Unveilings galore at bumper European car show in Geneva

By dpa | 24 February 2017


GENEVA: Carmakers from all over the world are preparing to show off their freshest products at the Geneva car show, kicking off in March.

There are sure to be some surprises among the many models booked to appear at what is one of the European motor industry's major annual showcases.

The 87th edition of the event in neutral Switzerland gets under way with press previews on March 9.

Expect to see more down-to-earth cars this year compared to the futuristic creations which dominated the recent Detroit Car Show and the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.

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Trend towards practical cars

The emphasis at Geneva's Palexpo exhibition centre is on practicality, with sensible estate cars and tough-looking sports utilities.

German GM subsidiary Opel, which may soon be taken over by Peugeot Citroen (PSA), will be launching the brand new Insignia saloon, now known as the Insignia Grand Sport.

Roughly the same length as the current Insignia, the new car is based on an all-new platform. The estate version dubbed Tourer offers more space and is lighter than the old car. Geneva marks the first public outing for the new model, which will be sold as a Vauxhall in some markets.

Volkswagen's Arteon has only been seen as a sketch until now and all eyes will be on what is expected to be a sleek, four-door saloon with stylish frameless windows.

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VW has promised a large boot for the Arteon which effectively replaces the lacklustre CC. As the most expensive car in the Wolfbsurg-based company's range the upmarket Arteon may also appeal to buyers of the now defunct Phaeton limousine.

Jaguar's XF Sportbrake estate is tipped for a Geneva outing after the manufacturer released its own spy picture of the new car in Paris last year in a bid to generate interest.

The XF Sportbrake will use the same aluminium architecture as the saloon and share engines with its stablemate. The base motor has a 2.0-litre diesel, with the option of a 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine and more powerful diesel units.

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BMW's new 5-Series estate will weigh in too. Arguably one of the best executive load-carriers money can buy, it offers up to 1700 litres of luggage space and a host of high-tech driver gadgets.

There are rumours too that an estate version of the luxury Porsche Panamera may break cover and take on the Mercedes-Benz CLS Shooting Brake.

Hot new SUVs hog the limelight

SUVs will also be playing an important part in Geneva. The market remains buoyant for the smaller version of the rugged cars more suited to urban driving. Among those set to be in town are the entry-level version of the new Stelvio from Alfa Romeo and the the Volvo XC60

VW will use the show to preview a version of its scheduled new high-riding Golf-based model, the T-roc, going on sale in the second half of the year. The T-roc is the first offroad-capable Golf since the ungainly Country model which was replaced by the Tiguan in 2007.

Stelvio 6

Stelvio 8


Meanwhile the badge of Citroen's upmarket sub-brand DS will adorn the DS7 soft-SUV. Similar to the Wild Rubis concept shown in Shanghai in 2013, the newcomer boasts a range of robot-driving functions. The concept is a plug-in hybid version which has a good chance of entering production.

Also wearing Opel and Vauxhall badges will be the Crossland X small SUV which is due to take over from the Meriva. There will be a first chance too to see the robust-looking Scout version of the Skoda Kodiak, which comes with a generous 19 centimetres of ground clearance.

Mitsubishi has lined up the small SUV Eclipse Cross for Geneva. The car will slot in between ASX and the Outlander. The Eclipse name harks back to two-door coupe discontinued in 2011. So far only teaser pictures of the new car have been revealed. The company is now under Renault-Nissan management and will be looking to turn around the ailing business fortunes of its Japanese subsidiary.

Crossland X.
Crossland X.

Big little cars and some wild ones too

In the small car sector Kia's new Picanto will be seen for the first time in the metal at the Swiss-based show. The sporty GT version of the tiger-nosed supermini is the fastest to date. The South Korean firm has tweaked the car's looks and the interior has gone upmarket, with a touchscreen and nicely laid-out dashboard.

Toyota's hot Yaris hatch will also draw the crowds in Geneva. The go-faster version is based on the firm's WRC rally car and does not yet have an official name. Rumour has it that it may be dubbed "Gazoo" after Toyota's motorsport unit.

The SCG003S.
The SCG003S.


New bread-and-butter cars in Geneva include the new Seat Ibiza supermini which is being sold initially in five-door form only and the all-new Suzuki Swift. This is the one of the key Japanese debits in Geneva after numerous leaks revealed the ahape in late 2016.

Fans of exotic machinery can admire the extreme Pagani Huayra Roadster which costs 2,28 million euros to buy excluding taxes. Only 100 of the cars will be built and they have all been sold already.

The boutique Manifattura Automobili Torino SCG003S is another highlight. The name is a mouthful but this sports machine with a 4.4-litre V8 engine under the bonnet offers scorching acceleration of zero to 100 kilometres per hour in less than three seconds. With 750 horsepower the car can touch 350 km/h on a straight stretch of road.

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