Glamour is the focus of the 76th International Motor Show at Geneva. The press site uses this word to define the event, and describes a scenario that likens each automotive premiere to the attitude of supermodels as they strut the catwalk and display the latest fashionable attire.
“Each spring the new edition of the Geneva Motor Show puts the latest models on stage. The public is waiting impatiently, the manufacturers present them proudly, and the Show offers them an ideal rostrum. One cannot help drawing a parallel with the great fashion shows. Our theme picks up these ideas, while conveying the deliberately dynamic and avant-garde orientation of the Show: the automotive avant-garde.”
The novelty of the ‘automotive avant-garde’ is found among the many unusual concept cars presented at the 2006 Geneva Motor Show, and the elegant air of the glamorous fashion show can also be found surrounding the many European production models that will debut. Hundreds and hundreds of vehicles are packed into the six halls that house the annual International event, ranging from tiny little micro cars designed to dart through ancient Eurpean byways, to sophisticated concept vehicles built to display emerging technologies that may make their way into upcoming production models.
Motor Trend editors are still posting new info and photos here at MotorTrend.com, so check back often, as our coverage continues with additional updates throughout the weekend. We’ve already begun a collection of photos for detailed photo galleries on the standout vehicles, so watch for links to those throughout this story.
Videos are online now, too. Click here to view our 2006 Geneva Motor Show Videos[1], which includes the all-new Saab Aero X Concept.
Here are two more Euro cars that won’t be imported to the U.S. While Americans can buy the RS4 sedan, with its 420-horsepower gas direct-injection V-8, production will be too limited to send over these two bodystyle variations shown at the 2006 Geneva Motor Show. Like the [cars name=”Audi”] RS4 sedan, the 2006 Audi RS4 convertible and wagon get quattro all-wheel-drive, Dynamic Ride Control, and “weight reduction measures” from the standard [cars name=”A4″]/[cars name=”S4″] models.
Alas, the two-seat, rear-engine 2006 [cars name=”Lotus”] Europa S coupe, with its GM-sourced 2.0-liter turbo four, is not slated for U.S. import. No, this is not a case of Chapmanphiles having to beg for it for several years before it finally happens, which worked for the [cars name=”Elise”]. Problem is, the Europa, which targets [cars name=”Audi TT”] and [cars name=”Nissan”] Z among others, is based on the Elise platform. And Lotus has already received U.S.-spec exemptions on bumper and headlamp standards. If it imported the Europa, it would lose certain U.S. component exemptions on the Elise.
AMG will build both coupe and cabrio versions of the 2006 [cars name=”Mercedes-Benz”] CLK 63, but the coupe will not be imported to the U.S. Horsepower is 481 and torque is 465 pound-feet. The CLK shown here at the 2006 Geneva Motor Show also comes with the AMG Speedshift 7G-Tronic trans and a new AMG sport suspension. Wheels are 18-inch AMG light alloys, and the front wheels have a new high-performance composite brake system. Appointments include an AMG ergonomic sports steering wheel, multi-contour AMG sport seats and exclusive Nappa leather.
Click Here[2] to Check out the 2006 Mercedes-Benz Clk 63 Cabriolet Photo Gallery for a more up-close look.
In this four-door sports coupe shown at the 2006 Geneva Motor Show, the all-new [cars name=”Mercedes-Benz”] CLS AMG “6.3” engine — actually a naturally aspirated 6.2-liter V-8 — is rated 514 horsepower and 465 pound-feet. Transmission is the AMG Speedshift 7G-Tronic transmission (the 63s are the first AMGs to use a version of Benz’s seven-speed automatic). The AMG sport suspension is based on the Airmatic DC semi-active air suspension, with ADS II Adaptive Damping System. Also included are new AMG high-performance brakes, sport seats with Nappa leather, AMG ergonomic sports steering wheel with aluminum AMG gearshift paddles and a new AMG instrument cluster.
[cars name=”Maserati”] is celebrating its 2005 FIA [cars name=”GT”] Manufacturers’ Cup championship with 180 “uniquely numbered” limited edition copies of the [cars name=”GranSport”] MC Victory. The victory went to Maser’s [cars name=”Ferrari”]-based MC12, but the GranSport sticks with its standard V-8 engine. It does get a redesigned front splitter for more air load at high speeds, and more direct and precise steering. Otherwise, the changes are cosmetic; blue carbon fiber front and rear spoilers, Italian flags in the side panels and carbon, leather and Alcantara interior trim.
Click Here[3] to Check out the 2006 Maserati Gransport Mc Photo Gallery for a more up-close look. The replacement for its popular 206 adapts the latest distinctive (read, “ugly”) [cars name=”Peugeot”] design language, one that replaces unusually good looking models. The 2006 Peugeot 207 comes with a choice of two front ends, depending on the trim level; a “sporty” look, with a muscular hood and racy grille. The other has a “more classic shape.” Two gas engines are from Peugeot’s new partnership with [cars name=”BMW”], 1.6-liter gas direct injection turbos, and it will be also offered with a choice of three turbodiesels. The Pug on display here at the 2006 Geneva Motor Show also has electric steering and a raft of active and passive safety features.
