Safety became the watchword of vehicle technology and autonomous cars took a backseat at this week’s Auto Shanghai 2025 expo in China. The largest automotive fair in the world, and arguably the largest technology expo, the event was expected to attract up to 1-million visitors over the 10 days of the show.
It took only one fatal accident, involving the Xiaomi SU7 smart car last month, to put the brakes on self-driving ambitions in Shanghai. Three young women lost their lives in the crash, triggering public outrage and renewed concern over the limits of semi-autonomous systems.
In response, the Chinese ministry of industry & information technology (MIIT) summoned representatives from major carmakers to issue a sharp warning. In a statement after the meeting, MIIT said they “must effectively enhance the safety level of intelligent connected vehicle products”.
Manufacturers were also warned to rein in exaggerated marketing. More broadly, they were given the responsibility of ensuring drivers remained alert while using driver-assistance systems.
What had been a race toward full autonomy became a more cautious negotiation with regulators — and a signal to carmakers to reset their messaging.
That shift in tone played to the strengths of Great Wall Motors (GWM), which in March overtook Chery to become the best-selling Chinese automotive brand in South Africa. It did so on the back of rising popularity of its Haval range and the rugged appeal of the Tank series. In a market where consumer expectations are rooted in both practicality and trust, GWM’s emphasis on safety has struck a chord.
“There is always room to raise the bar for safety,” said GWM president Mu Feng during his keynote. “There is no such thing as ‘just right’ — only the relentless pursuit of better”.
To make the point tangible, GWM invested 500m yuan (R1.28bn) in building the largest automotive safety testing facility in Asia. The lab replicates front, side, rear and angled impacts, as well as pedestrian collisions, rollover dynamics and post-emergency braking impacts. The intention and strategy are to turn abstract safety promises into measurable performance thresholds.
Other major players also adjusted course. The global leader in electric vehicle (EV) sales, BYD, which recently launched in South Africa, doubled down on its electrification road map, with safety front and centre. It launched the e7, an EV designed for ride-hailing that is optimised for energy efficiency and operational safety.
Huawei, through its partnership with the Chinese EV marque Aito, highlighted cabin AI upgrades and driver awareness systems designed to reduce distraction-related incidents. Volkswagen, in collaboration with its local joint-venture partner SAIC, unveiled three new EV concepts — the ID. Unyx, ID. Code and ID. Next. While the designs are global, the development, testing, and production pipelines are deeply localised through SAIC, with an emphasis on next-generation driver assistance rather than full autonomy.
At GWM’s stand, the tone was pragmatic. One of its centrepieces was a cross-section of the Wey 80, its flagship hybrid multipurpose vehicle, colour-coded to show the grades of high-strength steel throughout the chassis. The vehicle features three-row side airbags with a 110l inflation capacity — large enough to envelop passengers in all seats — and remains inflated for at least six seconds after impact.
Beyond the structure, GWM is putting its energy into developing hybrid platforms that treat power and safety as complementary rather than competing concerns.
Its Tank Hi4-T architecture, engineered for off-road scenarios, includes three mechanical locking differentials and adaptive torque vectoring, meaning it is capable of shifting all available force to a single wheel. In terrain like Southern Africa’s, where gravel and gradient often challenge traction, that becomes a big selling point.
In terrain like Southern Africa’s, where gravel and gradient often challenge traction, that becomes a big selling point
The Hi4-Z hybrid platform takes a more balanced approach, offering 200km of electric-only range along with a petrol engine to soothe range anxiety. Its chassis is designed to maintain centre-of-gravity stability and reduce unpredictable responses during emergency manoeuvres.
GWM’s intelligent driving suite, “coffee pilot ultra”, is another example of a tempered approach. It’s been tested across 9-million kilometres of real-world driving and 50-million in simulation, but the company avoids describing it as self-driving. Instead, it markets it as a comprehensive driver assistance tool that functions independently of high-definition maps. This is low-key positioning that stands in stark contrast to the now-muted claims of full autonomy from rivals.
Meanwhile, other brands kept the concept fires burning. Zeekr revealed a 9X hybrid SUV with lightning-fast charging. Toyota’s Lexus brand introduced a redesign of the ES sedan, centred on ride comfort and cabin tranquillity. BMW debuted a hydrogen-powered concept targeting Asian buyers, while Guangzhou Automobile Group showed how fundamentally the landscape has changed by pledging to take full responsibility for the safety of its level 4 self-driving technology. Level 4 vehicles are capable of fully autonomous operation without driver intervention.
For all their innovation, these launches still centred on a word dominating this year’s show: trust.
For South African drivers — and regulators — this matters. Local buyers are increasingly sensitive to reliability, along with price, performance metrics and battery size. The growth in GWM’s market share suggests a shift toward valuing vehicles that don’t merely promise innovation but deliver serviceability and reassurance. The Tank 300 and newly updated P-Series bakkies will test that reputation as they gain traction locally, but their appeal hinges on more than style or tech: it is all about support, parts and durability.
Localisation can’t mean variable standards. Safety that sells in Johannesburg must also hold up in Jakarta.
Still, the strategic shift is unmistakable. After years in which electric range and screen size dominated the conversation, Auto Shanghai 2025 feels like a return to fundamentals. The companies that emphasise safety may not win the most headlines, but they might win the most drivers.
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