It is not unusual for the Geneva Motor Show to be expensive and powerful. In this regard, the 2015 edition of the most important European spring trade fair is not only exceptional in comparison to the conditions of previous years, which were still characterized by the eco and electric car trend. Anyone who does not introduce a sports or even super sports car as a manufacturer has at least one SUV in their range.
The list of new products in the top PS league is particularly well filled. The stars of the fair are likely to include the new edition of the Audi R8, which will again feature a V500 petrol engine and all-wheel drive with more than 10 hp. Sister brand Porsche sends with the 911 GT3 RS its ultimate naturally aspirated racer in the competition. The Ferrari 488 GTB runs in direct competition with the German coupes. It wants to win the race in the efficiency rating at least with a small V8 engine and turbocharging. In addition there are exotics such as the McLaren P1 GTR as a race-optimized version of the super sports car P1.000, the Lotus Evora 1 as the strongest and fastest model of the British purist brand and the Aston Martin top athlete Vulcan. The super sports car range is completed by the mid-engine athlete Ford GT, which was already shown in Detroit in January, and the hybrid racer Honda NSX.
Both brands had previously left their sporting tradition unused for years. In 2015 it should revive - even in more civil classes. Ford shows its 235 kW / 320 hp over-focus with the additional abbreviation RS. Honda puts the Civic R-Type back on, for the first time with a turbo engine and around 280 hp. The arms race in the compact class continues happily, as the fair premiere of the Audi RS3 with just under 370 hp shows. In addition, there are power packs in a combination dress such as the VW Golf Variant R, the Seat Leon ST Cupra, the Skoda Octavia RS 230 and the Subaru Levorg. And Mercedes is releasing the CLA Shooting Brake in the 265 kW / 360 hp AMG version.
A fuel saver is not one of the sporty models, even if many sometimes significantly undercut the consumption values of their direct predecessors. In the increasingly important CO2 fleet balance sheet of the manufacturers, however, the cars alone will not do much damage due to their low sales figures. However, this does not apply to the second major novelty class: the SUV. The fashionable models are still being torn out of the hands of the manufacturers.
Audi and Volvo therefore use plug-in hybrid drives for their luxury class crossovers Q7 E-Tron and XC90, which can also cover medium distances electrically and therefore without direct carbon dioxide emissions. In the smaller SUV classes, on the other hand, you have to be content with filing details for cost reasons. With new engines and economy technologies, compact models such as the Nissan Qashqai offshoot Renault Kadjar, the ix35 successor Hyundai Tucson and the Ssangyong Tivoli also come up with acceptable standard consumption. The small SUVs should be even easier: in Geneva, the Mazda CX-3 and the Honda HR-V are celebrating their premiere in this boom class.
But there are also innovations beyond PS inflation and the SUV boom. And of all things one of the main representatives of both trends - BMW - is almost modest this time. With the 2 Gran Tourer, the Munich-based company is showing its first large family model, a van of up to seven seats in the upper compact class. However, the customer doesn't have to do without powerful engines any more than he does without all-wheel drive. If you like it more down-to-earth, you will find a suitable candidate in the VW Touran, which should offer more space with less weight thanks to the new platform, but otherwise remains true to its well-known virtues. If it should be a little cheaper, VW has brought the new edition of the high-roof combination Caddy.
Speaking of cheap: The Opel Karl is also one of the few decidedly reasonable cars in Geneva. The small car is something like the inexpensive brother of the city car Adam, offers significantly more space and is a little less pretty in compensation, without being a wallflower. In the sparkling headlights of the Geneva Salon, this is still only enough for a supporting role this year.
Author: Holger Holzer / SP-X
