Geneva Auto Show
Ford targets James and AntonellaFord has given the typical buyer of its new Kuga and Fiesta models fictional names: James and Antonella. James is the target buyer for the Kuga medium SUV. He likes active pursuits such as skiing or sailing. Antonella is the model for the typical buyer of the new Fiesta small car. She is a style-conscious young woman in her 20s and is in her first job. [SUB] March 17 06:01 CET |
Renault hints at its new designRenault unveiled a concept showing a fluid and sporty styling for its new Megane. Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn said the concept car is “a good precursor” to the forthcoming Megane line, which, he said will arrive at the end of 2008. [SUB] March 17 06:01 CET |
Nano draws a big crowdThe biggest stir at the Geneva auto show was caused by the appearance of Tata's one lakh (€1,700) Nano. Top executives such as Fiat group Chairman Luca Cordero di Montezemolo stopped to offer congratulations to Tata Chairman Ratan Tata. [SUB] March 17 06:01 CET |
Saab previews new entry-premium carSaab unveiled a fuel-efficient concept that previews a new entry-premium car for the Swedish brand. The 9-X BioHybrid concept is about the same size as a Volvo C30. Saab executives would not confirm that the car will be built. [SUB] March 17 06:01 CET |
New Superb costs less than the old model
Skoda's new Superb will cost less than the current model in Germany. Prices for the second-generation Superb will start at €22,990, compared with €23,300 now. [SUB] March 17 06:01 CET
GENEVA AUTO SHOW
Infiniti to sell diesels in Europe from 2010
Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn said the carmaker's Infiniti luxury brand will offer a diesel engine on models sold in Europe starting in 2010. The planned diesel engine is under development within the Renault-Nissan alliance, and will debut in models produced by those two carmakers during 2009, an Infiniti spokesman said. [SUB] March 17 06:01 CET
Many new faces make their debutsVolkswagen, Seat and Kia used the auto show to highlight the design directions their brands plan to take. [SUB] March 17 06:01 CET |
Hyundai and Kia unveil fuel-efficient carsHyundai and Kia showed fuel-efficient cars that will help the Korean brands to lower their average CO2 fleet emissions in Europe. Kia Chief Operating Officer Paul Willis said the carmaker realizes that cutting CO2 emissions is an important issue. [SUB] March 17 06:01 CET |
New Meriva will have rear-hinged rear doorsOpel's new Meriva minivan will have rear-hinged rear doors like those shown in a concept that the General Motors subsidiary unveiled here. “These doors have had very good feedback and they will make it on to the production version,” Alain Visser, GM Europe's chief marketing officer, said. [SUB] March 17 06:01 CET |
Seen and heard in Geneva ...
Here are some of the sights our photographer, Philip Meech, captured during the Geneva auto show. [SUB] March 17 06:01 CET
Jaguar's XK sports car just got fasterJaguar unveiled its fastest version of the XK sports car. The XKR-S variant has a top speed 280kph, which is up 30kph compared with the regular XK. Jaguar increased the car's speed by making it more aerodynamic and giving it a lower suspension. [REG] March 13 12:07 CET |
Kia aims for big W. Europe sales boostKia aims to increase its western European sales by 13 percent to 300,000 this year. [REG] March 10 12:27 CET |
BMW M3 convertibleThe BMW M3 convertible is powered by a new 4.0-liter, 420-hp V-8 engine, mated to either a six-speed manual or a new seven-speed double-clutch gearbox. The roof is an electronically operated hard top. [SUB] 12:01 am U.S. ET | March 10 |
COMMENT: Be it metal or men, Geneva all about styleIt's all about style at the Geneva auto show. Style defines the best products and concept vehicles on the stands. But style is especially apparent among the execs who emcee the unveilings and press conferences Edward Lapham is the executive editor of Automotive News. [SUB] 12:01 am U.S. ET | March 10 |
Audi to launch A4 sedan, wagon togetherThe redesigned Audi A4 Avant station wagon that debuted here at the auto show goes on sale in the United States in September, the same time as the redesigned A4 sedan. The redesigned sedan already is on sale in Europe. [SUB] 12:01 am U.S. ET | March 10 |
