Tops and flops of the IAA – from Renault, BAW and VW to Nio and Skoda

A Mercedes boss who can't open the trunk of his own car, a Chancellor who is helplessly dithering on the issue of the combustion engine ban, and a German car industry that is cruising between falling profits and job cuts, trying to avoid hitting the wall : there have been better times for Germany's largest car show.

But in one respect, the IAA 2025 has truly delivered. There are many brand-new, impressive cars to admire. This is due in no small part to the many exhibitors from China, who are putting their mostly electric vehicles—in one case, even an aircraft—in the spotlight.

By the way, most Chinese cars have something in common: They're big, very big. Chinese car buyers see their vehicles as an extension of their living room and expect a correspondingly large amount of space. Furthermore, the electric platforms necessitate a certain vehicle width. There are almost no small cars at this IAA. So, anyone who thought the electric trend would make our cars smaller and more suitable for city driving was seriously mistaken.

After a complete tour of the Munich Auto Show, we present our top and flops, particularly pretty or ugly, important or superfluous cars—of course, as always, completely subjective.

The IAA is roughly the mirror image of the reality in most European car markets: electric cars are the predominant brand, but only a minority are actually purchased. Germany, one of the most successful electric markets, already accounts for almost 20 percent of new registrations. But gasoline engines and hybrids continue to clearly dominate the sales charts. This makes it all the more important that the new version of Europe's best-selling car in the first half of the year, the Renault Clio, is celebrating its world premiere at the IAA. It does so with economical gasoline and hybrid powertrains. With an average fuel consumption of 3.9 liters and a completely refreshed cockpit taken from the – equally successful – electric model Renault 5, the Clio is an efficient, modern small car for everyone.

While Land Rover has given its current Defender a much more modern and less angular design, Beijing Automobile Works (BAW) goes all out, presenting a rugged off-roader that doesn't even bother to hide its influences from the Jeep Wrangler. The BAW 12 promises off-road fun at an attractive price (German dealers are already clamoring for it, they say). And best of all: The BAW 212 is also available with a two-liter diesel engine producing 165 hp and 415 Newton meters of torque, combined with an eight-speed automatic transmission.

Even though the SUV trend in China is similar to that in Europe, the many elegant sedans are particularly striking. They are mostly electric and often look similar, but the XPeng 7 Plus stands out. This shooting star, with which Volkswagen also cooperates on its electric models, is truly recognizable with its narrow strip of lights and distinctive logo. At over five meters long, the car is a stately presence, and in its highest configuration, it delivers 370 kW / 503 hp. The maximum range of 550 kilometers is rather so-so in today's electric age, but according to the manufacturer, the car recharges super quickly with up to 470 kilowatts.

While the electric VW Polo will be the first to hit the market, the ID.Cross demonstrates VW's vision of a people's SUV. It looks impressive , yet—unlike many oversized Chinese SUVs—the car is compact and suitable for city driving. It also boasts a few clever gimmicks, such as the folding rear seat, underneath which you can store things like the charging cable. The electric Cross is scheduled to launch in 2026 for just under €30,000.

The BMW iX3 is one of the most important German cars at the show , impressing with its electric performance data . Furthermore, BMW's "New Class" demonstrates that not only the brand's fans, but also its designers, were tired of the ever-widening kidney grille at the front. There have even been memes depicting BMWs with radiators on the front. The new, sleek, yet imposing design promises refined overtaking prestige. And it actually recalls its role model, something only very few cars with retro elements can achieve—in this case, the old "New Class" from the 1960s, the BMW 1500.

So much for our personal top picks from the IAA 2025 – now let's move on to the flops. Cars we simply find creepy or superfluous, although design is always a matter of taste.

Yes, this electric car stands out. But with its insect-like compound eyes, it also looks like a nasty spider is staring at you from the corner of the room. You can like it, but you don't have to. Incidentally, the Nio brand has been a total flop in Germany so far. With the Firefly, there's now a new sub-brand and a new approach, which is expected to start at just under €30,000.

Hopefully, it wasn't a bad omen for the brand when German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stopped by the Stern magazine during his visit to the IAA, and Mercedes CEO Källenius couldn't show him the frunk (front trunk) of the new GLC because it supposedly wouldn't open. After all, the electric GLC, whose combustion engine version was the company's best-selling model, has to be a success no matter what. But will the looks help? Some Mercedes fans really like them – to us, it looks more like someone took the front of an old Mercedes /8 and gave it a strange, flickering look in the style of an early 90s computer game.

With the Forthing V9, Chinese automaker Dongfeng serves the popular luxury van segment in China. But instead of transporting children, this monster is more suited to scaring them. The grille looks like a backdrop from "Game of Thrones." It doesn't help much that the hybrid vehicle is significantly more suitable for long distances than an electric van.

The good news first: This car is just a concept car; it will come to market at some point, or maybe not at all. And let's be honest— after absolutely successful electric cars like the Skoda Elroq , does such a radical design change really have to happen? The front end, with its ultra-narrow light strips, blurs into a rounded, slicked-back face that doesn't remind you of Skoda at all. And the illuminated logo is a truly bad habit that many car manufacturers are unfortunately taking to extremes these days.

Autonomous driving and surveillance drones – in China's police state, these are already part of everyday life. Many may welcome the robot car and find it a great convenience, but it transforms mobility from individual to completely monitored. If the future of the car looks like this autonomous robobus, then we'd rather choose walking.