Xuanyuan Awards, otherwise known as the Oscar Award of the Chinese automotive industry, has drawn up a list of 10 best cars produced in China this year. It also determined the leaders in such areas as design and technology.
The full-size SUV Li Auto L9 was crowned the Car of the Year. Li Auto unveiled the L9 in March this year, promising to make it a worthy rival of the Mercedes-Benz GLS and Range Rover. The model is a range-extender hybrid churning out 408 PS (402 hp / 300 kW). The 1.5-liter internal combustion engine on board merely supplies power to the main electric motor, resulting in an impressive driving range of 1,200 km (745 miles).
The top-10 list goes on to mention the SUVs Aito M7, Avatr 11, RisingAuto R7, Smart #1 and Xpeng G9, the liftbacks Nio ET5 and Zeekr 001, the Voyah Dreamer minivan and the Shenlan SL03 sedan. If you are wondering about Smart, the company is 50% owned by Geely and can thus be considered a Chinese automaker.
The Best Design award went to the Avatr 11, while the Nio ET5 won the prize for the best interior trim. The all-electric Arcfox Alpha S HI was recognized for its class-leading driving aids and tech, not least thanks to receiving its electronics and software from IT giant Huawei. Finally, the MG Mulan was praised for its export market readiness.
The jury picked the winners based on multiple factors, including the extent of localization of design and assembly facilities, consumer qualities, design, and environmental footprint.
