GENEVA2009 MOTOR SHOW:The motoring industry may be crying over its economic woes, but we won't see the effects on production until 2011 at least – for now, there's plenty of metal to get a load of, write Michael McAleer, Motoring editor, and Shane O'Donoghue, from Geneva
THE MOTOR industry might be deep in the mire, but there was still ample new metal on show in Geneva. With most cars developed over a two- to three-year cycle, these are the fruit of labours begun when terms like “soft landing” were doing the rounds. It may be 2011 or 2012 before we see the impact this recession has had on new car development. For now we can enjoy the current crop of new offerings hoping to persuade consumers to part with some cash – and the banks to offer them some credit.
AUDI
The centrepiece for the German brand is the new A4 Allroad, a rugged version of its recently launched Avant estate. This stands nearly 70mm taller than the Avant. It comes initially with three engines: a 211hp, 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol direct-injection engine; a 170hp, 2.0-litre turbodiesel; and a 240hp 3.0-litre V-6 turbodiesel.
Alongside this is the new high-performance TT RS, a 300bhp 2.5-litre five cylinder turbocharged powerhouse for the range.
ASTON MARTIN
The big news from the British luxury brand is the introduction of a 510bhp 6-litre V12 engine to its Vantage model, billed as “the most potent production sports car in the marque’s 95-year history”.
BENTLEY
Who’d have thought it? A clean, green luxury liner. Well, perhaps not that clean in comparison to the electric cars on display here, but against the rest of the range, the Continental SuperSports positively runs on air. It runs on E85 biofuel and is the first model in the firm’s long-term strategy to deliver renewable fuel vehicles.
BMW
As reported in Motors last week, BMW has created what could be called a 5-Series hatchback. Based on the 5-series and carrying what is suspected to be the new-look front nose, the car in question is the Gran Turismo. The side profile hints at links to the X6 coupé-SUV and the mix of formats continues – part 5-Series, part hatchback and part coupé. The Bavarians claim the GT’s rear legroom is comparable to the 7-Series. A production version is due in autumn.
CHEVROLET
The General Motors brand, suffering under the perils of survival of its parent firm, is continuing its model revamp. The Spark is the replacement for the Matiz city car and comes with either a 1-litre or 1.2-litre four-cylinder petrol engine.
CITROËN
The decision to re-introduce the legendary DS name onto a hatchback has received a lukewarm response from fans, but there’s no turning back now. Citroën has unveiled its concept version of the upcoming hatchback in Geneva and the plan is to introduce the DS3 early next year, building it on the current C3 platform. It will be at the vanguard of attempt to push the brand closer to the premium sector. A total of six new models are due in the next three years.
FIAT
As reported here two weeks ago, Fiat is introducing a folding fabric roof to its 500 range. The 500C is not a convertible but instead a rollback roof option, retaining the door frames and interior space of the current model. The electrically-operated soft-top roof includes a glass rear window. It goes on sale later this year with a choice of three engines: a 1.3-litre diesel or a 1.2-litre or 1.4-litre petrol.
FORD
The Ford new car launch system is becoming something of a routine. First you get a design concept and, within the year, it is tweaked into a production model ready for launch at the start of the following year. So the cycle begins with the introduction of its next generation C-Max people carrier, the Iosis-Max concept car.
The new model takes design cues from both the new Focus and Fiesta. The concept featured some funky touches like a split boot that slides back along the roofline rather than opens into the air – a good idea if you are parked in a low-roof garage. There are no indications, however, that it will make it into a production version. Reverse opening rear doors on the concept car are closer to reality and the next generation Opel Meriva will feature such a format. However, Ford would not confirm these will feature on the next C-Max.
HYUNDAI
The Korean brand has three new vehicles on display. First, the HED-6 concept, a thinly-disguised concept of the upcoming Tucson replacement, due for launch at the end of this year. It will be called the IX-35 – IX becoming the new prefix for all new Hyundai SUVs.
Next up is the three-door version of its well-received i20 supermini. Finally, there is the i30 Blue, Hyundai’s nod towards clean technology. It’s the first introduction of well-established stop-start technology in the Korean car firm’s model range in Europe.
KIA
Kia has been receiving a lot of positive media attention lately on the back of positive reaction to its Cee’d and recently-launched Soul range. Next up is a concept that may not have the most imaginative name, but heralds yet another addition to the Korean brand’s burgeoning portfolio. The No 3 concept is a small family hatchback that will go into production at the end of this year.
LEXUS
The European arrival of a new RX hybrid SUV is the big news from the premium Japanese brand. The new model, due for European launch in June, has an emissions level of just 148g/km, setting a new benchmark for premium SUVs.
Power comes from a major revamp to the hybrid electric system that includes new savings in terms of recouping heat generation, alongside a 3.5-litre 275bhp petrol engine. Several styling changes have also been incorporated, including the adoption of similar technology to that features in Toyota’s new Optimal Drive system, which aims to put more feeling and responsiveness into steering.
