The real world stars of the Paris Motor Show
26 September 2006 Cars like Citroen's stunning C-Metisse concept are certainly going to pull the crowds. But car shows are more than bonkers concepts. Stuart Milne looks at some of the cars which will be selling like hot cakes at a dealer near you.
Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione An instant classic without doubt, the 8C is the best looking car to come out of Italy since the Ferrari Dino of the early 1970s. But its beauty is more than skin deep; there's a Maserati 4.7-litre V8 kicking out 450bhp and a hefty 347lb/ft of pulling power. All this power is transmitted to the wheels via a six-speed semi-automatic gearbox. But we don't care about that; we're just looking at Paris's number one Italian suit.
Fresh from the first Le Mans victory in a diesel car, Audi have rushed out the world's most powerful diesel passenger car. Eclipsing the 5-litre Volkswagen Touareg, the Q7 thumps out a colossal 500bhp and 738lb/ft of pulling power. The engine - which is vaguely based on the R10 Le Mans car - will power the Q7 past the 60mph marker in 5.5 seconds and on to a limited 155mph top speed. Despite the performance and girth, fuel consumption is a pretty respectable 19.7mpg.
The Avenger badge is a blast from the past for those old enough to recall Hillman, the Brit car maker bought - and closed - by Chrysler in the early 1980s. But thankfully, the new Avenger is about as far removed from that as possible. Sharing its platform with the forthcoming Chrysler Sebring, there will be a number of engines available, including a 2-litre diesel and several petrol units, still to be confirmed. There's a 235bhp 3.5-litre V6 engine officially for the American market - but given Chrysler/Dodge's reputation for building hot versions, we'd expect to see it here at some point.
The cutesy Panda has got itself all pimped up by Fiat's tuning and styling arm, Abarth. Details are sketchy at the moment, but our pics reveal a pleasantly aggressive bodykit and some tasty alloys. Look a bit closer and the Sport also comes with a racy honeycomb grills and red brake callipers. Sadly there's little evidence of its bark-matching bite - power from its 1.4-litre engine rises from 94bhp to just 100bhp, which should be good for a sub 10 second 0-60mph dash.
The Mondeo has come in for criticism due to its bland styling, so Ford has upped the ante. Like the Focus did in 1998, the new Mondeo is going to be a huge shot in the arm for its blander rivals. Gone are the predictable angular and inoffensive looks. In come the curves and swoops from the Iosis Concept unveiled at 2005s Geneva Motor Show. The estate version pictured here looks like an S-Max that's shrunk in the wash, and confirms Ford's latest styling path.
Despite the daft name, the Hover could well be a bit of a hit with cost-conscious Europeans. There are shades of Mitsubishi Shogun Sport, Isuzu Rodeo and Nissan X-Trail in the looks, and it seems to be one of the more pleasant Chinese cars emerging over here. Power is provided by a Mitsubishi 2.3-litre petrol engine and will come in two and four wheel drive guises. The Russian-built Hover reaches minimum European crash test standards and its Italian importer expects to sell around 10,000 a year in Italy alone.
Another show, another fast Merc. The CL 55 AMG replacement packs an even bigger punch; this time without the aid of a supercharger. This is because the CL 63 AMG has an even bigger 6.3-litre V8 engine with more trick technology than ever before. Power is rated at a staggering 525bhp, with more than 464lb/ft of pulling power. This makes for a 0-62mph time of 4.6 seconds and an electronically limited 155mph top speed. There's plenty of advanced kit inside and the luxury coupe is distinguished from lesser models by a tough-looking bodykit.
Intended for buyers looking for a compact SUV without all the rugged trappings, the Qashqai is far from elegant. However, it should find buyers who find Nissan's X-Trail soft-roader too big and butch. The Qashqai is around the same size as a Focus and will feature a choice of a 1.6 petrol, 1.5 diesel or 2-litre petrol or diesel versions. It's also available in two and four wheel drive variants with either manual or automatic gearboxes.
Peugeot will unveil what hot hatch fans will hope is the company's first driver's car since the 306 Rallye. Powered by a 1.6-litre turbocharged engine - which will also power the new Mini Cooper S - the GT will despatch 60mph in around eight seconds before hitting 130mph. Sadly these figures point towards a warm, rather than hot hatch but it should be a better steer than the disappointing 206 GTi it replaces. The three-door-only GT will feature stability control, 17 inch alloys and a neat automatically-tinted glass roof.
Falling in line with the new Eos coupe-convertible, Volkswagen has revised its Touran MPV. However, the new face isn't the most important feature. The Touran becomes the world's first dual-charged MPV; that means it's fitted with VW's excellent TSI engine that combines both a turbocharger and supercharger for improved performance and economy. The 1.4-litre engine - as fitted to the Golf GT - produces a heady 140bhp, twice as much as the basic 1.6. A Park Assist feature takes care of parking duties at the press of a button. It judges the front and rear of the Touran and can guide it into tight spaces in around 15 seconds.
Auto Trader links Slide show: Paris Motor Show preview |
Audi Q7 V10 TDi
Dodge Avenger
Fiat Panda Sport
Ford Mondeo
Great Wall Hover
Mercedes CL 63 AMG
Nissan Qashqai
Peugeot 207 GT
Volkswagen TouranPage 1
