New cars unveiled online as Geneva show scrapped again over pandemic

FRANKFURT: The action takes place at a nondescript warehouse somewhere on the outskirts of Stuttgart.

The security checks at the doors are strict and people cannot just stroll in like they could at the Geneva Car Show in Switzerland - cancelled again this year because of the pandemic.

Mercedes-Benz chose the Stuttgart venue for this digital event to showcase the new C-Class sedan, a make-or-break car for the brand at a time when everyone else is unveiling SUVs or electrics of some kind.

It proves that carmakers are not letting Covid-19 rain on their horsepower parade. The 2021 model year is being celebrated online.

The C-Class shares the digital limelight this year with a fourth-generation Skoda Fabia and the luxurious DS9, a stylish offering from France. The model is built by the subsidiary of the PSA group that owns the French company Peugeot and Citroen. It has been a separate marque since 2015.

With the E-Class-sized DS9, the French manufacturer hopes to lure customers bored by the monotony of Teutonic luxury offerings from the three-pointed star, BMW and Audi.

The petrol-electric DS9 hybrid complies with all manner of emissions regulations so it does fit in with the latest electrics in town, even though most of them are SUVs.


Skoda is fielding the Enyaq, Mercedes has its EQA and BMW the iX3. Ford is turning the Mustang into an SUV coupe with zero tailpipe emissions although the iconic namesake sports coupe will remain in the lineup.

VW is expanding the ID family with the 4 while Porsche's Taycan can tackle some rough and tumble as a high-riding Cross Turismo variant that looks the off-road part.

Volvo has also added a coupe version of the XC40 and is offering the C40 as an electric-only answer to the BMW X4. A few electric newcomers from China, such as Aiways with its mid-size U5 or MG with the ZS-EV, are also waiting in the wings.

The new Nissan Qashqai still relies on internal combustion engines, but only in hybrid electrified versions. The few lower-slung electric cars, namely those without SUV leanings, include the Audi e-tron GT, the BMW i4 and the Ioniq 5. The latter spearheads South Korea maker Hyundai's new sub-brand for electric cars.


Fans of combustion can take heart from a raft of new models. These include small cars like Hyundai's chunky Bayon with its fuel-efficient power plants and the radically restyled Opal Mokka crossover. It gets an electric drivetrain but potent petrol options are still on offer. More space are offered by the coupe-SUV Arkana from Renault, which is a French riposte to the BMW X6.

Maserati's second luxury offroader, the Alfa-based Grecale, comes as a surprise which is more than can be said for Ferrari's long expected foray into SUV territory with the four-seater Purosangue, which is Italian for thoroughbred.

With the electric Artura, McLaren has fettled what may turn out to be its most successful sports car. Yes it is a plug-in hybrid and the battery juice will only take you 30 kilometre in e-mode, but it is a start. Fuel consumption of 5.5 litres for a 330 km/h car cannot be bad. Cheap it isn't, however, with an asking price of some 250,000 dollars.

Pininfarina's Battista and the Rimac C-Two are two hypercars designed for life in the electric fast lane and this is reflected in the price tag of around two million euros apiece.

Petrolheads may soon have to bid goodbye to their pet power plants but for the time being BMW's M3 and M4 and the five-cylinder Seat Cupra Formentor should set pulses racing. Porsche's new 911 GT3 has also just debuted with a lap record around the Nurburgring's Nordschleife.

Oh yes, and for open-air fans, the BMW 4 Series convertible is back and Mercedes will unveiling its reborn SL roadster, with an expected entry-level hybrid variant.


So for 2021 there are a few sedans, SUVs as far as the eye can see and almost every car can be plugged into the main.

Even the Mercedes C-Class cannot escape this trend. That's why, in addition to the standard mild hybrid for all versions, Mercedes is also announcing a plug-in with a range of more than 100km.

A more rugged estate version of the C is also in the pipeline, with unique bumpers and wheel-arch cladding, enhanced ride height and beefed-up underbody protection measures.