Ford may consider hatchback for U.S.Officially, Ford Motor Co. says it has no plan to bring the hatchback versions of the Fiesta small car to the United States, where hatches traditionally have been a drag on the market. [SUB] 12:01 am U.S. ET | March 10 |
Infiniti FX showcases new Nissan technologyThe redesigned 2009 Infiniti FX50 offers U.S. customers several new technologies. The 5.0-liter, V-8-powered crossover also received a power boost to 390 hp. The model it replaces, the FX45, offered 320 hp. [SUB] 12:01 am U.S. ET | March 10 |
Toyota could bring tiny 4-seater to U.S.A four-passenger Toyota car not quite a foot longer than the tiny two-passenger Smart will be sold in the United States if it performs well in crash tests. The 9-foot-9.5-inch 2009 Toyota iQ is the automaker's newest microcar. [SUB] 12:01 am U.S. ET | March 10 |
Saab hybrid concept has solar roof panelsGeneral Motors took the wraps off what could be Saab's entry in the super-fuel-efficient small-car wars. It's the 9-X BioHybrid concept, a coupe that runs on E85 and uses a mild hybrid system. [SUB] 12:01 am U.S. ET | March 10 |
Hummer to push H3 pickup's usefulness
Hummer's advertising this year will tout the utility of all its vehicles, especially the new H3T pickup due in September. Hummer executives also look eventually to add smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles to the lineup. [SUB] 12:01 am U.S. ET | March 10
GM's Opel unveils small hatchback that could become part of Saturn lineGeneral Motors unveiled a small hatchback concept for its Opel brand that one day could be part of the Saturn lineup in the United States. The Opel Meriva is a four-seat, front-wheel-drive hatchback intended to replace the present Meriva, a top seller in Europe. [SUB] 12:01 am U.S. ET | March 10 |
New look for the SLThe freshened Mercedes-Benz SL roadster debuted in Geneva. The two-door goes on sale in the United States this spring. Mercedes gave the SL new headlights and hood styling, and AMG body styling as standard. No changes were made to U.S.-market powerplants, which are the V-8 SL 500 and the 12-cylinder SL 600. [SUB] 12:01 am U.S. ET | March 10 |
Tiny Nano makes big wavesThe biggest stir at the Geneva auto show was caused by Tata's $2,500 Nano economy car -- a model that already had made its world debut Jan. 10 in New Delhi. [SUB] 12:01 am U.S. ET | March 10 |
Lutz: Green takes greenbacks
Automakers clearly are focused on two things these days: the environment and fuel economy. During a media roundtable at the Geneva auto show, Bob Lutz, General Motors vice chairman of global product development, weighed various "green" solutions. Lutz said he expects to see "great advances" in battery technology now that many automakers are focusing on lithium ion batteries as a propulsion device. [SUB] 12:01 am U.S. ET | March 10
Volvo pitches XC60 as step up from C30Although the Volvo C30 hatchback has been on sale just seven months in the United States, the brand is already pitching a replacement: the 2009 XC60 crossover. [REG] 1:24 pm U.S. ET | March 5 |
Hits and misses: A visual tour of GenevaFor just a minute, let's ignore the overwhelming need of every automaker to be green, green, green at this year's Geneva auto show and focus on some individual cars. There were many worthy models this year. Jesse Snyder is executive editor of Automotive News Europe. [REG] March 5 16:03 CET |
Romania approves Ford factory sale
Ford of Europe has welcomed the Romanian parliament's ratification of a law allowing the carmaker to buy a former Daewoo factory in Craiova, 110km west of Bucharest. "This is the next big step to finalize the company's purchase of the [REG] March 5 13:11 CET
Infiniti showrooms to have luxury feelInfiniti's European dealerships will offer Japanese standards of hospitality in an exclusive, luxurious environment. It is part of the Nissan luxury brand's effort to lure the Continent's most discerning customers. [REG] March 5 12:16 CET |
Renault sticks to upscale model planRenault will keep building upscale cars despite slow sales of the new Laguna. “There is no change in Renault's plans,” said Patrick Blain, Renault's executive vice president of sales and marketing, in an interview. [REG] March 5 12:28 CET |
