Expect major updates from tomorrow onwards.

What we’ve seen so far:

• Very sweaty people – Why did the organizers choose not to turn on the AC on the first day? So many sweaty executives, PR people and journalists.
• Taxi drivers complaining its cold – It’s 25 degrees in Guangzhou. Hot for the swarms of media that came in from Beijing, chilly for the locals who seem to be wearing coats.
• The VW Santana, VW Bora and Lavida – Although all three practically look the same.
• JLR executives that are walking with a slide in their stride – Thankfully part of the Joint Venture club, hopefully going to give Audi and BMW a run for their money
• We didn’t see any Audi’s or BMW’s – because the stand was swamped with people. Seriously. Chinese consumers love both of them.
• Volvo – The odd Swedish brand had a couple of new cool hatches, the V40.
• Toyota had a tree – Eager to promote its green cars the Japanese brought a tree and lots of grass, except the tree was wilting and shedding its leaves faster than my own receding hairline.
• Japanese brands look worried – Toyota declared itself a long time partner and friend of the Chinese people, hoping that political differences do not effect consumer will. People do vote for their walltets, but Toyota is full of shrewd business people for whom losing money is not an option, hence the introduction of two new sub brands for China.
• Subaru seem quite pleased that their China JV didn’t get the go ahead after the political fall out.
• Fiat seemed quite chuffed with their sales for the Viaggio after just one month, beyond expectations they said.
• The Chinese brands on the second floor were basically ghost towns. Not many interested, aside from media. Chery’s Riich/Reely brands were not in attendance.