Click Here[4] to Check out the 2006 Peugeot 207 Photo Gallery for a more up-close look. This is [cars name=”Porsche”]’s most powerful naturally aspirated [cars name=”911″] ever. Horsepower is 415, or 115.3 horses per liter, the world’s best specific output for a non-turbo/supercharged engine, according to its maker. The 3.6-liter flat six revs to 8400 rpm, [cars name=”200″] more than the previous [cars name=”Porsche 911″] GT3, with the peak horsepower coming in at 7600 rpm. The 2006 GT3 also features an active suspension setup for the track and a mechanical limited-slip differential. How did Porsche manage this kind of power? The engine’s throttle valve has been enlarged from 76 millimeters to 82; there are optimized cylinder heads and a low-backpressure exhaust system. The six-speed manual gearbox has been revised, with lower gear ratios for second through sixth, and shorter throws. A new change-up display illuminates the tach before the driver reaches the relevant engine speed, for optimal shift timing. Porsche’s claimed 0-60 mph time is 4.1 seconds and the zip-to-[cars name=”100″]-mph sprint takes 8.7 seconds. Top test track speed is 193 mph. Running on 19-inch wheels and tires, the GT3 has a new electronic traction control system handed down from the [cars name=”Carrera GT”]. It’s on sale in August for $106,000.
Click Here[5] to Check out the 2006 Porsche 911 Gt3t Photo Gallery for a more up-close look.
Appearing in production form for the first time in Geneva is the micro-roadster, the Zest from France. With its [cars name=”505″] cc, 21-horsepower engine, with an expected price of around 10,000 euros, the 2007 ACREA Zest roadster has been certified for use in a number of European countries and will be available later this year at around 500 locations in France, the UK, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, Portugal. The ACREA Zest is best characterized as a cross between the smart city car and an English roadster. One of its most innovative, cost-saving features are its interchangeable body panels, the right front and left rear fenders are the same as are its opposite counterparts along with the hood and deck lids.
Forty years ago, Alfa introduced the lovely [cars name=”Spider”] Veloce, brought to fame in the U.S. when Benjamin Braddock (Dustin Hoffman) drove one in “The Graduate.” The new 2007 [cars name=”Alfa Romeo Spider”] shown here at the 2006 Geneva Motor Show is a good-looking car, based on the Brera coupe, but it’s no Spider Veloce. It’s a bit bigger, at 173.1 inches long and 53.8 inches high. And unlike the bullet-tailed Veloce, the elegance of its front end concludes in a rather chunky tail (another homage to [cars name=”BMW”]’s Bangle). Most importantly, its dash-to-axle ratio betrays the Spider’s front-drive underpinnings. All-wheel-drive is standard with the optional 260-horsepower 3.2-liter V-6. A 185-horsepower 2.2-liter four is standard. Both engines come with a six-speed manual, and an automatic will be optional on the V-6. This could be one of the first Alfas to be imported to the U.S. if the automaker ever gets its act together here. Don’t hold your breath.
Click Here[6] to Check out the 2007 Alfa Romeo Spider Photo Gallery for a more up-close look. The [cars name=”Alfa Romeo”] 159 is a lovely car, but lost a bit of its distinctiveness as a follow-up to the 156 that began the maker’s styling renaissance. The 2007 Alfa Romeo 159 [cars name=”Sportwagon”]’s rakish roofline suggests style over cargo substance, making it a suitable competitor for the [cars name=”Audi A4″] Avant and [cars name=”BMW”] 3 Series wagon. It will be sold in Europe with front- or permanent all-wheel-drive, a choice of seven four-cylinder, V-6 or diesel engines and automatic or six-speed manual gearboxes. It’s also available with Microsoft’s new Blue&Me system, Bluetooth/USB port/MP3 system that produces hands-free voice recognition and allows the driver to listen to MP3, WMA, and WAV audio files directly through the stereo system. Microsoft’s Blue&Me technology debuted on a number of Alfa, Fiat, and Lancia models at the 2006 Geneva Motor Show, and will undoubtedly migrate into other future production vehicles.
Click Here[7] to Check out the 2007 Alfa Romeo 159 Sportwagon Photo Gallery for a more up-close look. Bavarian Motor Works introduced its [cars name=”Z4″] [cars name=”M”] Roadster at Detroit. This is the combo of that car and the Z4 coupe concept that stunned the Frankfurt auto show with its sleek styling last year. It has the same [cars name=”M3″]-derived 3.2-liter inline six as the M Roadster (just as the next M3 is about to switch to a 400-horsepower, 4.0-liter V-8), rated 343 horsepower and 269 pound-feet. [cars name=”BMW”] claims a 0-[cars name=”62″] mph time of five-seconds flat, so that should translate to 4.8 to 4.9 seconds for 0-60 mph. The M also gets you a front air dam with humongous air intake scoops, bi-xenon headlamps, 18-inch wheels and quad tailpipes. The standard Z4 3.0si coupe, which also bowed at the Geneva Motor Show, manages a 5.7-second 0-62-mph time from its 265-horsepower 3.0-liter six, and has an electronically limited top speed of 155 mph.