Maserati debuts sportier GranTurismo
Maserati will charge 10 to 14 percent more for a sportier version of its GranTurismo coupe. The Italian sports car brand unveiled its GranTurismo S at the Geneva auto show. The GranTurismo S features a 440hp 4.7-liter V-8 engine coupled with a six-speed manual automated transmission. [REG] March 5 11:01 CET
PSA: Standard stop-start by 2010
PSA/Peugeot-Citroen will make stop-start standard equipment in its small and medium cars in Europe. “We are investing extremely massively in micro-hybridization,” PSA CEO Christian Streiff said in an interview. [REG] March 5 09:52 CET
Russian market to hit 4m by 2013Renault expects annual new-cars sales in Russia to be more than 4 million by 2012-13, a top executive with the French company said. The rapid growth of the Russian market, which added 700,000 units during 2007, was at the heart of Renault's decision to pay $1 billion for a 25 percent stake in AvtoVAZ. [REG] March 5 08:11 CET |
Alfa wants ad boost from 8C supercar
Alfa Romeo could use its 8C supercars in advertising to give the brand an image boost. Alfa Romeo CEO Luca De Meo is considering creating an advertising campaign to link the limited-edition supercars to its volume models. “The 8C Competizione and 8C Spider represent the true essence of the Alfa brand and it is a pity just to leave them in the garages of collectors,” De Meo said. [REG] March 5 15:36 CET
Renault will get upscale car from KoreaOne of Renault's two future upscale models to replace the Vel Satis will be built by Renault-Samsung in South Korea, a company executive said. “It will be the largest car we have ever done,” Beatrice Foucher-Sybord, director of Renault product development, said in an interview at the auto show here. [REG] March 5 11:11 CET |
Tata wants 4-star safety for NanoTata Motors will only sell its Nano microcar in Europe if it achieves a high safety rating. [REG] March 5 10:40 CET |
Audi lures Ford buyers with A4 AvantGENEVA -- Audi expects to win customers from volume manufacturers for its new A4 Avant station wagon. The A4 Avant will attract buyers of similarly sized cars from Ford, Opel and Peugeot, said Michael Renz, Audi's head of central marketing. [REG] March 5 13:59 CET |
Renault ups AvtoVAZ stake, supplier base changesRenault's decision to buy a joint controlling stake in Russia's biggest automaker AvtoVAZ is expected to radically transform the country's auto supply sector, a top executive at the French company said. Renault Executive Vice President Patrick Pelata also said the carmaker could eventually boost local car parts in the Russian-assembled Logan. [REG] March 5 14:09 CET |
Infiniti to sell diesel models in Europe from 2010Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn has confirmed that the carmakers Infiniti luxury brand will offer an advanced diesel engine on models sold in Europe from 2010. "As Infiniti starts to build volume and credibility, from 2010 we will be ready to offer our customers the latest generation of advanced diesel and hybrid powertrains," Ghosn said at Infiniti's European launch here. [REG] March 5 13:39 CET |
Ford France seeks buyer for transmission factory
Ford France will select a consulting firm in the coming week to help it find potential buyers for a transmission factory in the southwestern city of Bordeaux, a company spokesman told Automotive News Europe. The factory is scheduled to end production in April 2010. [REG] March 5 15:51 CET
With new Megane, Renault has regained its design strengthThe Renault Megane coupe concept at the Geneva auto show is a breath of fresh air. The clean sculptural shape, without any graphic frills or odd proportions, impressed many onlookers. Wim Oude Weernink is a correspondent of Automotive News Europe. [REG] March 5 09:59 CET |
Automakers hopeful on extending CO2 limit deadline
GENEVA (Reuters) -- Carmakers are becoming more optimistic about European authorities granting them more time to meet proposed limits on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from their vehicles -- a major point of contention between them. [REG] March 5 13:25 CET
VW has no tie-up plans now despite higher r&d costs
