Transportation

BEIJING—China is embracing styles of passenger vehicle typically associated with the U.S.—the big SUV and brawny pickup truck.

At the Beijing auto show, which kicked off Friday, Chinese electric-vehicle brands such as Xpeng, Aito and Li Auto showed off the kind of three-row sport-utility vehicles American families often buy.

“Chinese people love big cars,” said Clifford Kang, vice president of Seres, which makes the luxury-focused Aito brand. “A car is one thing to show status.”

While Chinese cars have been getting bigger for some time, this year’s show put the spotlight on the trend. The EVs local brands specialize in used to work better with smaller cars, but that is changing as the technology improves.