Geneva Motor Show 2019 - Pt.2
Part 2 of our Geneva Motor Show 2019 Blog is here! Let's look at some more cars!
Kia showcased their Imagine by Kia concept which is a new 4 door model set to follow the e-Niro and Soul EV and will be available from 2021. The Imagine is part of Kia’s drive on electric vehicles and draws elements of SUV and a Saloon crossover.
The Kia Niro showed its new sport design and updated technology for 2019. Updates include front and rear bumpers, improved LED daytime running lights and Kia’s ‘ice-cube’ projection headlights as well as new colours and alloy designs. The dashboard has also received a visual update with red and plum trim packs available on top of the bigger touchscreen infotainment system which is now 10.25 inches.
The Porsche 911 Cabriolet has made its public debut. This soft top car features a glass window to the rear to prevent ballooning when driving at faster speeds – we are still waiting for a confirmed UK release date but pricing is said to start from £102,000.
Volkswagen are launching a limited run of their new sporty Passat Estate R Line Edition with only 2000 units being produced. The interior features a 12.3-inch digital display, parking camera and wireless connection to iPhones and Apple CarPlay. This car is available for pre-order from May but pricing is yet to be confirmed.
Volkswagen continues its run of SUVs with the new T-Roc which is due to go on sale in the UK at the end of 2019. The T-Roc is reported to go from 0-62mph in 4.9 seconds with a top speed of 155mph.
The Volkswagen Touareg line has been expanded with the addition of a 3.0 litre V6 petrol model. Confirmed to be available in the UK, prices for this model will start from £52,500 with delivery as soon as April this year. The new Touareg can do 0-62mph in 5.9 seconds and has a top speed of 155mph.
The new Touareg V8 was also unveiled ahead of its European release in May this year but sadly there is no plan for this to be sold in the UK at the moment.
BMW have launched the new hybrid variant of the X3 which will be available later this year with the fully electric version, the iX3, which is due for launch in 2020. The X3 is due to go into production at the end of 2019 and will be an ‘all-wheel-drive’ going 0-62mph 6.5 seconds.
BMW also showed off their new BMW 7 Series facelift which features new grille, engine specs, hybrid options and technology. New materials and trims for the interior are also available with the facelift model.
The BMW X7, the biggest SUV to come out of Munich so far, was also on show. LED headlights are available as standard but can be upgraded to the new Laserlight units. 20 inch alloys also come as standard with upgrades available to 21 or 22 inch. Three engines are also available in Europe for this SUV.
Ginetta
Ginetta, the Leeds based sport car manufacturer, showcased its new supercar and not just as a concept. What they showed us was the final, finished, ready to drive car! That car was the Akula. Priced at £340,000 with bespoke carbonfibre detailing embodying the “because we can” attitude that the company has. Production will begin later this year with first deliveries scheduled to happen in January of 2020.
Honda confirmed that the Civic Type R will go hybrid as part of their plans to go electric for Europe sales by 2025. The Civic Type R is due to go on sale in 2021 and can go 0-62 in 5.8 seconds.
Honda also featured their Honda Tomo which was a joint venture with students to create an ‘fun’ electric concept car for younger buyers. Sadly, this concept will not see production but lines up with Honda’s plans for long term electric implementation across their models.
The e Prototype, which is reported to be “98%” close to production was also on show. An earlier stage concept was showed off at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show but now we’re seeing something much closer to the final product. Honda confirmed that this model will be able to do 120 miles on a single charge although the full details for the car’s battery are yet to be released.
Mitsubishi revealed their ASX facelift which is due to go on sale in 2020. Updates include alterations to the LED lighting and new colours being added to the line. It was also confirmed that this model is planned to be petrol only dropping the diesel engine.
The new Mitsubishi Engelberg Tourer concept, which has been named after a Swiss ski resort, was also on show. The Engelberg aims to show the brand’s goal and direction of SUV family cars with plug-in hybrid technology with features such as LED headlights and huge alloy wheels. The Engelberg does have a larger battery than current models from Mitsubishi with a 20kWh capacity.
Mazda debuted their new CX-30 SUV compact crossover which is due to go on sale later this year. Mazda are describing the CX-30 SUV as their “core model” for their line up and that it will be “made at key global plants”. This will be a hybrid model with optional LED headlights and indicators. It will also be compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Fiat confirmed that the new Panda could launch as early as 2021 at their stage at Geneva. The new Panda has been dubbed Fiat Centoventi and is a customisable EV that looks to be something the owner can upgrade further after purchase include battery upgrades to increase the range of the car – although the car itself is currently only planned to be available to buy in one colour.
Phew, 2 down and 1 to go. So many cars, so little time!