(Yicai) June 3 -- The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area International Auto Show is expected to welcome a record number of visitors this year, according to the event's organizer.

In the first three days, which coincided with the Dragon Boat Festival holiday, the GBA Auto Show attracted 450,000 visitors, an increase of 28 percent from a year earlier, according to data disclosed by the Shenzhen United Auto Show Management.

The GBA Auto Show is held at the Shenzhen World Exhibition and Convention Center from May 31 to June 8. It has a total exhibition area of 260,000 square meters, including an 80,000 sqm outdoor test-driving area. Over 110 car brands brought 1,039 car models to the event.

Some CNY4 billion (USD555.6 million) worth of transactions were completed at the GBA Auto Show between May 31 and yesterday, up 8 percent from a year earlier, Shenzhen United Auto Show Management noted, adding that the transaction amount is also expected to reach a new record-high this edition.

The GBA Auto Show features several new car models, but the most anticipated ones are those of Xiaomi Auto and Huawei Technologies.

Xiaomi Debuts the YU7

Xiaomi Auto, the electric vehicle arm of Chinese tech giant Xiaomi, is exhibiting the YU7 for the first time ever at the GBA Auto Show, attracting many visitors.

However, the YU7 on display was closed, and visitors could only view the exterior of the car. Xiaomi Auto claimed that it is not yet time to disclose some of the YU7's functions.

The YU7, an electric sports utility vehicle, was unveiled at a launch event on May 22. But no sales price was disclosed. Xiaomi's Chairman Lei Jun said back then that the new EV model would hit the market in July.

Xiaomi Auto launched its first car model, an electric sedan dubbed SU7, in March last year. So far, it has delivered over 260,000 SU7, including 28,000 last month, according to Lei.

The SU7 was caught in the crossfire after being involved in a traffic accident at the end of March, when three passengers died after the car crashed while it was in the navigation on autopilot intelligent driving assistance mode.

Huawei's HIMA Steals the Spotlight

Harmony Intelligent Mobility Alliance, the smart car alliance under Huawei's Intelligent Automotive Solutions Business Unit, secured a premium spot at the GBA Auto Show.

The second hall of the GBA Auto Show was dedicated almost entirely to HIMA, its carmaking partners, and their joint brands, including Chery Automobile, JAC Motors, and Seres Group.

So far, HIMA has spawned four vehicle brands: Aito with Seres Group, Luxeed with Chery Auto, Stelato with BAIC BluePark Energy Technology, and Maextro with JAC Motors. They are priced between CNY230,000 and CNY1 million (USD31,707 and USD137,855). 

The S800, Maextro's first ultra-luxury EV model and HIMA's most expensive one so far, is on display at the GBA Auto Show. Launched on May 30, the S800 is priced between CNY708,000 and CNY1 million.

Huawei's Intelligent Automotive Solutions BU cooperates with carmakers based on three approaches: vertical parts supplier, intelligent systems provider through the Huawei Inside partnership model, and full-set solutions provider via HIMA, formerly known as Smart Selection business model.

In February, Huawei's HIMA also teamed up with SAIC Motor to jointly launch a new EV brand called Shangjie, which will be the fifth and most affordable to use the HarmonyOS operating system. Shangjie will launch its first model this autumn, Huawei announced in April.

"Automakers are now competing by forming ecological partnerships rather than fighting by themselves," Jia Jianxu, general manager of SAIC, said at an industry conference held along with the GBA Auto Show. Whoever can bring together partners to create multi-dimensional value for users will dominate the industry, he noted.

Editors: Dou Shicong, Futura Costaglione