Inside, there is a touchscreen control system. The car will arrive in Ireland in July and Lexus has chosen to sell only the hybrid version of the RX, dropping the petrol-only derivative.
MAZDA
The big news for Mazda is the arrival of a long-awaited diesel CX-7. Powered by the 173bhp 2.2-litre diesel engine in the Mazda6, it puts out a respectable 199g/km when housed in the sporty SUV crossover. Mazda Ireland says the car will be sold with a high level of standard specification when it arrives in 2010. It comes with a six-speed manual transmission but no automatic version is planned.
Apart from this the show represents the Mazda3’s official debut, although we featured an early test drive several weeks ago. Alongside the regular family model, the brand has unveiled a high-performance MPS (Mazda Performance Series) version. Powered by Mazda’s current performance 2.3-litre turbocharged engine, it puts out 260bhp. There are no plans as yet to bring the car to Ireland.
To counter the MPS’s impact on its emissions balance sheet, Mazda’s stand also features its new i-Stop Mazda3, with stop-start technology fitted to its 2-litre petrol engine that the firm claims can cut fuel consumption in city traffic by 12 per cent. The new Mazda3 will arrive in Ireland in the coming months.
MERCEDES
While a few of us got to see the new E-Class at a sneak preview event prior to the Detroit motor show in January, the car makes its official debut here alongside the impressive E-Class coupé.
With a strong focus on safety, the new E-Class has a more evolutionary design, little touches indicating a nod towards iconic 1980s Mercedes models. This cloaks several new safety innovations.
Indications are that the coupé will be priced the same as its saloon counterpart. Both variants will go on sale this summer.
NISSAN
Nissan’s stand features a new concept car due to take on the likes of the Toyota Urban Cruiser and Citroën C3 Picasso when it goes into production next year. Called the Qazana, it will be built at the firm’s Sunderland plant and positioned just below the popular Qashqai.
OPEL
While the German brand is the centre of attention more for financial reasons than new models, the Geneva show is hosting a major launch for Opel. Centre stage is the electric plug-in Ampera, due across Europe in 2011, a European take on the Chevrolet Volt – an incredibly important car for the brand’s future. Under Opel’s design the car is sharper, more coupé-like, while retaining its family car format inside.
This is a fully electric car. While the car does feature a small 1.4-litre 73bhp petrol engine, it’s only used to charge the car’s battery pack once it uses up the charge it receives from an earlier plug-in to the mains electric system. When fully charged from the mains, the car has a range of 64km, after which the engine starts to recharge the batteries, thereby extending the range to almost 1,000km.
PEUGEOT
The French firm has opted to add to its range with a derivative of its 308 family hatchback. The 3008 is a crossover that’s slightly more muscular than the regular model with a higher seating position – similar to the approach taken by Audi with its AllRoad models.
The 3008 will feature the same engine range as the other 308 models but it will come with Peugeot’s much-heralded diesel hybrid engine when it is launched in 2011.
RENAULT
The new Renault Scénic, the third generation of the French firm’s incredibly popular family car, has made its debut. Based on the same platform as the recently launched Mégane range, it is accompanied by a new version of the bigger Grand Scénic variant as well.
The car has grown 180mm in length and the Grand Scénic retains its seven-seat format, moving ever closer to the firm’s iconic Espace model. An estate version of the Megane is also on show.
SAAB
While the firm looks for a buyer, expansion plans for its model line-up continue with the debut of its 9-3X, a more rugged off-road version of its 9-3 estate. Power comes from a 2-litre biofuel petrol engine or a 1.9-litre 180bhp turbodiesel.
SKODA
The Yeti has finally made its official public appearance. The small SUV has been created with the current recession in mind, so shares its platform with the Octavia Scout and many other features taken from the current Fabia range. Available in two- or four-wheel drive, it is another competitor to the recently launched Kia Soul and Nissan Qashqai and will arrive in showrooms by the end of the year.
TOYOTA
The big news from the Japanese giant is the European launch of its next generation Prius. With a new more powerful 1.8-litre petrol engine combining with a completely revamped electric powertrain the new car achieves a remarkable emissions level of just 89g/km. Fuel consumption has also been dramatically improved. The new car is due in Ireland at the start of 2010.
Alongside this is the introduction of a replacement for the popular Corolla Verso, launched five years ago. This new version, based on the Avensis platform, will be sold simply as the Verso. It is not expected to arrive on the Irish market until next year.
VOLKSWAGEN
VW should be in a good position to weather the recession, partly thanks to the attractive new Polo. The new car was generally viewed as one of the show’s highlights.
Under the Golf-aping bonnet will come a range of engines designed with economy in mind, with the BlueMotion “concept” version on show, boasting consumption of just 3.3l/100km. That results in CO2 emissions of just 87g/km.
The mainstays of the range are likely to be a new turbocharged 1.2-litre TSI engine and a 1.6-litre turbodiesel. A seven-speed dual-clutch automatic will also be offered. Production of the new Polo starts in the summer, with Irish sales likely to begin before the end of the year.