CES ASIA: Other auto brands plug in

Audi may be taking a prominent position at the Consumer Electronics Show Asia, but there are plenty of other automotive flavoured stands on the show floor also.

Ford has a large display with a 2017 GT catching eyes as you enter the hall.

Across the sprawling stand Ford is showing off Sync 3, in particular the enhanced voice activation which works remarkably well given the noise on the floor show.

There is also an emphasis on renewable energy technology – such as solar panels, for instance – charging more than just your new Ford hybrid. The stand incorporated elements of a smart-house design for the interest of the show's visitors.

There are plenty of interactive areas in the Ford CES Asia stand, providing a chance for attendees to don an Occulus Rift 3D Virtual Reality head set and try some virtual driving or ponder the combination of radar, sonar, GPS and cloud computing that Ford is utilising to find you a free parking spot.

Over at the Cadillac stand there is a bunch of folks desperate to get us wearing smart-watches. The app developed for the Apple Watch or the Samsung Gear will let you locate your lost vehicle (could be slightly creepy in some domestic situations) and unlock the doors or pre-cool/heat the vehicle all at a tap of your Dick Tracey-style watch.

Mercedes Benz has dragged the "future in motion" car, the F 015 over from San Francisco for a very camera-friendly Chinese crowd.

Volkswagen complements its Audi stable mate with a large stand also devoted to the connected-car experience. However, ideas and concepts like the Golf R touch cockpit concept, the nifty digital key application for smartphones and induction charging (with accompanying augmented reality tablet application) for the 2015 e-Golf has been seen at CES Las Vegas earlier in the year.

Automotive wise, having a Consumer Electronic Show outside of the normal Western culture certainly throws up a few different angles on the traditional.

There are plenty of booths devoted to different takes on after-market auto tech, some more successful than others. Certainly the after-market Head-Up Display (HUD) seems to be all the rage, but the design of some other post-purchase tech may not be as successful; we saw some touch-screens with such deep recesses any driver in motion will find themselves leaning so far forward to operate, they may slip under the steering wheel during the act.

And you know you're in China when variations on the Segway personal mobility device – those who are uncharitable might call them 'Segway knock-offs' – zooming around the show floor, which will prepare you for heading outside to dodge the Shanghai traffic.