Leggy models , delectable food or exquisite French wine - Mondial de l’Automobile had the goods to make One thwart all the wordly lures.
Aston Martin
 The big thing at the Aston stands was the teaser model of the One-77 – the ultra exclusive £1.2 million supercar that will be limited to a run of , you guessed it right , 77 when it arrives in 2009. The carmaker revealed only the front right and rear left quarters of the car with the rest of the body under wraps. Another attraction was the new DBS. The Bond car now comes with Touchtronic – a six-speed ZF automatic gearbox that’s borrowed from the DB9 but substantially beefed up.
CEO Ulrich Bez confirmed that the V12 Vantage RS would be on sale by summer 2009. He also talked about Lagonda – the luxury brand that Aston is reviving. Lagonda’s resuscitation , however , sounds confusing as the brand values of the marque coincide with those of the Aston’s. An effort to bump up the sales , by styling similar specced cars differently?
BMW
7 Series
 The new 7 Series , as most of us know now is a tech-fest on four wheels. But unlike bentley and a few other car manufacturers who didn’t seem to have any consideration for the rising percentage of CO2 in the atmosphere , the 7 Series impresses with its frugality. BMW Chairman , Norbert Reithofer proudly announced “it uses only 7.2 litres per 100km , ” as he introduced the new 730d. Not many hybrids could manage the feat – impressive! Along with the 730d limo , the 7 Series Active Hybrid , a V8 petrol with electric hybrid also made its world premiere.
X1
The X1 is going to be BMW’s smallest SUV (crossover if you like). Needless to say , it’ll be (much) smaller than the X5 and slightly smaller than the X3. It will , however , be larger than the Mini Crossover Concept also revealed at the show. In overall dimensions , the X1 may somewhat match the X3 but it’s much lower.
Chevrolet
Volt
 Chevrolet had the production version of the Volt range extender electric vehicle on display. The car , as claimed by the company offers an impressive 64km range on electric charge alone. Add to it a few hundred kilometers more with the small engine charging the batteries. The emissions are ultra low too , at 40g/km CO2.
The Volt is slated to hit the American market circa 2010 and expected to reach Europe by 2011-2012 as an Open or Vauxhaull. Expect a price of about Rs 16 lakh in the two markets.
Orlando
The boxy yet stylish Orlando makes for an interesting show concept. The car has characteristics that suit the Indian market well. It’s got seven seats that are very flexible and versatile to make room for luggage or people.
Cruze
The Cruze is anticipated as the new Optra (but isn’t really) was also on the Chevrolet stands. When i talked with GM India’s Carl Slym , he denied the possibility of replacing the Optra with any new model. The strong sales of the car and its suitability for the Indian conditions negates the possibility. Therefore expect the Cruze to play in a segment a notch higher. The Skoda Laura sized four-door saloon is based on Chevy’s Astra platform with a pleasing exterior styling and an interior that boasts genuinely high quality materials as well as fit and finish. Prices in UK , when the car goes on sale in April 2009 , are expected to range from Rs 9-12 lakh.
Ferrari
California
 The hottest star at the Ferrari pavilion without a doubt was the California – Maranello’s first coupe convertible as well as the first Ferrari to feature a dual-clutch semi-auto ‘box. As the first drive report from our colleagues at CAR UK suggests , the California is no poodle. With an enticing V8 growl , the California is a solid performer though not as razor sharp and track focused as say , the F430. It’ll appeal to the wives of the petrolheads , but as Ferrari boss , Luca di Montezemolo pointed out , they’ll have to be careful while driving it. Luca also stressed on the fact that there was no chance that the California will dilute Ferrari’s brand values.
No more than 2800 of these 460bhp , V8 front engined cars will be produced for 2009 and they’ll be spread across the world to maintain the exclusivity of the brand and prevent it from becoming ubiquitous. Ferrari , Fiat or Ford , they’re all after money , and while the hardcore Ferrari fans may not be too pleased with the California , it makes business sense. I personally hate it , and the Cayenne , and the Estoque!
