Wrapping Up Auto Shanghai 2013 – Suzuki Authentics and Mitsubishi G4
Now that Auto Shanghai 2013 is coming to a close and all the new cars and concepts are bordering on old news, we’re going to wrap up our coverage today by tying up loose ends. If you look back at our Auto Shanghai Preview Primer published last week, you’ll see that we still haven’t discussed the Mitsubishi Concept G4 or the Suzuki Authentics Concept. So, those new cars are what we’ll cover today.
Suzuki Authentics Concept
Suzuki unveiled their sleek new Authentics Concept at Auto Shanghai with a flashy press conference, complete with dancers and metallic, color-matching sheets. We’d already discussed this car before it was unveiled, anticipating a fairly standard sedan with nothing too impressive about it. However, now that we’ve seen the full design I have to say that my expectations are surpassed. The Authentics Concept makes me feel like “standard” isn’t such a bad place to be – the design is elegant, classy and more refined than the over-the-top concepts put forth by other Japanese automakers in Shanghai.
A little more information about the Authentics Concept… It’s officially confirmed for production by the end of next year, and will likely feature powertrain arrangements similar to the new SX4. You can watch a video for the Authentics below:
Speaking of the new SX4, we’d seen the new second-generation version last month in Geneva, but Suzuki also unveiled a refreshed first-generation model that will continue to be sold in China along with the new one.
Mitsubishi Concept G4
Unfortunately, the reveal of the Mitsubishi Concept G4 left me feeling much less fulfilled. I had low expectations for the Mirage-based sedan, and they were wholly unsurpassed. Although, I have to say that I like this car more than I like the Mirage… I’m not sure if that’s a good or bad thing, though.
Now, looking at the G4 Concept we’ve seen at Auto Shanghai, you may be saying, “Hey, this isn’t that bad, look at all those cool lines and lights!” But, remember that this is a concept… The production model will be much more drab. Just like with the actual Mirage, the only possible upside of the G4 is fuel efficiency and a very low price.
Perhaps most aggravating to me is the sheer pointlessness of the Mitsubishi Concept G4. I just don’t see a good reason for this car to exist. Mitsubishi is a struggling brand; they need something new and exciting and, most importantly, profitable if they want to stand a chance. Targeting bottom-of-the-barrel drivers with these bare-bones, profitless vehicles just doesn’t make sense to me. Sure, they’ll sell, but they won’t make money.
Either way, that wraps up our coverage for Auto Shanghai 2013. There were several cars that we didn’t get to cover like the new Infiniti QX50, but you can only cover so much with one blog post per day. Considering that Toyota alone brought 50+ vehicles, I feel pretty good about what we got through.
Thanks for reading and come back next week for more Japan car news!
