Get Connected. New Perspectives” was the theme of the special media preview of the Volkswagen Group at this year’s Beijing Motor Show, but it could just as easily have applied to the entire event. Almost 2,000 exhibitors from 14 countries gathered at China’s biggest automotive show and most of them were carmakers showing off tech-savvy models. The Beijing show ranks among the world’s biggest car shows which are held in Detroit, Paris, Geneva and Frankfurt.

“We are looking ahead,” said Jochem Heizmann, CEO of VW China and member of VW AG’s board of management. “Never before has there been a quantum leap in innovation. The car of the future is electric, more intelligent and safer than ever and (it’s becoming) part of a mobile ecosystem. I am convinced that digitalization, electro-mobility and autonomous driving will be the key topics in the future of the automobile.”

This year’s Beijing Motor Show is significant for the strong presence of Internet companies dipping their fingers more and more into the automotive business. At the same time, many carmakers are either beefing up their own smart technology capabilities or partnering with established tech companies to power their automotive connectivity plans.