Some 130 carmakers from around the globe are showcasing more than 1,600 models at the Chengdu Motor Show, the annual heavyweight gala for car aficionados and buyers in Southwest China.

The event, which kicked off on Friday and will run through Sept 8 in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province, covers 220,000 square meters and is Chengdu's largest ever, said Hannover Milano Fairs Shanghai, one of the event's organizers.

In an interview ahead of the event, Liu Guoliang, president of Hannover Milano Fairs Shanghai, said the annual event is a window to the latest automotive technology and industry trends in China.

Smart electric vehicles are taking center stage at the event, with the booths of Chinese brands crowded with journalists and visitors.

Usually six to eight brands share a hall, but BYD, China's best-selling NEV maker, has made one hall its own, exhibiting models of its marques from BYD and Denza to Fang Cheng Bao and Yangwang.

Its top models are BYD's first MPV as well as the Seal 06GT hatchback and the 2025 Song L EV SUV.

Huawei, which has repeatedly claimed not to make vehicles itself, is a name that cannot be ignored in the fast-evolving sector.

At the Chengdu Motor Show, it is showcasing models from all three marques it has codeveloped: the AITO, the Stelato and the Luxeed.

The AITO M9, codeveloped with Seres, is the best-selling luxury SUV priced above 500,000 yuan ($70,501) in China. The Stelato S9, the result of Huawei and BAIC cooperation, is set to take on Mercedes' S Class.

Great Wall Motor boasts its largest ever booth at the Chengdu Motor Show this year, totaling more than 3,500 square meters. Models from all five of its marques Poer, Haval, Ora, Tank and Wey are on display.

The automaker based in Hebei province sold 129,000 NEVs in the first half of the year, up 44.89 percent year-on-year, accounting for 23.38 percent of its total deliveries in the period.

Xpeng, which celebrated its 10th anniversary last week, delivered the first MONA M03 vehicle on Friday at the Chengdu Motor Show.

The startup announced that it had received more than 30,000 orders for the model within two days of its launch on Tuesday. It is expected to take on Tesla's Model 3.

Major international brands are attracting visitors with their models as well. But they appear to have lost the battle with domestic marques to win media and visitors' attention, with the exception of BMW.