2016 Geneva Auto Show gets underway
The 86th Geneva Motor Show gets under way tomorrow with the mainstream manufacturers coming up with solid product aimed at raising share and volume in the mainstream European market segments.
Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) will focus on mainstream launching of new models that will connect with buying trends and emerging customer needs and one that will appeal to customer trends and bring buyers into showrooms, through the launch of a raft of efficient new crossovers and sport utility vehicles (SUVs).
Among these models are the brand new Renault Scenic and a near-production-ready sub-compact SUV that VW will launch as part of its SUV model assault in the next few months. There may not be a lot of big and exciting new technology trends on offer at this year’s Geneva show.
Rather, the European industry will be taking care of business, coming up with compelling product that will bring buyers to showrooms and maintain the current positive sales trend in the Western European market.
One of the most important new models at the show will be the Audi Q1. Audi first announced the Q2 would join its range in 2012, although the brand was referring to it as the Q1 at that point. It will mean that it will be the first of the German premium OEMs to present a model in the SUV-B segment.
The Q2 will go on sale in the middle of this year and will go on to sell a peak of 91,000 units by 2018. Audi will choose from the Volkswagen (VW) Group’s existing range of powertrains, including the 1.2- and 1.4-litre EA211 petrol (gasoline) and the EA288 diesel unit. The model will be Audi’s big reveal at the Geneva show and will be aimed at attracting a younger buying demographic to the brand.
Maserati will launch its long-awaited Levante at Geneva; design features include tapered headlights into the distinctive grille, three front wing vents and trapezoidal C-pillar featuring the brand badging.
The model also has frameless door windows and an especially tapered rear end for this category of vehicle, underlining its high performance credentials. On a technical front, the automaker has said that it will offer a range of gasoline (petrol) and diesel Euro-VI engines, without giving details.
This is part of Fiat Chrysler Automobile’s (FCA) wider brand strategy during made public in 2014 that will include gasoline turbocharged V-6 engines with 350-hp and 430-hp, as well as a turbocharged V-8 with over 560-hp by 2018. In addition, the automaker will offer a comprehensive range of diesel engines in 250-hp, 275-hp and 340-hp ratings.
Mercedes-Benz will show the C-Class convertible. The company has already released a teaser sketch of what the production model will look like when it is launched at the show. The convertible looks like it will follow the basic form of the C-Class coupé, with neat and crisp lines with the roof down, and it is likely to have a fabric roof to follow the recent trend in the convertible market.
Like the coupé and sedan, it will be available in the same variety of trim levels from the standard SE models up to the AMG Line range-topping variants, with a similar mix of power-train options.
Opel has revealed details of the GT Concept which will be at Geneva. The concept features a front mid-engine, rear-wheel drive architecture that features a long nose, curvaceous cabin with glass panoramic roof and heavily scalloped side.
It shares design features with the Opel Experimental GT concept and the subsequent production Opel GT of the 1960s. The automaker has said, its power-train uses a 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbocharged gasoline engine producing 145 hp and 20Nm of torque and weighs less than 1,000 kg. However, the GT Concept is aimed at showcasing Opel’s technology and design talents and will not make production.
Perhaps the most important launch at Geneva alongside the Audi Q2 will be the new Renault Scenic. The latest variant of Renault’s segment-leading model looks as though it will be a crisp and futuristic looking design and will further bolster Renault’s revitalised mainstream model portfolio.
A number of styling features give the new Scenic a dynamic edge. Compared with the Scenic 3, its ground clearance has been raised and the rear overhang has been shortened, while a wider track at both the front and rear provide the vehicle with a particularly solid stance.
The new Scenic comes with a distinctive lighting signature in the form of C-shaped head lights that have LED Pure Vision technology like higher-end models.
Seat will show its Ateca mid-sized SUV-C crossover which the brand’s first SUV is offering. The 4.36-metre model features many of the styling cues that are part of its current design language. These include the trapezoidal grille, side blisters, sharp lines in the flanks and triangular light signature.
The latter brings with it the option of full-LED headlights. Other features include puddle lights in the exterior door mirrors which project the Ateca name and the vehicle’s silhouette on the ground. On the power-train front, the Ateca will come with a range of diesel and gasoline engines.
Skoda will show the new “VisionS” SUV concept at the Palexpo. The VisionS features a prominent Skoda grille at the front with raked back headlights, a large lower grille with side air intakes, and a long bonnet. It is 4,700 mm long, 1,910 mm wide, and 1,680 mm high.
It is expected to be powered by a 1.6-litre turbodiesel four-cylinder engine, while the automaker is likely to launch a diesel/electric hybrid version in due course.
It has been known for some time that Skoda has been considering a compact SUV that will compete in this popular category in Europe and China as part of its efforts to grow the brand further. The launch of the C-segment crossover will be launched in 2017, with average global volumes of 77,300 units each year during 2017-20.
SsangYong will showcase its Tivoli crossover range with a longer-wheelbase version, based on its XLV Air concept that was first showcased at last year’s Frankfurt Motor Show in Germany. Known as the Tivoli XLV, the latest model features a stretched C-pillar back and improved carrying capacity of 720 litres. SsangYong is also expected to unveil a new large SUV concept, dubbed the SIV-2 at the show, according to a separate report.
Volkswagen will show an SUV-B concept at the show which will be “near production ready”. The model will preview VW’s answer to the Renault Captur, Opel Mokka and is likely to share mechanical underpinnings and powertrains with the Audi Q2 which will be debuting over on the Audi stand.
The model will form part of a broad SUV offensive and will be a “trendy, affordable SUV” and has got a crisp and modern front-end treatment which references the new Tiguan.
Outlook and implications. If there is a big trend on show at Geneva this year, it will be the European market’s continuing move towards sub-compact and compact SUVs, or SUV-B and SUV C segment. In a world where alternative powertrains, increasing connectivity and autonomous driving are the long-term technology drivers, this may not make for compelling headlines and this is a trend that the industry has been moving towards for some time.
The SUV-B market continues to have significant growth potential in the Western European market, and one of the segment’s favourites, the Opel Mokka is also undergoing a significant refresh, which will also debut at Geneva. IHS Automotive forecast that the segments will more than double in terms of European sales between from 1.01 million units in 2015 to 2022.
The Audi Q2 will be the first entrant into the segment from the big-three German premium brands and it will be interesting to see how it fares against the mainstream competition, while VW’s SUV-B concept is likely to mechanically mirror the Q2 and the production version will share power-train and component module.
So while there is a shortage of exciting trends and headlines this is the European concentrating on its bread and butter – compelling product that will connect with mass volume buyers and emerging trends.
The Laurens van den Acker design of the new model looks to combine futuristic styling with more crossover-style elements. At the other end of the spectrum, Maserati’s Levante is an important model for the brand.
It is needed as a volume and profit generator and to bolster the brand’s credentials as a serious competitor to Porsche. The design of the car looks well executed and if the interior is up to scratch in design and quality terms, it should take some sales from the Porsche Cayenne, although the volumes forecast by IHS Automotive – peaking at over 17,000 in 2018 are around 25% of the Cayenne’s. Welcome to this year’s GAS.
MIKE OCHONMA