Chevy has begun tackling the European market with the help of GM’s South Korean subsidiary, [cars name=”Daewoo”]. Latest is the midsize 2007 [cars name=”Chevrolet”] Captiva crossover sport/utility, which comes across as a better-looking, more upscale [cars name=”Equinox”]. It’s American-midsize, too, at 189.1 inches on a 106.3-inch wheelbase. Its two engine choices seem rather redundant; a 2.0-liter/142-horsepower transversely mounted inline six, or a 2.5-liter/157-horsepower transversely mounted inline six. A four-cylinder diesel is due in ’07. The Captiva’s all-new platform, with MacPherson struts front and multi-link rear, is from Daewoo, and if GM keeps its promise to consolidate platforms worldwide, we could see it under next-generation Equinoxes and [cars name=”Pontiac”] Torrents. Let’s hope for more power – the 2.0-liter does 0-[cars name=”62″] mph in an estimated 11.8 seconds, and the 2.5 shaves that down to 10.1 seconds.
Click Here[8] to Check out the 2007 Chevrolet Captiva Concept Photo Gallery for a more up-close look.
[cars name=”Ferrari”] released its much-anticipated replacement for the long-running 550/575 Maranello at the 2006 Geneva Motor Show. It’s been called a lot of things – the Imola, the [cars name=”600″] – but has been officially named neither, being named instead the [cars name=”Ferrari 599″] GTB Fiorano
“GTB” stands for gran turismo berlinetta – grand touring coupe – and 599 represents the engine’s displacement, 5999 ccs. The 599 GTB was designed by Pininfarina, and is built on a shortened, two-seat version of the aluminum chassis-body structure first developed for the [cars name=”612 Scaglietti”]. The powerplant is a front/mid-mounted V-12 rated at 620 horsepower at 7600 rpm – over [cars name=”100″] horsepower per liter. It’s a more powerful version of the 612’s engine; the additional punch, when combined with what is projected to be less curb weight than the Maranello, should make for seriously impressive performance.
As with any Ferrari, there will be a lot of discussion regarding design, but there’s no mistaking the 599 GTB’s lineage. The hood and front fender scoops are exhaust vents for the engine bay; the slits in the rear fenders cool the brakes. The car retains the familiar egg crate grille and glinting, multi-element light clusters, but its most unique design elements are found out back. Instead of the dual taillight theme seen on most recent Ferraris, there’s just one large rear light unit on each side. The rear window touchdown point is recessed, creating an attractive buttress on each side. Overall, an emotional, attractive, and exciting look.
Backing the big V-12 will be the latest generation of Ferrari’s F1-A six-speed autoclutch gearbox; it is not clear if a conventional manual gearbox will still be offered. Expect lots of electronics in the leather-lined cabin – including a version of the [cars name=”F430″]’s steering wheel-mounted “manettino” which allows integrated management of the traction control, damping, transmission shift speed, and other system parameters. We also expect that Ferrari will offer carbon/ceramic brake rotors as an option, not unlike those found on the [cars name=”Enzo”] and F430.
The 550 and 575M Maranello close out a great career, having sold more than 5600 units since its 1996 introduction – impressive for a car that’s had a $[cars name=”200″],000+ sticker its entire life. The [cars name=”2007 Ferrari 599″] GTB Fiorano will go on sale some time this summer; pricing has not yet been announced, but expect well optioned examples to go for around $275,000. Our first drive can’t come soon enough.
Click Here[9] to Check out the 2007 Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano Photo Gallery for a more up-close look.
Like the current European [cars name=”Focus”], [cars name=”Ford”]’s folding metal-roof Focus convertible won’t be sold in North America. Why not? It would push too closely into [cars name=”Volvo C70″] (a folding-roof car based on the European Focus platform) price range, for one. The Focus convertible made its debut as the Vignale concept at the 2003 Frankfurt show, and will be built in Italy by Pininfarina. Makes you wonder who will choose the [cars name=”Volvo”] when it’s the Ford that’ll have Pinin badges on the lower rear fenders?
Click Here[10] to Check out the 2007 Ford Focus Coupe/Cabriolet Photo Gallery for a more up-close look. The all-new version of [cars name=”Ford”]’s European minivan adapts S-Max-lead design language. The automaker also is proud of the fact that unlike the outgoing minivan, it won’t share components and production with the VW Sharan minivan. The 2007 Ford Galaxy will be powered by an assortment of engines, including 2.5-liter/215-hp and 2.0-liter/142-hp gasoline Duratecs, as well as 1.8-liter/123-hp and 2.0-liter/137-hp Duratorq TDCi diesel engines. The model making its debut here at the 2006 Geneva Motor Show will offer a new Active Suspension System with Continuously Controlled Damping (CCD), Adaptive Cruise Control with Forward Alert, a permanent Tire Pressure Monitoring System, and an active Collision Mitigation System.
