Honda Concept C and Concept S show how a Japanese automaker moves east

Like many Japanese automakers, Honda's inroads into China have been underwhelming to date. That's set to change if Honda can lure buyers with two Chinese-built and designed models -- the sedan above called Concept C and a small hatchback called Concept S. This being the Beijing Motor Show, somehow dragons are involved.

Rather than just slapping a gold-colored vinyl dragon on the hood and calling it a day, Honda says its Chinese design team actually took dragon-type cues and melded them into the styling of the Concept C, perhaps in that lizard-esque surface around the grille. The shape portends a China-only midsize sedan that Honda will build with one of its Chinese partners next year; if there was anything noteworthy about the rest of the car, Honda neglected to mention it.

Unlike the Concept C, the Concept S will travel globally, arriving first in China later this year and other markets for low-cost models afterwards. Honda says the Concept S sports a hybrid powertrain, but once again neglects to offer any specifications on efficiency or performance, and given its brief as the value car that the Civic once was, we'd be surprised if Honda sold it as a hybrid-only model.