the global sit back and reap the profits from across the three brands of Chery, been vastly improved over circuit. While the world launches of their joint ventures. The true and Rely still seem to be at a models from four years ago the Audi Q3 and Malibu domestic car brand powerhouses loss for a distinct identity. New and is at last matched with at the show grabbed the headlines, models such as the E5, G6 and New a stylish, well- a more important battle is taking Oriental Son, while appearing proportioned exterior. place amongst the Chinese In the past, the large competent, are lacking in style. Smaller manufacturers, producers. , on the other hand, seems such as and Zotye, On home turf it comes as no state-owned to have more clearly defined its appear to be aiming at surprise that Shanghai Automotive three brands; the awkwardly niches such as diesel or Industry Corp (SAIC) is putting in a companies were named Englon, Gleagle and electric-powered vehicles. strong showing. Amongst the . And if its off-the-wall Lifan, however, appears lost. bigger state-owned carmakers, it happy to sit back and creations are anything to go by, With the new X60 SUV and 720 appears to be by far the strongest. Geely’s designers are brimming saloon on display, they still seem to Matching joint-venture partner reap the profits from with confidence. Concepts such at be building cars for the market of a Volkswagen near enough square their joint ventures the London-taxi-inspired SC7-RV few years back. Unless their designs metre for square metre, SAIC’s ...... and the stunning Gleagle Star CC pick up quickly, they are destined display for and MG models convertible show a sense of to remain increasingly minor features the production launch of humour, if not flair. However, regional players. the small MG3, giving SAIC’s stable are either private or provincially nothing yet appears to utilise the A small car from Guangxi, an almost complete range. It is also controlled companies, most of expertise the company bought into though, promises to change displaying the upcoming Roewe whom until recently have not had last year with the purchase of Volvo everything for the Chinese W5 SUV, largely a rebadged the luxury of a joint-venture and Australian transmission manufacturers. The Baojun 630 Ssangyong Kyron, as well as the W5 partner. Traditionally, they have company DSI. Production-ready produced by a joint concept, which has been given a concentrated on smaller cars, sold cars, such as the Emgrand EC8, venture is the first in a wave of new more thorough makeover. The in the second- and third-tier cities. seem miles away from the cars of a cars from brands created for the show-stopper, though, is the Now, though, they are coveting few years ago. Chinese market aimed at the aggressively angled MG5 concept. sales of larger cars they hope will be Great Wall has also come a long developing provinces. Produced Both Changan and Dongfeng placed on the government’s way, showing a coherent range of using internationally tried and chose to hide their own brand multibillion-yuan procurement list vehicles and having largely ditched tested technology, it does not offerings among a display of all and are increasingly looking to the copied designs of its earlier scrimp on quality or safety. And if their cars produced by their various increase their markets overseas. vehicles. As can be expected, SUVs these brands produce cars as good- joint ventures. While Guangzhou Compounding BYD’s recent in the (formerly Hover) range looking as Dongfeng ’s Auto is making a big show of its financial problems, the Shenzhen- play a dominant role. The H5 now concept, then the local car, based on the Alfa based company’s offerings fail to sports a six-speed manual gearbox manufacturers might have a real Romeo 166, Beijing Automotive excite visually. The premiere of the and a vastly improved interior, and fight on their hands in their Industry Holding Co (BAIC) G6 does, though, mark the due to launch in July is the traditional heartland. Colombia’s Easter menu – anyone for iguana?

CULTURE “People bring them in [from far- How the custom of eating this Rodolfo Mendoza, chief of the ...... flung provinces] secretly, even food at this time evolved is not so environmental police in stashed in suitcases so they can eat clear. But people who lived along Barrancabermeja, northwest of the Michael Cancela-Kieffer them with relatives, or sell them at rivers in what is modern-day capital, says his men intercepted Green iguana, slider turtles and the the markets,” says environmental Colombia ate these animals before someone with a mini-herd of eight world’s largest rodent, capybara: it’s official Andres Alvarez. the Spanish colonial era in the 15th capybara. They are the world’s not a trip to the zoo, but traditional Colombia has wildly varied century, anthropologists say. biggest rodent and can top 100kg. Easter dinner in Colombia. geography, with tropical Pacific and “For our indigenous people, the Though not endangered, they are “This is the season we have them Caribbean coasts; cool Andean turtle and iguana are historically not supposed to be hunted at this all coming in,” says nutritionist mountain climates and a huge range symbolic, mystical animals and part time of the year so as not to interfere Carolina Rangel, at a centre for of plant and animal life that thrive, of age-old customs. Ultimately, what with their reproductive season. confiscated animals in Bogota. She sometimes in relative isolation. happened was that the Catholic Authorities have to balance shows 30 confiscated slider turtles, Recipes based on local animals calendar matched the fact that those trying to protect the species with common in Colombia and in have close ties to the northern and animals are plentiful” during the respecting indigenous Colombian Venezuela, and a rogue green iguana northwestern parts of the country. Easter period, says anthropologist traditions, they say. That is why the that officials picked up on a bus. Among the seasonal treats: turtle Ramiro Delgado. hunting and sale of slider turtles, Sometimes problems crop up egg omelettes; iguana soup; cayman So while many Colombians are iguana, and small crocodiles is when the animals escape from their or turtle stew, which is served up eagerly awaiting the arrival of an illegal; but at the same time, they “caretakers”, especially in the busy with coconut rice and fried yuca, all exotic little something on their may be consumed by people in Easter season; many Colombians washed down with cold beer. Easter table, hundreds of others are communities where food sources travel for hours on intercity buses to “The gastronomic wealth reflects Easter eggs seized by Colombian trying to make sure that passengers are limited. spend the holiday with family and the country’s biodiversity, says environmental police. These eggs on intercity buses are people and ...... prepare special meals. anthropologist Julian Estrada. are from iguanas. Photo: AFP not animals. Agence France-Presse