Click Here[11] to Check out the 2007 Ford Galaxy Photo Gallery for a more up-close look. Think of the 2007 [cars name=”Ford”] S-Max as the European counterpart to our upcoming [cars name=”2007 Ford Edge”] crossover. In Europe, where the rugged 4×4 look isn’t so highly regarded, space-efficient MPVs sell well and are replacing c- and d-segment sedans in popularity. Built in five- or seven-passenger versions (2+3+2 seating, with the third row for children and masochists) the 2007 S-Max is said to have sporty, dynamic chassis characteristics – making it a family car for the sports car lover. The S-Max shown at the 2006 Geneva Motor Show features both a high-level of safety, including driver-side knee-level airbags, and performance, including an optional 220-horsepower inline five turbo from the [cars name=”Focus”] ST.
Click Here[12] to Check out the 2007 Ford S-Max Photo Gallery for a more up-close look.
North America got hosed on the last [cars name=”Civic”] Type R. While we got an anemic 160-horsepower Civic Si hatchback off the previous generation car, Europe’s Type R hatch was tuned to the tune of [cars name=”200″] horsepower. This time, Europe follows us. Its radically designed three-door hatchback gets the Type R treatment, but with the same 2.0-liter naturally aspirated four as in the excellent U.S.-market Si coupe (and ’07 Si sedan). It’s rated 197 horsepower in U.S. SAE trim. Like the North American Si, the Type R shown here at the Geneva Motor Show gets a sportier suspension and six-speed manual gearbox.
The CCX is the latest iteration of the Koenigsegg CC family: CCX stands for Competition [cars name=”Coupe”] X, and commemorates the 10th anniversary of the completion and test drive of the first CC maiden prototype, which rolled out from the R&D Department in 1996.
Even though the CCX is an Americanized version of the company’s Euro-spec CCR exotic car, Koenigsegg touts the CCX as a new car since it has been re-engineered to comply with the U.S. regulation and market demands. Still, it has been a key issue for the Koenigsegg Team to keep the distinctive and record breaking CC shape, as they believe it is important to avoid trends and hone the aerodynamic shape of the CC range for the future, so as to enhance its unique look and appearance with tighter lines and a more aggressive stance. The new Koenigsegg shows a clear lineage from its predecessor with modifications meant only to enhance its already proven concept and shape.
The two-door, two seat, 2200-pound supercar features a removable hardtop that is stowable under the front hood lid. Its body is made of pre-impregnated carbon fiber, Kevlar, and lightweight sandwich reinforcements. Underhood, it is powered by a new, wholly in-house-produced 4.7-liter/800-horsepower V-8 cast-aluminum supercharged and intercooled engine Koenigsegg claims is capable of pushing the supercar from 0-[cars name=”62″] mph in just 3.2 seconds. It also promises a top speed of faster than 245 mph, all while running on 91 octane fuel and meeeting California emission requirements.
American buyers can place their order for the 2007 Koenigsegg CCX at “Exotic Cars” in the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas. Prices start at $650,000.
Dubbed a concept for sustainable mobility, the diminutive Loremo (Low Resistance Mobile) [cars name=”LS”] from Munich is based on the idea of a Swiss Army knife; maximum functionality in a minimum of space. With a midship-mounted 20-horsepower turbodiesel two-cylinder engine, its aerodynamic shape promises to propel two adults and two children, in rear-facing seats, from 0-60 in around 20 seconds while covering [cars name=”100″] km ([cars name=”62″] miles) using less than a half gallon of fuel, a remarkable 150 MPG. A more powerful [cars name=”GT”] version, powered by a 50-horsepower 3-cylinder turbodiesel, pushes the top speed from 100 MPH to 136 MPH while reducing the 0-60 time to close to nine seconds while still deliving over 70 MPG.
Known in North America as the Mazdaspeed3, this performance version of [cars name=”Mazda”]’s already sporty compact is powered by a 250 horsepower (Euro-spec), 280 pound-foot direct-injection gas 2.3-liter turbo four. The engine also powers the Mazdaspeed6, but the 3 is front-wheel-drive versus the 6’s all-wheel-drive. That means less weight but more potential torque steer. The body shell of the 2007 Mazda3 MPS making its debut here at the 2006 Geneva Motor Show is stiffened, with a 60-percent roll stiffness improvement, transmission is a six-speed manual and the front fenders are 0.79-inches wider to accommodate wider tires.
