More Paris Motor Show

Right, looking back on two days of traipsing through the halls of the 2012 Paris Motor Show, what’s the line running through it, write Trish Whelan & Brian Byrne. If there is one?

Well, one is that there’s still style to be found in cars, both on the actual production models and among the concepts.



We have already mentioned the very sexy new Nicole ... sorry, Clio, from Renault. But at a different level, there’s also the Opel Adam, a city car set below Corsa that is a decidedly trendy little runabout. Don’ expect it to be cheaper than its familiar supermini sibling, but do plan to be able to customise with an awful lot of colour and glitz.



Kia’s latest Pro_cee’d, the 3-door variant of its very successful compact hatch, shows really fine lines that lift it even further from its sibling, itself a smart looker. The Korean maker was also showing off its new Carens, amrevision of the compact MPV which will also repalce the larger Carnival.



The coupe treatment given to the Mini Countryman to make it the Paceman fills out further the BMW's brand, much more than any of us ever thought was possible. It looks very good indeed, though we couldn’t help saying ’Evoque’ when we saw the line of the roof first.



Honda has restyled its CR-V, and though we were a bit dubious about it when we saw the first pictures, it actually looks very well in the metal. A bit more presence than before.



And then there was one of the most eagerly awaited cars of the show, the production Jaguar F 2-seater. It lived up to expectations, without a doubt. And will be much sought.



And what about the Porsche concept Sport Tourer? Have to say that we’ve never particularly lusted after Porsches (well, one of us anyhow), but here’s one we’d like a lot if it went into production. Thing is, it likely will.



At the other end of the price scale, the 4x4 version of the latest Fiat Panda was rolled out by no less a lady than Miss Italy. Talk about flash ... and we mean the photographers! Sweet leggy looking car too.

Enough for now. We’ll be putting all the pictures and all the facts in the upcoming issue of Irish Car+Travel magazine. Keep an eye out for it.

New Suzuki crossover next year

Suzuki plans to introduce a production version of its S-Cross Concept by the end of next year, writes Trish Whelan.

The car is shown in concept form at the Paris Motor Show, the press days of which are today and tomorrow.

Suggesting that the vehicle will be the 'perfect car' for an urban lifestyle, Suzuki's Kenichi Ayukawa said the new car will help the company to meet an even wider range of customers across the A, Band C segments.

On a downbeat note, he reported that Suzuki's sales Europeam volume was down in 2011 by 4 percent, reflecting the sluggish demand and intense competition in the European marketplace.

But he said the company will be bringing new models every year from next year to help bring back European sales levels to over 300,000 units 'in a short time'.

Suzuki's global sales volumes of 2.5m units last year is expected to gtow to 2.8m units this year.

As part of the improvement strategy the Splash, Jimny and Grand Vitara have all been refreshed this year.

Irish motor people at Paris

The Irish motor industry usually turns out in force at the major European motor shows, and Paris 2012 is no exception.



We don't say we met up with them all, but among those there on the first day included Nollaig Breen, Dave Shannon and Ian Corbett of Toyota Ireland.



Pearse O'Loughlin of Cullen Communications was once again ably representing Ford Ireland on the extensive and very interesting Ford stand.



Gabriel Hogan, Declan McCourt and Gerald O'Farrell of OHM Group, distributors of Jaguar Land Rover, were also sussing out things on their own brands' stands and the competition.



Aidan Doyle and James Brooks of Kia Ireland had plenty to show with the new Carens and pro_cee'd as well as a refreshed Sorento.



Bill Cullen and Ron Cella of Bill Cullen Motor Group never miss a significant motor show.



Adrian Cole and Frank Kennedy of Honda Ireland were both welcoming their new CR-V and celebrating 40 years of Honda Civic.

Conor Twomey of Fiat Ireland had a new 4x4 Panda to show off, as well as a Panda Trekker and some interesting Abarths. And the Jeep stand down the way had the usual gutsy vehicles from that brand with some variations that will come to Ireland next year. (And then there was Miss Italy...)

Gerard Rice and Gavin Flood of Mitsubishi Ireland were busy checking out their new Mirage replacement for the Colt, and the plug-in hybrid version of the Outlander, both of which will be in Ireland next year.