GENEVA (Thomson Financial) -- Volkswagen AG has no plans right now to form tie-ups with other carmakers, despite higher costs in research and development, management board member for r&d Ulrich Hackenberg said. [REG] March 5 10:43 CET
Tata will keep Jaguar, Land Rover's heritageGENEVA -- Tata Motors will respect the British heritage of the Jaguar and Land Rover brands, Tata Group Chairman Ratan Tata said. [REG] March 4 17:20 CET |
Ford may consider hatchback for U.S.Officially, Ford Motor Co. says it has no plan to bring the hatchback versions of the Fiesta small car to the United States, where hatches traditionally have been a drag on the market. [REG] 3:36 pm U.S. ET | March 4 |
New Infiniti FX has beefed up engineInfiniti showed its second-generation FX crossover at the Geneva Motor Show on Tuesday. A more powerful engine range tops a list of improvements -- including a new 5.0-liter, 390-hp V8 to give the FX50 70 hp more than the outgoing FX45's 4.5-liter engine. [REG] 3:20 pm U.S. ET | March 4 |
Mercedes plant in E. Europe highly likely”A new Mercedes-Benz plant for the next-generation A- and B-class cars is “highly likely,” said Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche in an interview at the Geneva auto show. Zetsche said that he expected to sell higher volumes of the German automaker's entry-premium cars so the company would “need more capacity.” [REG] March 4 16:21 CET |
9-X gives clear view of future compact SaabSaab's 9-X BioHybrid is a clear hint at the future entry-level model of the Swedish carmaker. General Motor's presented the concept car at a pre-Geneva-auto-show presentation yesterday evening. [REG] March 4 14:34 CET |
Toyota has no plans for diesel-hybrid car
Toyota has no plans to sell diesel-hybrid cars, Katsuaki Watanabe, the carmaker's president, said. Watanabe said diesel hybrids would be too expensive for customers. [REG] March 4 08:48 CET
Renault unveils new look for its MeganeRenault unveiled a concept here today showing a fluid and sporty styling for its new Megane. Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn said the concept car is "a good precursor" to the forthcoming Megane line, which, he said, "arrives at the end of 2008." [REG] March 4 12:39 CET |
VW sees more Porsche cooperationVolkswagen expects to intensify its cooperation with Porsche following the sports car maker's acquisition of a majority share in Europe's largest automotive group. [REG] March 4 10:22 CET |
VW's Scirocco resembles Audi A3 coupeVolkswagen debuted the new Scirocco in the same place the first-generation of the coupe was unveiled 34 years ago. But other than a name there is little that the two cars have in common. [REG] March 4 08:33 CET |
Insignia will target upscale buyers
The new Opel Insignia will be more upscale to target former Omega owners when it is unveiled later this year. The new Insignia, which will be built at Rüsselsheim, Germany, will be a totally different car to the Vectra it replaces, said Hans Demant, managing director of Opel. [REG] March 4 14:44 CET
Rolls Coupe attracts new buyers
GENEVA -- Roll-Royce's new Phantom Coupe brought in conquest customers ahead of its launch at the auto show here today. “Two-thirds [of the names] in our early order bank are from non Rolls-Royce owners,” said CEO Ian Robertson as he unveiled the new model. [REG] March 4 13:38 CET
Nissan books record European sales in 2007Nissan saw very strong growth across Europe in 2007, and expects its final sales to top 200,000 units. Nissan's European sales in 2007 will represent a double-digit increase over 2006, Executive Vice-President Carlos Tavares said during a presentation at the Geneva auto show. [REG] March 4 11:34 CET |
Ford of Europe sees higher 2008 profitFord of Europe's new product offensive can help the company beat last year's $997 million (656 million euros) pretax profit, Ford of Europe CEO and President John Fleming said. “We can do better than that,” Fleming said at a press event on the eve of the Geneva auto show. [REG] March 4 10:41 CET |
Toyota will expand hybrids across lineup
Toyota will offer gasoline-hybrid cars throughout its lineup in the long term, company president, Katsuaki Watanabe, said. “We hope to offer a hybrid version of each model in the 2020s,” Watanabe said at a press event here. [REG] March 4 07:52 CET