Four hundred of the 2000 units of this limited-edition 2007 Mini [cars name=”Cooper”] S John Cooper Works GP model will be imported to the United States, and sold to customers in a special selection process. Mini has taken 110 pounds out of the standard Cooper Works model and has massaged the 210-horse supercharged 1.6-liter four (of the Cooper Works) to 218 ponies. The mods were made to the intercooler and electronic engine management. Top speed is up a few clicks, to an autobahn-esque 146 mph, just 9 mph shy of the artificially limited top speed of most ultra-high-performance Mini Cooper models. Mini says it’ll do 0-[cars name=”62″] mph in less than 6.5 seconds.
On the production side of the product ledger, [cars name=”Mitsubishi”] used Geneva to introduce the third body style in the [cars name=”Colt”] family, the CZC, a folding metal roof coupe-cabriolet. It enlisted the assistance of the legendary Italian coachbuilder Pininfarina to pull off this nifty trick. The 2007 Mitsubishi Colt CZC shown at the 2006 Geneva Motor Show is a state-of-the-art small car and offers a combination of the roomiest cabin in the class with the most powerful engine. At less than 4 meters long from bumper-to-bumper, Pininfarina and Mitsubishi surmounted a number of major packaging and engineering issues to pull off what has to be considered to be a major accomplishment in transforming the CZ2 concept into a production-ready reality in the CZC.
[cars name=”Saturn”] gave Motor Trend some hell a year or so ago for our suggesting that the Saturn [cars name=”Sky”] is a kind of badge-engineered Pontiac [cars name=”Solstice”]. Well, it does have its own front and rear fascias, and you can’t buy a stripper Sky like you can (theoretically) buy a stripper Solstice. But the Opel [cars name=”GT”], which borrows its name from that “mini-[cars name=”Corvette”]” of 1968-73 is little more than a rebadged Sky, and will be built in Wilmington, Delaware, alongside the Solstice and Sky sportscars. There’s one major difference; its engine. The GT previews the Solstice GXP turbo and the Sky Redline, with its all-new 2.0-liter gas direct-injection turbo making a healthy 256 horsepower. The engine, a derivative of the 2.2-liter DOHC 16-valve used in the Opel’s Vectra and Signum, is rated 258 pound-feet from 2500 rpm on. Opel claims a sub-six-second 0-[cars name=”62″] mph and a top speed of 142 mph. Gearbox is a five-speed manual.
Click Here[13] to Check out the 2007 Opel GT Photo Gallery for a more up-close look.
[cars name=”Volkswagen”]’s Czech division has been promising a little TARDIS-like space vehicle for years. The production 2007 Skoda Roomster shown at the 2006 Geneva Motor Show is pretty cool. Just 165.5-inches long and available with four- or five-place seating, the Roomster has what Skoda calls a “vario flex” system. The rear seats fold flat or can be removed completely, and when upright, they’re taller than the front seats, stadium-style. They can move back and forth laterally, and recline. The Roomster offers tailor-made holders for sports equipment, and Skoda says it’s the first car in its class to come with curve/corner lighting. The Skoda Roomster will be on sale in Europe with a choice of three diesel and three gas engines, ranging from 64 to 104 horsepower.
Japan’s motorcycle cum automaker smartly has divided this new entry-level SX-4 b-segment crossover into two lines — the Outdoor Line and the Urban Line. No confusing the missions of each. They’ll come with three engines, 1.5- and 1.6-liter gas and 1.9-liter diesel fours, at least in Europe. And they’ll come with six-speed close-ratio gearboxes, at least in Europe. But the 2007 [cars name=”Suzuki”] SX-4 also uses a version of the [cars name=”Grand Vitara”]’s optional all-wheel-drive, a three-mode (2WD, 4WD automatic and 4WD locking center differential) system. The Suzuki SX-4 debuts in Europe this August, and appears to be headed for the U.S., but not with the diesel, and certainly not without an optional automatic.
The second generation of [cars name=”Volvo”]’s Mercedes/[cars name=”BMW”]-fighting concept has a more familial, Horbury-esque look, with the [cars name=”S60″]’s faster c-pillar and a sleeker nose. The [cars name=”2007 Volvo S80″] is also going to be available with the [cars name=”XC90″]’s optional Yamaha-built 4.4-liter aluminum V-8, rated 315 horsepower and mated to Volvo’s all-wheel-drive system. A new 238-horse inline six will be the standard U.S. market engine, and there’s a 185-horsepower inline five turbodiesel in store for Europe. An optional Dolby Pro Logic surround-sound audio system with 12 Dynaudio speakers includes a plug-n-play MP3/iPod port, and an advanced personal key fob can tell you when someone’s tampering with the car, or whether you locked it after you’ve left.
Click Here[14] to Check out the 2007 Volvo S80 Photo Gallery for a more up-close look. Diesel versus hybrid? Citroen figures you don’t have to choose, that the combo of, say a 1.6-liter turbodiesel and an electric battery pack ought to produce outstanding fuel mileage. Built on the radically cool Citroen C4 three-door body, the Citroen C4 Hybrid HDi concept gets good fuel economy – using 3.4 liters of gas per [cars name=”100″] kilometers, it’s close to the “3 liter” ideal – and spews low emissions. Most city driving can be done in the electric mode, Citroen says.