Ford
Fiesta Econetic
 For the green brigade , Ford had the Econetic version of the Fiesta. A tweaked 1.6 TDCi engine ensures lower CO2 emissions and more efficiency. Enthusiasts won’t be seen anywhere close to the car though.
Ka
The new Ka is the successor to Britain’s largest selling ultra-small car , shares its base with the Fiat 500/Panda and is built in the same factory situated in Poland. Young , vibrant and jazzy to look at , the old Ka was one of the most distinctive things around , but in the latest avatar , it’s lost a bit of its visual character. Expect the new car to retain its sharp handling traits to keep it as alive as it ever was. Under the bonnet you’ll find Fiat sourced 1.2 petrol and 1.3 diesel powerplants. While the engines are the same as the ones found on the 500 , Ford has fine tuned the suspension and other bits to make sure the car feels more lively and fun than its Italian counterpart.
Honda
Jazz
 The new Jazz made an apperance at the show. The big hatchback is one of the most versatile , practical , efficient and snazzy looking family hatches around plus at an international price of about Rs 7-8 Lakh , it makes tremendous sense. And guess what? It’s headed for India very soon. In addition to the two new cars , Honda also had its new six-speed auto ‘box on display that will give Honda buyers the option of having an auto transmission on the company’s diesel cars for the first time.
New Insight
The main attraction at the Honda stand was the new Insight which according to Honda , will bring the volumes into hybrid motoring. The new car will be substantially cheaper than any other petrol-electric hybrid on sale in the world today. We assume the international prices to be in the range of Rs 11-12 lakh. And yes , it’ll be considerably cheaper than the Civic Hybrid recently introduced in the Indian market. There’s an all-new platform under the new five-door car , but the Integrated Motor Assist hybrid technology is the same as the existing hybrid Civic.
Hyundai
i20
 The new i20 is no sticker job or a cosmetic makeover of the current Getz. It’s an all-new car in every way. With a longer wheelbase than the Getz , it is designed and engineered to meet the high expectations of the European market. The i20 , even though a completely new car draws its design cues from the Hyundai i30 which sells in the European markets. The Getz was big on interior space and expect the i20 to be even better. We liked the interior of the car , full of soft touch buttons and very European in its look and feel. The car will be offered with a range of seven petrol and diesel engines internationally. Petrol engines include a 1.2-litre 78bhp , a 1.4-litre 100bhp and a 1.6-litre 126bhp powerplants. Apart from the five-speed manual transmission , the 1.4 and 1.6 petrols will be available with a four-speed auto box as well. Diesel options on the platter are a 1.4-litre turbo with a power output of 75bhp and 95bhp , along with a turbo 1.6 oil burner producing 115bhp and 128bhp to keep the diesel lovers happy. The 1.4 turbo diesel with 75PS should make tremendous sense for the economy-conscious Indian buyer.
Mercedes
Project Fascination
 The Fascination concept previews the next generation E-class. The concept is one of the most striking design revelations from the German carmaker in a long time. The new design director , Gordon Wagener is the man behind the style lines of the Fascination concept. The CLK name will be replaced with an E-class coupe and the car will share its styling cues with the Fascination concept. Depending on public response , a shooting brake version may also be produced. Shooting brake , for the uninitiated , is a sporty wagon distinguished from a hatchback by its greater size and low-slung look.
Pullman Guard
4500kg of weight and countless layers of armor make sure that the Pullman Guard limo can protect the high and mighty from the fears of an assassination attempt without as much as a whimper.
S400 Blue Hybrid
The S400 Blue Hybrid is Mercedes’ offering for the green headed. The limo uses a lithium-ion battery a 20bhp engine and a petrol motor. Mated to a seven-speed gearbox , the car is capable of a genuine 250km/h with impressive fuel efficiency and emission figures. |
Leggy models , delectable food or exquisite French wine - Mondial de l’Automobile had the goods to make One thwart all the wordly lures.
