Autocar's star cars from the 2019 Shanghai and New York shows

This week saw two very different motor shows share the headlines.

Shanghai saw concepts and China-friendly models from European brands, EV start-ups and Chinese manufacturers announcing their global ambitions. On the other side of the globe, New York played host to three-row SUVs, limited-run Porsches and a concept or two of its own.

With such variety, there were plenty of highlights to choose from. The following are the cars the Autocar team feel stood out the most.

Audi AI:me concept

Yes, I know it's a very future-thinking concept that's years away from any kind of production, but the AI:me is another Audi that shows how the brand's design language is really becoming bolder and less conservative under Marc Lichte's leadership.

It's a great looking thing, and it's nice to see something targeted at the lower end of the market, as opposed to pricey SUVs and luxury cars. Bosses insist there are no intentional design references to the Audi A2, but it's hard not to see it.

Lawrence Allan

Grove Granite

Chinese motor shows always throw up some real oddities, and a four-door coupe named after a type of rock, styled by storied Italian design house Pininfarina and produced by a hydrogen fuel cell-only Chinese start-up is certainly… unusual. Still, the Granite is a good-looking thing (unlike the near-production Grove Obsidian SUV that was also on show).

Does the business case for a hydrogen-only car firm stack up? Unknown, although Grove is owned by the Chinese Institute of Geosciences and Environment, which is developing systems to turn industrial waste into commercial hydrogen.

James Attwood

Genesis Mint Concept

If the Genesis Mint concept makes production looking anywhere near as cool as the concept, I’d be a very happy woman. Plus, isn’t it great that it’s not another SUV? Whether it’d sell as well as an SUV is another question… Genesis says that if this 200-mile range electric city does come to be, it would arrive before 2023.

Rachel Burgess

Kia HabaNiro

The current Niro has many attributes but styling, in my opinion, isn’t one of them. This concept hints at the next Niro due in 2021, and considerably raises the game in the looks department. It’s built on a dedicated EV chassis which helps the proportions, with short overhangs and loads of interior space. Unsurprisingly, Kia admits the butterfly wing doors are nothing but a pipe dream.

Jim Holder

Mercedes-Benz GLS

The original GLS (called the GL-Class) helped to create the premium seven-seat SUV segment, but the competition has ramped up substantially in recent years, particularly given the popularity of such machines in America. So this new GLS has been given a major revamp, and is bigger and – most definitely – bolder. It's not to everyone’s tastes (it’s not exactly a subtle, small thing), but Americans are going to love it.

James Attwood

Phenomenal Vinyl Volkswagen Beetle

Let’s take a moment to appreciate that, despite the presence of gleaming top-of-the-line Mercedes SUVs, game-changing Kia concepts and a £200,000-plus Porsche, New York-based vehicle wrappers Phenomenal Vinyl stole the show with a gold Volkswagen 1302 Super Beetle. Well, they did for me.

Forget autonomy, electrification, efficiency and speed - the future is here, it’s ridiculous, and it’s powered by a 1600cc air-cooled four-banger.

Felix Page

Nio ET Preview

Pleasing as the Mercedes GLB was in the metal, this was a show that belonged to the home team. Take your pick from one of a number of innovative home-grown concepts, but for me it was the Nio ET Preview, a sleek, simple, elegant saloon that’s going into production within a couple of years.

Nio has done some impressive things already, from the Nurburgring lap record-smashing EP9 hypercar to proving the feasibility of hot-swapping electric car battery packs, and here’s yet another thing from them to watch.

Mark Tisshaw

Porsche 911 Speedster

It seemed only appropriate for the ninth model to bear the Speedster name to make its debut in New York. The original 356 Speedster was created purely to cater for American audiences, and this latest version looks like a suitable send-off for the 991-generation 911.

With a 4.0-litre firecracker of a flat-six sourced from the GT3 RS and further fettled with throttle bodies from the GT3 R race car, it’s somehow even more hardcore than the coupé that spawned it. The fact only 1948 will be sold worldwide makes it all the more desirable, too.

Tom Morgan