Dacia is the Romanian automaker that [cars name=”Renault”] bought some time after the Berlin Wall fell in 1989. Until then, it built generations-old Renaults for the other side of the Iron Curtain. Now it builds the Logan in India and Brazil, a generations-old Renault sedan designed to be the next VW [cars name=”Beetle”]. The Dacia Steppe concept is a major hint at a tall, four-door wagon crossover it will build in India and Brazil later this year. It has no resonance for us, of course, except that it shows that developing countries like what we drive.
Click Here[15] to Check out the Dacia Steppe Concept Photo Gallery for a more up-close look. This is more than DaimlerChrysler’s latest offensive in making [cars name=”Dodge”], [cars name=”Chrysler”] and [cars name=”Jeep”] major brands in Europe. It looks like something that could spell the end of the ill-fated smart brand. Think of it – sell a Mini Cooperesque Dodge in Europe, and you don’t need unprofitable micro cars. The Dodge Hornet we’re seeing at the Geneva Motor Show could be to Mercedes what the Mini is to [cars name=”BMW”], a cool, front-wheel-drive hatchback. If you’re wondering why it’s named for a ’70s AMC model, it was a Dodge name in the mid-’50s and a Hudson before that. As a new Dodge, it has a crossbar grille above an exposed engine intercooler and its raised hood houses a recessed functional air scoop on the driver’s side. The Hornet hatchback concept is powered by a 170-horsepower, 165 pound-foot 1.6-liter, 16-valve SOHC supercharged four. Its large, 19-inch open-section aluminum wheels are designed to show off gold brake calipers. The four doors are framed, but with no b-pillars. Three-window side glass ends in wedge-shaped quarter windows. “Blue View” tinted glass, including an oversized sunroof is designed to contrast with “Liquid Silver” exterior, and parts of the aluminum frame are deliberately exposed inside. The front passenger bucket and 40/60-split rear seat folds for flat load bed; headrests fold forward. Rear seats also can flip rearward, flush with the tailgate sill for greatest storage behind the front seats. The driver’s door trim panel has a built-in first-aid kit, the driver’s side rear door has a built-in beverage cooler, and the passenger-side rear door has a foldout table.
Click Here[16] to Check out the Dodge Hornet Concept Photo Gallery for a more up-close look.
Fiat downplayed its white sport/utility concept shown at the Geneva Motor Show, perhaps because higher fuel prices are making such vehicles white elephants in Europe as well as the States. The Fiat Oltre Concept is based on a familiar military truck made by Fiat division Uveco. If you can get past its toylike looks, you might be able to think of it as an Italian [cars name=”Hummer”].
Click Here[17] to Check out the Fiat Oltre Concept Photo Gallery for a more up-close look.
[cars name=”Honda”] displayed its sleek 2005 Tokyo fuel cell concept car again here at the Geneva Motor Show. Company chief Takeo Fukui says it gives a clear idea of what its next “production” hydrogen fuel cell auto will look like in three or four years. Currently, Honda is testing a small handful of tiny three-door hatchback FCVs in a few key markets.
[cars name=”Hyundai”]’s styling is improving by leaps and bounds, but it’s still plenty derivative. You’ll see some [cars name=”Lexus”] and [cars name=”Renault”] in this d-segment, European-only premium hatchback concept. While it’s not planned for U.S.-import, the Hyundai Genus Concept shows how South Korea’s very confident lead automaker, which is having the same sort of success in Europe as it has here, is moving further up the status scale. The car has elegant proportions and a sumptuous interior — though the interior is more lacking in production reality than the exterior. Described as a coupe/wagon/crossover, the Genus five-door has a 112.2-inch wheelbase and short front- and rear-overhangs for a 187-inch overall length, with a b-pillar hidden behind the windows of the frameless doors. Its power comes from a 2.2-liter common-rail diesel powering all wheels through a five-speed automatic. The intelligence and maturity of the design bodes well for Hyundai’s plans to introduce a rear-drive, V-8 sport sedan for 2008.
Looking something like a [cars name=”Chrysler Crossfire”] on steriods, the Inovodesign Lirica Concept stretches its boat tail proportions over the classic five meter footprint. The Turin-based design house, employing 50 people, including 35 designers, displayed the Lirica concept to illustrate their paperless design process which has been employed with a diverse roster of clients that include [cars name=”Nissan”] and Fiat and has expanded in its work with JAC, a Chinese car and light truck manufacturer. On the inside the Lirica showcases an innovative innovative man-machine user interface for both drivers and passengers and if it moves from concept to production would be powered by a front-mounted V-8 with a rear transaxle, following classic Italian packaging concepts for four-passenger GTs.
