Fridae

The Audi Q5 is making its international debut at the Beijing Auto Show, while the Mercedes Benz GLK is shown in its final production form for the first time in the Asian Pacific region.

Audi Q5 (above)	Mercedes Benz GLK (above)
International Debut @ the Beijing Auto Show '08	Asian Pacific Debut @ the Beijing Auto Show '08
Exterior Designer: David Caffrey The low roof and smallish windows lends the Q5 a sporty feel, almost suggesting it to be an off-roader coupe. The Q5 retains the bigger Q7's swosh line along the lower region of the doors. A refreshing design overall with rounded lines accompanied by the usual Audi details. The fashionable Q5 carries Audi's traditional understated looks very well.	Exterior The GLK takes Mercedes Benz's new found edgy design to a whole new level and it looks wonderful in its final production form. The boxy GLK is aggressive and distinctive creases can be sported from every angle. The GLK is Samantha Jones's new car when she moves to L.A in Sex and the City; The Movie. The GLK is Very much like Kim Cattrall's character; Sexy and attention grabbing looks.
Interior Designer: Christian Becker Audi continues with its driver focus interior with the new Q5, however, one can also sense that Audi is re-discovering clean un-cluttered design in its utterly well-made cabins. The Bang and Olufsen optional speakers look like a pair of delicious jewels on the dash! Yummy!	Interior The GLK is based loosely on the mechanics of the C-Class; hence it only makes sense that most of the interior bits came from the excellent C-Class interior. Taut straight lines dominate the brick like cabin. While the Q5's interior was locked, the GLK' was opened to public and it felt solid and luxurious, just like the C230 (featured on Feb 29 on Fridae).
Audi's speak for 4-WD: Quattro	Mercedes Benz's speak for 4-WD: 4-Matic
Technical Highlight: A 7-Speed Manual Transmission Wow, how many gears does one need!	Technical Highlight: G-Button (4-WD activation system) Imagine a button to reach the G-spots, Samantha would approve of!
On sale? 2009	On Sale? 2008 (Left Hand Drive markets); 2010 (Right Hand Drive markets)

The Mercedes Benz GLK is not available in RHD for now as there is a need to redesign the transmission as it takes up the place where the 4-WD hardware is on the LHD cars. Pity, but we will be patient.

The Audi Q5 and the Mercedes GLK will need to have their work cut out to succeed in the compact premium off-roader market. Currently, the Land Rover Freelander 2 and the BMW X3 are the only credible rivals, but with the Volvo XC60, Saab's X-4, Infiniti's EX35, Mini's 4X4 and a new updated X3 from BMW are arriving over the next couple of years, competition looks stiff.

That's a lot of compact premium off-roaders coming our way. Recent fuel price hikes are encouraging walking over driving; hence a world-wide phenomenon of drivers down-sizing their cars that are more fuel efficient; hence we would probably hear less of fuel guzzling giant off-roaders in the near future and more of compact sized ones like the Q5 and the GLK.

In the meantime, start saving hard for these are two off-roaders. They offer the luxuries close to their bigger-sized siblings with better fuel efficiencies and are surely less handful to tussle in urban traffic jams. Well done, Audi and Mercedes!

The Chinese car market is crucial to the German premium carmakers as China is currently the world's second largest car buying nation. It is further predicted that the Chinese will displace the Americans to become the world's biggest car market within the next five years. Impressive, considering that the predominant mode of transport was bicycles a mere 10 years ago.

There are 49 brands fighting for the lucrative China car market of which 24 are domestic car brands. Currently, they are not exactly world-beaters, but one would be a fool to take the Chinese carmakers lightly. There are two major motor shows in China, the other one being the Shanghai Motor Show in December. One can be astonished by the quantum leaps the local carmakers can achieve between the shows.

Pictured here is the Geely supercar which will be ready for the roads in 2009, hopes it drives as well as it looks.

Traveler's Blog: It's 100 days to the Beijing Olympics 2008 and I cannot be more than happy to report to you folks that the capital city of China looks modern and organised. Upon arrival, you will be awed by the sheer size and looks of the newly constructed International Airport Terminal 3. The clean and orderly streets are highlighted by architectural buildings that are nothing short of sensational. A 45-minute run in the cold morning around Tiananmen Square did not trigger my asthma, so to all fellow oh Olympians 2008, no worries at all! I ♥ Beijing...