Motor Verso editor and MGMW member Paul Hadley reports from the IAA Mobility 2025 trade show in Munich.
China Takes Centre Stage
If you want to understand where the motor industry is heading, Munich in September is about as good a place as any to find out. The IAA Mobility 2025 trade show is one of the largest of its kind in Europe, and this year it delivered concept cars, production previews and a healthy dose of the extraordinary in equal measure.
The story that dominated the show floor was impossible to ignore. China’s carmakers have well and truly arrived on the world stage, and they mean business. Brands that most European buyers have never heard of, including Leapmotor, AVATR and XPeng, were among the most talked-about exhibits of the week. XPeng in particular made a strong impression, with a striking new SUV and the second-generation P7 electric saloon, a genuinely sharp-looking machine that would turn heads on any UK road.
Leapmotor, partly owned by Stellantis, is positioning itself as an affordable electric option for European buyers, while AVATR, a joint venture between battery giant CATL and Changan, is pitching squarely at the luxury end of the market. Whether European consumers are ready to embrace these names remains to be seen, but the quality and ambition on display in Munich was genuinely impressive.
Germany Fights Back
Europe’s established manufacturers were not about to let the occasion pass without a fight. BMW had arguably the strongest showing of the German contingent, bringing the new M5 Touring in a vivid purple and bronze combination that divided opinion, alongside the new iX3 electric SUV previewing the brand’s incoming Neue Klasse design direction.
BMW also showcased new hydrogen fuel cell technology, a reminder that the road to zero emissions is not a single-lane carriageway. Mercedes, meanwhile, brought the new CLA Shooting Brake and the eye-catching Concept AMG GT XX, a bold statement of intent from the Stuttgart brand.
Volkswagen Eyes The Mainstream
Volkswagen brought two concept cars with significant production potential. The ID Cross previews an affordable all-electric SUV, while the ID EVERY1 could eventually become VW’s entry-level electric model. Both point to a manufacturer determined to make electrification accessible to everyday buyers rather than just those at the premium end of the market.
The Unexpected Star of the Show
Perhaps the most unexpected highlight came from Opel, a brand rarely discussed in UK motoring circles. The Mokka GSE, a rally-inspired electric SUV, is already available to order, while the revival of the Frontera nameplate looks like a genuine production proposition. This time around it is a proper in-house compact crossover rather than a rebadged Isuzu, and it looks all the better for it.
IAA Mobility 2025 left little doubt that the pace of change in the motor industry is accelerating. The question is no longer whether electric power will dominate. It is who will lead the charge, and whether Europe’s carmakers can hold their ground against increasingly confident competition from the East.