Like [cars name=”Dodge”]’s “bees” introduction of its “killer-b” Hornet, this car’s name is a pun on its segment, the compact “c.” [cars name=”Kia”] is very successful in Europe, where cars are much costlier than they are in the States, and thus Europe is more important to the brand than North America. The cee’d concept (which we hope is not the production version’s name) looks like it was designed alongside the bigger, more luxurious [cars name=”Hyundai”] Genus concept. The Kia cee’d concept features the core design elements of two earlier Kia cars — the [cars name=”Sorento”] SUV and A-segment Picanto. With the cee’d concept car Kia is making these design elements even more understandable to the public. With a bunch of trapezoidal shapes in its design, it has a full-length sunroof that tapers from front to rear, a “floating” overhead console with four spotlights, and “floating theme” center console, instrument panel and air vents. The extended, flared wheel arches envelop bespoke 19-inch diameter polished aluminum wheels sporting 265/30 R19 low-profile tires. The Geneva Show concept car is named cee’d for two reasons: ‘CEE’ to symbolize that both the concept and the forthcoming production model are ‘made in Europe’ with European consumers in mind, and to represent the ‘seed’ for future growth in Kia sales, which Kia hopes the new model will ensure. It’ll be built in Slovakia late this year for the European market.
Click Here[18] to Check out the Kia cee’d Concept Photo Gallery for a more up-close look. This frame contains some future tech designed to keep [cars name=”Land Rover”] viable in an era of increasing fuel prices and environmental concerns. It also outlines the look of the LR4 [cars name=”Freelander”] replacement. LR says the biodiesel/hybrid powerplant can run on up to 25-percent biodiesel (versus 5 percent on current LR turbodiesels). The Land Rover Land_e concept has a belt-driven integrated starter/generator that shuts the engine down at idle, an integrated electric rear axle drive that allows [cars name=”100″]-percent electric power in around-town driving and works with gas or diesel engines, and a really cool electric propshaft that disconnects when you don’t need four-wheel-drive. This last technology matches rear-wheel speed to propshaft speed for smooth launches. These technologies and more can increase fuel economy by 30 percent, for mpg numbers in the 50s on a Freelander-size SUV, Land Rover says.
Click Here[19] to Check out the Land Rover Land_e Concept Photo Gallery for a more up-close look. Mini has again reconfigured its popular Mini Traveler concept, which made its first appearance at Frankfurt last September and was modified for January’s Detroit show, as a rally car hauler. Now, the Traveler Geneva Concept, which has the same nose and interior details of the next-generation Mini line, has four foglamps in the grille, one above each a-pillar and a slide-out spare wheel/tire holder at the back of the top. It also has a special trailer for carrying original mid-’60s Mini [cars name=”Cooper”] S rally cars.
If [cars name=”Mitsubishi”]’s Concept-EZ MIEV (stands for Mitsubishi In-wheel motor Electric Vehicle) is indicative of the company’s future design direction, then it seems as if the sleeping giant may have well turned the corner. Building on innovation in propulsion as well as packaging, the Concept-EZ MIEV breaks new ground in both categories. It features four in-wheel 20 kW motors producing the equivalent of 110-horsepower. Part pure electric vehicle, part fuel-cell vehicle, the Concept-[cars name=”EV”] MIEV shown here at the 2006 Geneva Motor Show is a hybrid without a gasoline engine component. Packaging is equally creative as the seats can be configured in a variety of ways with 4+1 seating possible when driving, or with full lay-down lounge configuration available when the Concept-EZ MIEV is stationary.
The [cars name=”Renault”] Altica concept — from some angles beautiful, others strange — is Renault’s vision of a wagon of the future. This could point to a sort of replacement for the poor selling, ahead-of-its-time Avantime. Power for the front-drive Altica wagon is a 2.0-liter, 16-valve turbodiesel with particulate filter, rated 177 horsepower and 280 pound-feet. But Renault says its high fuel economy comes from exceptional aerodynamics due to its “Synthetic Jet” system. A discreet mechanical system on the roof generates air jets, which are both blown and sucked through a 2mm-wide slit. This controls separation of airflow according to the car’s speed. Renault has patented the system, and says it cuts 15 percent of the car’s drag coefficient at [cars name=”80″] mph.
Other innovations include two scissor doors and a dash and center console that adjust for the driver, instead of the seat. Instruments have “comfort” and “sport” mode. In “comfort,” the dial indicates speed while the perimeter shows legal speed limits, which turn red when exceeded. In “sport,” the speed is displayed in the middle of the dial, but the perimeter becomes a digital tach and turbo pressure indicator.
Click Here[20] to Check out the Renault Altica Concept Photo Gallery for a more up-close look.
With all the spy shots floating about, everyone was expecting to see a production version at Geneva of the [cars name=”100″] EX convertible concept from the show of a couple of years ago. Instead, Rolls unveiled a coupe version of the EX, and says it “currently has no plans for production.” Its showiest feature is a “starlight headliner,” made of hundreds of optical cables to make it look like you’re just under the stars. So who needs a ragtop? Other features are familiar from the 100 EX, including slim-line buckets in front and two ample rear seats, two “coach” doors hinged at the back, a shallow front glass area, brushed aluminum hood and windshield surround, 21-inch forged aluminum wheels and an interior of machined aluminum, fine leather, rosewood, and red oak veneer. Based on the aluminum construction of the [cars name=”Phantom”], the 101 EX has a lower roof line and, like the 100 EX, is 9.4-inches shorter than the sedan. No current plans to produce? Yeah, sure.
