Flashy rides at Geneva's Lac Léman
The European car show season traditionally kicks off in western Switzerland. In Geneva, 200 exhibitors from 30 countries present their latest sportsters. Here are some destined to draw visitors' attention.
Opel - becoming French overnight
The most exciting talk ahead of this year's motor show had been whether Opel would still be there as a GM subsidiary or as a brand owned by PSA. The answer is: Opel will be French. Anyone still interested in the new Insignia version?
Peugeot - very visionary
When you are in the process of swallowing a German car maker, you need to deliver. Maybe that is why Peugeot lets its Instinct model take center stage in Geneva. It is its vision of a self-driving car, which is always connected to the internet thanks to built-in Samsung technology.
Citroën - Going off-road
Aside from Peugeot, Citroen is one of PSA's core brands. In Geneva, the French car maker will showcase two concepts for city SUVs - one of them is this futuristic model called C-Aircross Concept.
Volkswagen's visions
It is still early days, but this is supposed to be VW's new flagship model. After dumping the Phaeton, the new Arteon coupé is supposed to take over. It is positioned above the Passat, most likely also in price, and comes with a brand-new design and top-of-the-range features.
Porsche going semi-electric
Using only 2.5 liters per 100 kilometers despite 462 HP? Thanks to an electric motor next to its six-cylinder engine, the Panamera 4 E-Hybrid is supposed to deliver on this promise. The estate wagon version dubbed Sport Turismo will premiere in Geneva.
Family photo
Mercedes Benz Cars, the Daimler group's car segment, has refurbished its E series within a year. Only a convertible has been missing to make the family complete. It will be rolling out of the shadows in Geneva.
A Maybach - for the desert?!
Mercedes has been producing its G series for some time now, calling it an off-road icon. But now you can also get it in a more luxurious version, namely the Maybach G650 Landaulet. Should you be interested - and have a spare 500,000 euros ($526,000) - you should hurry. There will only be 99 of them.
A brave Bavarian
While other German car brands, like VW or Opel, keep making often negative headlines, BMW keeps calm and carries on. It has broken its own sales record for the sixth year in a row. And even after Mercedes has taken the lead in the premium class, BMW aims to bounce back with its new 5 series.
Alfa Romeo's SUV - finally
Jaguar,… tick. Maserati,… tick. But wasn't there one car maker without an SUV in its portfolio? Yes, Alfa Romeo! But that is about to change in Geneva. It's quite late, though, to launch the Stelvio. Maybe a little too late?
Staunch Spaniard
Volkswagen's Spanish Seat brand is launching the fifth generation of its Ibiza model. Its motorization might seem a bit modest, as there is only a one-liter TSI engine under the hood. But that also makes the compact rather cheap: You can get it for less than 15,000 euros ($15,800) from June.
An American in Cologne
Henry Ford himself laid the foundation for the Ford factory not far from the Rhine in Cologne's Niehl district in 1930. Since 1976 mainly the Fiesta model has been produced here - its eighth generation will now debut in Geneva.
Faster, stronger,…
Ferrari is taking its fastest and strongest car EVER to Geneva. There are 12 cylinders under the hood of the 812 Superfast, which boasts 800 HP. It takes 2.9 seconds to accelerate to 100km/h and has a maximum speed of 340km/h. This surely is not made for rush hour traffic.
Racy competition
Lamborghini's Aventador S does not win against Ferrari in terms of sheer power - it "only" has 740 HP. But actually it has a slightly higher maximum speed of 350km/h. But by and large, they're on a par.