The recent launch of the new 5-Series will be complemented by the debut of the BMW ActiveHybrid 5 at the Geneva Motor Show.
There’s been a lot of talk about the future of the auto show, in recent months. Last October’s event in Tokyo was nearly canceled when most foreign makers pulled out, and the shows in Los Angeles, Detroit and Chicago were downsized versions of their former selves. But, if anything, this week’s Geneva Motor Show could be bigger than ever.
There are more than 50 manufacturers on the first day’s schedule at the Swiss City’s PALExpo convention center, so many, in fact, that for the first time makers will have to double up, Lotus and Kia, for example, holding simultaneous shows at opposite ends of the hall.
In keeping with recent industry trends, there’ll be an emphasis on green at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show, and some of the most significant debuts of environmentally-friendly products will come from surprising quarters. That includes Porsche and Ferrari, both of which will introduce their first-ever hybrid-electric sports cars
Ferrari’s 599 will use lithium-ion technology, according to sources, to drive an electric motor that could cut fuel consumption by an estimated 35%, while still maintaining the performance of the sports car’s V12 powerplant.
Porsche will debut both the 2011 Cayenne and a hybrid version of the SUV at the Geneva Motor Show.
Porsche will have a pair of debuts, revealing b the 911 GT3 R Hybrid race cars, which uses an unusual flywheel system, rather than a battery pack to generate instant power, and a battery version of its next-generation 2011 Cayenne SUV, which it claims will be able to run at up to 97 mph on battery power. Think of them as mean…and green.
Like most other makers, BMW is rapidly entering the hybrid world, initially with the ActiveHybrid 7, a version of its flagship sedan. Next on the agenda – and scheduled for a Geneva preview, is the ActiveHybrid 5, a gasoline-electric version of its brand new 5-Series.
Will buyers plug into the idea of a battery-powered Aston Martin commuter car?
Another performance maker moving into green territory is Aston Martin, though its new Cygnet is decidedly different from anything we’ve seen before. Developed in cooperation with Toyota, the 2011 Aston Cygnet is an urban battery-electric vehicle, or BEV, that the maker plans to put into production.
There’ll be plenty of downsized offerings, including the long-awaited Audi A1, the Renault Wind, a new roadster, the pint-sized Opel Meriva, an as yet-unnamed Global Small Car from Nissan.
The Audi A1 hatchback could test the waters to see just how much of a premium buyers will pay to get luxury features in a small car. Don’t expect the A1 to land on U.S. shores, at not least initially, however. That may wait until the next-generation model. At the other end of the spectrum, Audi also plans to debut a hybrid-electric concept based on its all-new A8 flagship.
Though there are currently no plans to bring the 2011 Lexus CT200h hybrid to the U.S. market, that could change in the next couple years.
Lexus is another luxury maker looking to attach a premium sticker to a pint-sized product, in this case, the all-new CT200h – which also will be the first full hybrid in the segment. Slated for European distribution – where Toyota’s luxury arm is stepping up its presence – there appear to be no plans for bringing the CT200h to the States.
Nissan’s minicar is destined to replace the aging Micra, and will have a tough challenge ahead of it. Word has it the Japanese maker hopes to sell the so-called Global Compact Car for less than $10,000 in the U.S. Nissan also plans to show a sheet metal version of the Juke, a front-drive crossover it showed, in sketch form only, during a preview in Chicago, last month. Look for Juke to slot in below the already downsized Rogue CUV.
The Beachcomber concept returns in more complete form as the 2011 Mini Countryman.
Some makers continue to believe bigger is better, but that’s a mantra you might have associated with Mini. Yet, the British maker, a subsidiary of BMW, is indeed adding a larger platform, developed for the Countryman, a crossover-utility vehicle developed primarily for the American market. A concept version, the Beachcomber, made its appearance at the Detroit Auto Show, in January, but in production, the 2011 Mini Countryman will actually get a roof and solid body panels.
The 2011 Kia Sportage bucks trends by growing a bit larger in its new skin.
Meanwhile, the next-generation, 2011 Kia Sportage will be longer and wider than the previous model. But it also will be a bit lower, with the Korean maker abandoning the old truck-like design in favor of a sleeker shape in line with current crossover trends.
