Family Vans And SUV ' S At Every Stand

2023 Author: Eric Donovan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-08-25 09:36

The Geneva Motor Show has always been drumming loudly, and new products have been extolled. Thoughtful tones can also be heard in the 75th edition.

Stefan Grundhoff

At the 75th edition of the Geneva Motor Show, there is not much of a spirit of optimism. With the exception of those responsible at Audi, Porsche and BMW, hardly any manufacturer walks through the exhibition halls with a smile.

This is one more reason to drum particularly hard this year. European and especially German customers should be more interested in new cars. The manufacturer's effort is immense. Here there are big volume blasters like the new VW Passat and a 3-series BMW, as well as the smart subaru R1 or the extravagantly beautiful Citroen C6 luxury sedan.

Family vans have lost their appeal

Even with the 75th edition, the Geneva Salon is good for one or the other study worth seeing. Sometimes visionary like the Lexus super sports car LX-A, sometimes close to series production like the elegant Peugeot 407 Coupe or just beautiful like the Advanced Lightwight Coupe from Jaguar - the XK successor sends its regards. As in previous years, SUVs and family vans are almost everywhere, but have lost their great appeal despite the Opel Zarifa II or Mazda 5. Cheap small cars, a strong middle class and mercilessly beautiful coupes, on the other hand, are experiencing a rebirth. They are the stars at the 75th edition of the Geneva Salon, which is celebrating its 100th birthday this year.

The gap between the models is more than ever. At the lower end of the product lines, the manufacturers are digging hard at discount customers with cheap cars. The triplets Citroen C1, Peugeot 107 and Toyota Aygo should lure with cute designs and prices below 9,000 euros. Models like Dacia Logan, Suzuki Swift or a Kia Rio are competing for the same customers.

Ferrari goes to the limit

But in many details you can see in the juvenile triumvirate and the other savings vehicles that a lot of savings have been made. At the other end of the flagpole are a Ferrari Superamericana or a Maybach 57 S, which not only allow their owners to indulge in limitless luxury, but also offer driving performance at the limit of the imaginable. 600 hp are nothing there.

You don't have to look far for the winners in Geneva. The small Mazda MX-5 founded a new segment at the end of the 80s, which has developed splendidly since then. The third edition can be admired at the salon - great! Typically MX-5, but something new. The Alfa Romeo Brera is also sporty, but a touch more elegant. The GTV replacement is a classy sports car - which will also come onto the market with a 200 hp common rail diesel. He is supposed to bring the ailing Fiat group back forward as well as the Fiat Croma or the new Alfa 159.

The DaimlerChrysler Group is once again putting its stamp on the Geneva Motor Show. In addition to the new M-Class, the B-Class and the almost finished Crossover GST are particularly eye-catchers. In the future, the open SL 400 CDI could even be available with a 315 hp diesel. The new Grand Cherokee shines just one stand further at Jeep. Similar to the MX-5: optically completely the same as the old one, but a touch more powerful than its predecessor. Not only because the engine range extends from the Mercedes diesel with around 220 hp to the Chrysler HEMI power with 340 hp.