Click Here[21] to Check out the Rolls-Royce 101 Ex Concept Photo Gallery for a more up-close look.
[cars name=”Saab”] has been further absorbed into the GM family, with Saabs being built outside Sweden and non-Saabs being built in its factory ([cars name=”Cadillac”] BLS). To stem the criticism that the company is losing its character, GM has opened a Saab Brand Center in Sweden. This is the first design from that center, the Saab Aero-X concept. Like traditional Saabs, including the Sonnets I, II and III, it’s a front-wheel-drive-based sports car, but it’s got all-wheel-drive to handle a 400-horsepower twin-turbo V-6. And to be eco-friendly, it operates on [cars name=”100″]-percent bio-ethanol fuel. Its body has a cockpit canopy in place of conventional doors (shades of early ’60s American “dream cars”). The rear stowage features a “twin floor” for better-than-sports car cargo space. The Aero-X is a surprise, unquestionably the best car of the 2006 Geneva Motor Show. If Saab can translate this general design into production cars, it could save itself from GM anonymity.
Click Here[22] to Check out the Saab Aero-X Concept Photo Gallery for a more up-close look.
So you ask yourself, why doesn’t India’s nascent car industry beat China to the punch and start selling its cheaper-than-Korean cars here? Then you see what India’s Tata has to offer, and you know why. Cliffrider is apparently Tata’s take on the [cars name=”Honda Ridgeline”]/[cars name=”Ford”] SporTrac/Chevy [cars name=”Avalanche”] idea, although it has no midgate and no under-bed trunk. The Tata Cliffrider Concept shown at the Geneva Motor Show does have this c- to d-pillar outline frame that kinda makes it look like a sport/utility from the side, although it’s really a four-place, four-door pickup truck with right-hand-drive. Look at it this way; Indians don’t have to drive Hindustan Ambassadors any more.
[cars name=”Land Cruiser”] meets urban b-segment car in this long-wheelbase, short-overhang (relatively speaking) tall all-wheel-drive crossover box from the world’s most feared automaker. Well, okay, the connection with the iconic Land Cruiser sport/utility is in name only. [cars name=”Toyota”] hasn’t even specified which engine would go in this concept. The Urban Cruiser concept was designed at Toyota’s European design studio, and its interior designer used modern furniture and fashion as his inspiration (but what interior designer hasn’t?). Like [cars name=”Kia”]’s cee’d concept, the Urban Cruiser relies on a trapezoidal motif, so we might be in the early stages of a new design trend.
Click Here[23] to Check out the Toyota Urban Cruiser Concept Photo Gallery for a more up-close look.
Roughly a decade ago, [cars name=”Volkswagen”] unveiled its Concept 1, which became the New [cars name=”Beetle”]. Now, after teasing us with the New Beetle Dune Concept at the Detroit show in 2004, VW presents the Concept A, a realistic look at the 2009 [cars name=”Golf”]-based sport/utility vehicle. Will the crossover SUV, likely to be named either Marrakech or Bedouin, have the four-door coupe body of this concept? Well, the connection between Concept 1 to New Beetle wasn’t that literal, so there could be some changes in store. But note that the A shown here at the 2006 Geneva Motor Show does have real sideview mirrors (not cameras) and a front fascia reflecting its [cars name=”Passat”]-based design direction. Its “3D” crest radiator grille is made of brushed aluminum, and VW describes it as looking “like the mirror image of a cheetah.” Power is from a 150-horsepower “Twincharger” 1.4-liter twin-turbo gas-direct injection, but it’s designed to also take a transverse-mounted turbodiesel with particulate filter, a 2.0-liter/[cars name=”200″]-horsepower FSI four, or any of a number of powerplants, including V-6s. It puts that power through a six-speed manual gearbox to 4MOTION all-wheel-drive. Wheelbase is 102.4 inches, overall length is 171.3 inches, width is 72.8 inches and “step-in” height is 61 inches, with long hood and short overhangs. Wheels are 20 inch, 295-aspect-ratio tires. Note the Hoffmeister kink in c-pillar and Bangle-esque “flame surfacing,” a bow to [cars name=”BMW”] design. It has a two-part hatchback; lid and backlight flips up, the lower part under the taillamps swings open like a pickup-truck loading surface.
Click Here to Check out the Volkswagen Concept A Photo Gallery for a more up-close look.
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More on Motortrend.com: Thread of the Day: Would You Buy a Saab?[25]
References
^ 2006 Geneva Motor Show Videos (www.motortrend.com)
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^ Thread of the Day: Would You Buy a Saab? (wot.motortrend.com)
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