We'll no doubt bump into a few more from Ireland tomorrow.

Paris Motor Show 2012

OK, it's Motor Show time again, and this one is Paris, which comes around every second year, write Trish Whelan & Brian Byrne.

We'll post stuff as we go, and at the beginning we'll let the pictures do the talking, adding detail later. So keep coming back today, there'll regularly be more.



Putting a stronger face on the top of the line Lexus, this is the new L600h F-Sport. A lot of car, a lot of luxury and, of course, the evolution of where the brand started.

V40 Cross Country, R-Design

Volvo has released details of a Cross Country version of its V40, writes Brian Byrne.

The variant rides 40mm higher than the standard hatchback and has a number of individual style cues that reflect the Cross Country ethos first introduced in 1997 with the V70 Cross Country estate.

An R-Design version of the car has also been announced. Both will feature at the Paris Motor Show later this week.

Three engines for F-Type

Jaguar's new 2-seater to be unvelied at Paris later this week will have a choice of three powertrains, writes Brian Byrne.

Two versions of the company's new 3.0 V6 will be offered, with 340hp and 380hp outputs, as well as a 5.0 V8. All engines are petrol.

The car goes on sale next spring at a general European price benchmark of €70,000.

B-Class Electric Drive to roll in Paris

An electric version of the Mercedes-Benz B-Class will lead a battery of EV models at this week's Paris Motor Show, writes Brian Byrne.

The concept ED (electric drive) has been developed in association with California based Tesla Motors, which put the world's first electric sports car on the world's roads.

The company claims 200kms range for the 134hp B-Class ED, which goes into production in early 2014.

Seat Leon for Paris

Spanish carmaker Seat will launch its new Leon at next week's Paris Motor Show, writes Brian Byrne.

The 5-door version of the brand's compact hatchback is the first format of a range that will include a 3-door and an estate.

The car is roomier than its predecessor and has a substantially increased luggage capacity.

RHD versions are going on sale in March, with engines that range upwards from 99g/km in CO2 emissions.

New Carens pic revealed

Kia will show its new Carens compact MPV for the first time at next week's Paris Motor Show, writes Brian Byrne.

The car is built on an all-new platform and visually has all the latest styling cues developed in recent new models by the brand.

Joining the third-generation Carens will be the latest 3-door version of the cee'd, the pro_cee'd, as well as a new 2.0 hybrid version of the Optima sedan.

An upgraded Sorento SUV will also appear.

BMW shows hybrid concept

BMW will show a concept at Paris next week which foreshadows a direct competitor to the Mercedes-Benz B-Class, writes Brian Byrne.

The Concept Active Tourer is a high-roof hatchback which also indicates a range of FWD and AWD hybrid vehicles.

The concept is powered by a new 3-cylinder 1.5 BMW petrol engine, and an electric motor which drives the rear wheels, giving AWD capability.

The company says CO2 emissions will be of the order of 60k/km, with a 30km range running on electric power alone.

Honda at Paris

Honda will have two key items at the upcoming Paris Motor Show, writes Brian Byrne, the new CR-V shown for the first time in Europe, and a brand new 1,6 diesel.

Apart from new styling, the CR-V will be offered for the first time in 2WD format, providing a family car for normal use where AWD capability isn't needed and cutting down on emissions in the process.

The new diesel engine will be showcased in a Civic, and will be available in the model in Ireland in January of next year. It has a power output of 120hp and CO2 emissions of 94g/km.

Previously, Honda only had its 2.2 diesel available.

Also, marking the 40th anniversary of the Civic nameplate, the Honda stand will feature an original version alongside the latest of the model.

New Clio gets very sexy

Renault's new generation Clio will come in hatch, hot hatch and estate formats in the months following its debut at the Paris Motor Show, writes Brian Byrne.

Its very sexy shape leaves behind a line of relatively dowdy vehicles, which nonetheless charmed their way into a fair share of driveways across Europe.

The car's powertrains options will include a new diesel with CO2 emissions of just 83g/km.

The car will be very customisable inside and out, and a future option will be an integrated touchscreen tablet connected to the internet.

Nissan to show new FC car concept

Shades of Juke on steroids feature in the styling of this Nissan concept car slated for show in Paris at the end of the month, writes Brian Byrne.