Aerodynamics have become a critical component of automotive design, and with Europe is putting in place strict new CO2 limits – while American makers face tough new mileage standards – wind-swept shapes will become particularly obvious. Mazda’s new Mazda5 will be a good example of how makers hope to avoid falling into the trap of look-alike design, however. The 2011 Mazda5 adopts the distinctive Nagare styling theme debuted on a series of recent Mazda concept vehicles and distinguished by their wavy ridges. Appropriately, Nagare is Japanese for “flow.”
The original Mercedes-Benz CLS was one of the most influential cars of recent years, introducing the concept of coupe-like sedans. With other makers jumping into the new segment, Mercedes will have to prove it can come up with a way to keep its own 4-door coupe fresh. The 2011 CLS will borrow the sweeping, muscular look of the Rising Car concept first shown at this year’s North American International Auto Show, in Detroit.
Though it's making its debut in Geneva, the largest market for the 2011 Volvo S60 is likely to be the United States.
Volvo is another maker revealing a four-door coupe design, this one the new S60. The unveiling could produce a sense of déjà vu, since the production car will look much like the concept Ford’s Swedish subsidiary unveiled in Detroit, two months ago. As usual, the U.S. is expected to be by far the largest market for the S60.
Even big trucks are going green(er). Volkswagen has cut a bit of weight off the next-generation Touareg, which is scheduled for a Geneva unveiling, and the more crossover-like design also sits a big lower than before. But more significant is the fact that the 2011 Volkswagen Touareg will be the makers first gasoline-electric offering. Like Detroit makers, VW is arguing that the fuel-saving technology can make the biggest impact in a larger vehicle, though the German manufacturer also plans to migrate its battery-based system down to smaller offerings in years to come.
What you see is what you'll soon get. Look for the Ford C-Max to make the jump from Europe to the United States.
People movers will be the subject at Ford, which is planning a pair of unveilings with the C-Max and the larger Grand C-Max. Americans are advised to watch the preview closely, as Ford plans to bring a version of the new C-Max to the U.S., part of its aggressive new One Ford strategy. The European minivan shares the same Global C platform as the new Ford Focus.
While Bentley has promised to go greener in upcoming years, with flex-fuel and other technologies, the luxury maker’s Geneva car will put its emphasis on performance. The 2010 show brings the debut of the ragtop version of the British marque’s fastest car ever, the Bentley Continental Supersports Convertible.
We’re still waiting for details on what’s to come at the news conference Toyota has scheduled, but if the recent Chicago Auto Show is any indication, the real story will focus more on the company than any new product. In the Windy City, journalists all but blew off the preview of the new Avalon sedan, focusing instead on the Japanese maker’s ongoing safety scandal.
The Bertone Pandion is one of several Alfa Romeo concepts coming to this year's Geneva Motor Show.
Don’t expect any new product to preview from Chrysler while in Geneva. But the maker is nonetheless on the show schedule, paired with Lancia, one of the divisions operated by Chrysler’s new parent, Fiat. Part of last year’s deal that gave Fiat control requires the Italian company to expand distribution outside the United States. Four Chrysler models will be targeted, at least initially, including the 300C sedan and Town and Country minivan. In a curious move, they’ll be sold in Italy under the Lancia badge, but marketed as Chrysler’s everywhere else.
The carrozzerie will be back, as always, in Geneva, where they’ve had a history of showing some distinctive design exercises, like the two-seat roadster concept for Alfa Romeo that Pininfarina will be showing this year. It is being billed as “a design language for the future.” Italdesign, meanwhile, will show both an Alfa concept and a car it has developed for the Malaysian automaker, Proton.
The Rinspeed UC? isn't just a commuter car, the company asserts, but an entire "mobility concept."
Of course, no Geneva Motor Show would be complete without an assortment of small and specialty manufacturers, companies that seem to exist only for — or because of — the annual event at PALExpo. One of the most intriguing of these is Rinspeed, which never seems to run short of ideas unique, creative and often downright wacky. They’ve shown us flying cars, submarine cars, even vehicles that can change seating count. This year, Rinspeed brings us the UC Commuter car, which might be described as a “transportation concept,” since it combines a battery-powered microcar with a high-speed train that could take an owner and car from one city to the next.
We’ve given you some of the highlights of the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, but keep coming back, this week, as we bring you more highlights from the year’s most important European auto event.