If you’re about to buy a new car, don’t do it just yet. You’ll want to wait to see what’s new in Paris first.
The Mondial de l’Automobile is this year’s big European car show. Spoiler alert: We already have a pretty good idea of what’s coming. There are always a few surprises, but here are the trends and new models we’ll be looking for on Sept. 29.
Here come the EVs
Paris is shaping up to be a big show for electric vehicles that average consumers might actually consider buying. It seems we’re nearing a tipping point. As range increases and cost decreases, it should open a floodgate and EVs will come pouring onto the market. As production volumes increase, EVs should become money-making products for the big car companies.
Details are scarce, but we expect Mercedes-Benz to roll out several production-ready electric vehicles, including an SUV/crossover to rival Tesla’s Model X. These new models – two sedans and two SUVs – will have a driving range of up to 500 kilometres per charge, and will be launched under a new Mercedes sub-brand, Bloomberg reports.
The all-new Smart fortwo electric drive is expected to make its debut in Paris. Compared with the models from Mercedes, the Smart will have a more modest electric range and a price tag to match.
Volkswagen’s diesel-emissions cheating scandal has created one positive outcome: It’s accelerated the firm’s plans for alternative powertrain vehicles. In Paris, we’ll get a look at VW’s first completely electric car. The as-yet unnamed model will have a range of 400-600 kilometres, and will be roughly the same size as the current Golf hatchback, according to a senior VW official quoted in the German magazine WirtschaftsWoche.
VW has publically committed to making 30 all-electric vehicles by 2025, by which time it expects them to account for 20 per cent to 25 per cent of sales volume. BMW could unveil a convertible version of its i8 plug-in sports car, while Porsche will show a plug-in Panamera.
Five-doors good
The bestselling car in Canada is getting its hatch back. The five-door Honda Civic has been denied to Canadians for the past 11 years. However, the new-generation Civic hatchback will be on display in Paris before arriving in Canada as a 2017 model. It will look nearly identical to the concept we saw in Geneva in March.
Hatchbacks are not exactly the stuff dreams are made of, but the sporty Type-R version of the new Civic slated for Paris should fulfill a few Fast & Furious fantasies.
Kia revealed the fourth generation of its Rio hatchback ahead of the Paris show. It looks good for budget-friendly transportation. If the Rio appears a little German – like a sportier VW Golf perhaps – it’s because of Peter Schreyer. The German designer was best known for the Audi TT before he left to head up Hyundai/Kia’s styling department, where he has performed minor miracles.
Elsewhere on the Paris show floor will be an updated VW Golf and the all-new Hyundai Elantra hatch. The Audi A5 Sportback will also make its global debut. Unlike previous models of the four-door coupe, this one is slated for North American dealerships.
Endless SUVs
Auto makers will stop showing off new SUVs when we all stop buying so many of them.
The new Discovery will soon join Land Rover’s crowded SUV lineup. The company says its 294 Discovery prototypes have collectively racked up more than a million miles of testing across 20 countries. So, this three-row SUV should hold up just fine in the morning school run.
Audi will show an all-new Q5, loaded with advanced driver assistance technology, while Mercedes will have an AMG version of its GLC. The Benz will have a 362-horsepower twin-turbo V6 and will arrive in Canada late this year as a 2017 model.
Lexus, as usual, has a radical-looking concept for this show. It’s called the UX and, from the teaser photos, it appears to be a two-door SUV.
“It’s strongly differentiated identity is meant to appeal to a progressive, urban audience living in a connected environment,” according to Lexus. Hopefully, we’ll discover what that means.
Last, but certainly not least, Alfa Romeo’s first SUV, dubbed Stelvio, may or may not be at this show. An Alfa Romeo SUV? Sacrilege! Yes, but what company can resist the easy profits of SUVs? Not many, apparently.