The TeRRA has more than interesting looks, though, as its powertrain is fuel-cell electric and its instruments are on a take-away iPad-like tablet. And that classy looking dashboard isn't hardwood trim, but recyclable plywood.

The front wheels are driven by an electric motor pack from the Leaf EV, and the rears by individual electric motors. Electricity is provided by a hydrogen fuel cell mounted in the rear.

The car won't go into production as it stands, but Nissan has already proven the FC system in pilot vehicles as being able to travel a standard 400 miles on a tank of hydrogen.

Wagon Auris coming

Toyota is to launch a wagon variant of its Auris hatchback, and the car will be the only hybrid-engined compact wagon in the class, writes Brian Byrne. The car will be shown at Paris the week after next.

Wagons now make up a quarter of compact family car sales across Europe, with rivals like Hyundai and Kia picking up strong market share in the variant segment.

Toyota has already said a third of its Auris sales will be hybrid in the coming years, and providing a wagon will bring them back into a sales area where they will have a perceived advantage.

The key compact wagon players in Ireland are the variants of the Hyundai i30 and the Kia cee'd, the new generation of the latter which goes on sale here early next month.

Small Peugeot crossover for Paris

Peugeot is to showcase a concept at the Paris Motor Show of a crossover based on the new 208 supermini, writes Brian Byrne.

The 2008 Concept will be 4.14m long and power will be from a new turbocharged 3-cylinder 1.2 petrol engine with 110hp output and the equivalent of 60+mpg.

The car will go into production in 2013 and prices and specification for Ireland will be announced closer to launch here.

Concept 'power' RCZ for Paris

Peugeot will show a concept R version of its RCZ sports coupe at the upcoming Paris Show which previews the introduction of the most powerful production car in the brand's history, writes Brian Byrne.

The car will go on sale towards the end of next year and will be powered by a 1.6 turbocharged petrol engine with 260hp output. Emissions will be of the order of 155g/km.

A special suspension and a limited slip differential will provide the underpinnings for a very dynamic driving experience, according to the company.

Meanwhile the current RCZ, introduced two years ago after almost a decade in development, gets a refresh of exterior and interior at the show the week after next, including a much more expressive front end treatment.

New platform for new Sorento

Kia will be presenting their new Sorento at the upcoming Paris Motor Show, revealing a completely new car on a brand-new platform, writes Trish Whelan.

The third-generation Kia SUV will be aiming to build on a global owner base of some 620,000 customers for the previous version, launched in 2009.

A stronger structure, more premium perceived quality, and better aerodynamics are a few of the features of the new vehicle.

Engines will include an upgraded version of the 2.2 diesel used in a number of Kia models around the world, with 197hp and CO2 emissions of 153g/km.

There will be 2WD and 4WD versions, depending on market.

Trax for Paris debut

This is Chevrolet's new compact SUV, the Trax, which will debut at the upcoming Paris Motor Show, writes Brian Byrne.

The 5-seat vehicle offers a chunky style and car-like handling, and is just over 4.2 metres in length.

On-demand 4WD will be available, as will automatic transmission.

The Trax will be powered in Europe by a choice of 1.4 or 1.6 petrol units, the smaller one turbocharged, or a 1.7 diesel. The auto and AWD will be available with the 1.4 and 1.7 engines.

Adam will be app-friendly

Apps on an owner's smartphone will be accessible on the touchscreen of Opel's new small car, the Adam, which debuts at next month's Paris Motor Show, writes Brian Byrne.

The car will offer the 'My Media' infotainment system, to which both Apple and Android smartphones can be connected to provide a fully interactive internet capability.

The 3.7 metre car will also give the owner a high level of customability with a wide range of accessories available across its three grades, labelled 'Jam', 'Glam' and 'Slam'.

The Adam features a retro look, and is named after the founder of the company, Adam Opel. It will arrive in Ireland early in 2013.

Suzuki crossover concept for Paris

Suzuki is to debut a compact crossover concept at the Paris Motor Show next week.

The S-Cross will have a very strong dynamic theme in its styling, but we have no further details yet apart from the teaser photo and sketch released by the company.

It is likely to replace the SX4 crossover.