Aston Martin
CEO Ulrich Bez confirmed that the V12 Vantage RS would be on sale by summer 2009. He also talked about Lagonda – the luxury brand that Aston is reviving. Lagonda’s resuscitation , however , sounds confusing as the brand values of the marque coincide with those of the Aston’s. An effort to bump up the sales , by styling similar specced cars differently?
BMW
7 Series
X1
The X1 is going to be BMW’s smallest SUV (crossover if you like). Needless to say , it’ll be (much) smaller than the X5 and slightly smaller than the X3. It will , however , be larger than the Mini Crossover Concept also revealed at the show. In overall dimensions , the X1 may somewhat match the X3 but it’s much lower.
Chevrolet
Volt
The Volt is slated to hit the American market circa 2010 and expected to reach Europe by 2011-2012 as an Open or Vauxhaull. Expect a price of about Rs 16 lakh in the two markets.
Orlando
The boxy yet stylish Orlando makes for an interesting show concept. The car has characteristics that suit the Indian market well. It’s got seven seats that are very flexible and versatile to make room for luggage or people.
Cruze
The Cruze is anticipated as the new Optra (but isn’t really) was also on the Chevrolet stands. When i talked with GM India’s Carl Slym , he denied the possibility of replacing the Optra with any new model. The strong sales of the car and its suitability for the Indian conditions negates the possibility. Therefore expect the Cruze to play in a segment a notch higher. The Skoda Laura sized four-door saloon is based on Chevy’s Astra platform with a pleasing exterior styling and an interior that boasts genuinely high quality materials as well as fit and finish. Prices in UK , when the car goes on sale in April 2009 , are expected to range from Rs 9-12 lakh.
Ferrari
California
No more than 2800 of these 460bhp , V8 front engined cars will be produced for 2009 and they’ll be spread across the world to maintain the exclusivity of the brand and prevent it from becoming ubiquitous. Ferrari , Fiat or Ford , they’re all after money , and while the hardcore Ferrari fans may not be too pleased with the California , it makes business sense. I personally hate it , and the Cayenne , and the Estoque!
Ford
Fiesta Econetic
Ka
The new Ka is the successor to Britain’s largest selling ultra-small car , shares its base with the Fiat 500/Panda and is built in the same factory situated in Poland. Young , vibrant and jazzy to look at , the old Ka was one of the most distinctive things around , but in the latest avatar , it’s lost a bit of its visual character. Expect the new car to retain its sharp handling traits to keep it as alive as it ever was. Under the bonnet you’ll find Fiat sourced 1.2 petrol and 1.3 diesel powerplants. While the engines are the same as the ones found on the 500 , Ford has fine tuned the suspension and other bits to make sure the car feels more lively and fun than its Italian counterpart.
Honda
Jazz
New Insight
The main attraction at the Honda stand was the new Insight which according to Honda , will bring the volumes into hybrid motoring. The new car will be substantially cheaper than any other petrol-electric hybrid on sale in the world today. We assume the international prices to be in the range of Rs 11-12 lakh. And yes , it’ll be considerably cheaper than the Civic Hybrid recently introduced in the Indian market. There’s an all-new platform under the new five-door car , but the Integrated Motor Assist hybrid technology is the same as the existing hybrid Civic.
Hyundai
i20
Mercedes
Project Fascination
Pullman Guard
4500kg of weight and countless layers of armor make sure that the Pullman Guard limo can protect the high and mighty from the fears of an assassination attempt without as much as a whimper.
S400 Blue Hybrid
The S400 Blue Hybrid is Mercedes’ offering for the green headed. The limo uses a lithium-ion battery a 20bhp engine and a petrol motor. Mated to a seven-speed gearbox , the car is capable of a genuine 250km/h with impressive fuel efficiency and emission figures.