Toyota iQ will beat Prius in fuel efficiencyToyota's new iQ minicar will be its most fuel-efficient model. The iQ will have CO2 emissions of 99 grams per kilometer. Like all automakers that sell cars in Europe, Toyota is under pressure from European lawmakers to cut its CO2 emissions. [REG] March 4 07:30 CET |
Audi goes for low emissions with TT dieselAn Audi board member said today he expects the carmaker's new TT diesel to account for “more than 20 percent” of the car's European sales. Michael Dick, Audi board member for development, told Automotive News Europe that sales of the diesel TT could exceed the expectations of the company's marketing team. [REG] March 4 10:48 CET |
Bentley makes bold CO2-cut promiseUK ultraluxury automaker Bentley today committed itself to cut its fleet CO2 emissions to 120 grams per kilometer by 2012. Bentley is currently one of the industry's highest CO2 emitters, with a fleet average of more than 400g/km. [REG] March 4 11:55 CET |
GM announces new hybrid system
General Motors says it expects to bring its first lithium-ion battery powered hybrid engine system to market in North America in 2010. The world's largest automaker by sales was to announce the hybrid system today at the Geneva auto show, saying the new battery will deliver three times the power of GM's current nickel-metal-hydride batteries. [REG] March 4 16:11 CET
GENEVA MOTOR SHOW
GM mild hybrids to get a jolt
General Motors is giving its mild hybrid powertrain -- an option in the Saturn Vue crossover and Aura Chevrolet Malibu sedan -- a more powerful electric motor and a new set of lithium ion batteries. [REG] 12:01 am U.S. ET | March 4 | UPDATED: 3/4/08 9:38 A.M. EST
Opel's Meriva concept possible for Saturn lineupGENEVA -- General Motors today revealed a new small hatchback for its Opel brand that one day could be included in the Saturn lineup in the United States. [REG] 9:31 am U.S. ET | March 4 |
Romanian prime minister visits Ford in Geneva
Geneva -- Romanian Prime Minister Calin Popescu-Tariceanu was visiting Ford of Europe's stand at the auto show here today as his country's parliament votes on a law to allow Ford to buy the Automobile Craiova factory. Ford plans to buy the state-owned factory to build 300,000 cars and 300,000 engines annually. [REG] March 4 09:59 CET
Audi unveils diesel Q7 SUVWhile BMW and Mercedes-Benz showcase their latest fuel-efficient technology, Audi unveiled a 500hp, V12 diesel version of its Q7 SUV on Monday, ahead of the Geneva auto show tomorrow. The car comes with a 6.0-liter turbo-charged direct injection diesel engine that uses 11.9 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers and has a top speed of 250 km/h. [REG] March 3 19:22 CET |
Saab hybrid concept has solar roof panelsAt the Geneva auto show today, General Motors took the wraps off what could be Saab's entry into the super-fuel-efficient small-car wars. It's the 9-X BioHybrid concept, a two-door coupe powered by a gasoline engine that has a mild hybrid system. [REG] 2:21 pm U.S. ET | March 3 | UPDATED: 3/03/08 2:41 P.M. EST |
Bertone to show concept in GenevaBertone plans to unveil a concept car in Geneva Tuesday (March 4), but not at the auto show in the Palexpo. “We will unveil the B.A.T. 11 in a nice location in the city of Geneva,” said Stile Bertone Vice Chairman Marie-Jeanne Bertone. [SUB] March 3 06:01 CET |
Momentum builds for low-CO2 carsFord's low-CO2 Fiesta will help boost availability of fuel-efficient technologies in mass-market cars. At the Geneva auto show, Ford will disclose details of a version of its new Fiesta small car that will have CO2 emissions of less than 100 grams per kilometer. Volkswagen group already offers two small-segment cars with CO2 below 100g/km: the Polo BlueMotion and Seat Ibiza Ecomotive. [SUB] March 3 06:01 CET |
Geneva: Green and getting greenerThe Geneva show halls will be awash with cars of every color this year. But only one shade really matters: Green. Pressured by EU legislators to cut CO2 emissions and by consumers worried about climate change, automakers need to show they mean business when they talk about reducing the automobile's effect on the environment. [SUB] March 3 06:01 CET |
