For the twenty-third time, the traditional Bratislava Motor Show was held in Bratislava 's Incheba . The organizers have already announced up to 88 Slovak premieres from 41 exhibitors.
Already last year, after several years of decline, the auto show rose admirably. Although some important manufacturers were missing again this year (Alfa Romeo, BMW, Mini, Mitsubishi and Subaru), overall this year can be considered bigger and better.
The exhibition could be conceptually divided into two parts – the upper and lower floors of the Bratislava exhibition center. Downstairs, the Exclusive Salon exhibition (Porsche, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Bentley, McLaren, Aston Martin and Rolls-Royce cars) was held, some important Slovak automotive media had their stand here, and in Hall D cars from the brands Lancia, Jeep, Chevrolet, Citroёn were displayed , Nissan, Fiat, Cadillac, Radical and he had a Lotus and a Corvette each.
The Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT-8, Chevrolet Trax, Citroёn DS3 Cabriolet and Cadillac ATS could be considered the biggest drivers of the lower floor. Instead of the announced new Note, Nissan brought the Parisian TeRRA study . The most pleasant surprise for me was the Chevrolet Trax . The sympathetic design is underlined by a similarly sympathetic interior and solid space for rear passengers and luggage.
The greatest experience was still "sitting" in the Grand Cherokee SRT-8 . Sports seats and the feeling that even with a very heavy SUV you can show the lights to any BMW is simply priceless. At Citroën, the DS3 Cabrio took a prominent position together with the DS5 . And while I already criticized the DS5 when I first got into it last year in Frankfurt, I can't say a bad word about the DS3. Maybe except for the slightly uncomfortable seats. Citroën was also successful in the C3 and C3 Picasso facelifts . Definitely thumbs up!
The Nissan Juke Nismo will surely prepare you for the experience. Although it is also on sale in our country, it seems like a pleasant revelation at an exhibition of similar coinage. Just a pity about the already mentioned Note. Cadillac showed the all-new ATS sedan, on which I am personally most irritated by the controls on the center console, the upgraded SRX SUV or the mammoth hybrid Escalade. However, the centerpiece of the exhibition was still the "Vette" Grand Sport .
The upper floor was divided into halls B0, B1, B Střed and B2. Hall B0 was taken over by the Volkswagen concern , with the new generation Octavia definitely the most popular new product. I have to say that the model looks great, especially in white. But a lot will depend on the choice of wheels. The station wagon looks even better than the liftback. In addition, it also impresses with space for luggage and passengers in the back. But if you're looking for a station wagon for long hauls, head to the Superb . You won't find so much comfort in the back seats in any other car.
Volkswagen, Seat and Audi missed all the news from the Geneva Motor Show , so we can proceed to Hall B1. Kia, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, Lexus, Suzuki, Jaguar, Land Rover, Range Rover and Volvo showed their products here.
The Mercedes stand was probably the busiest. The modernized E-class including the coupé version, the small CLS with the CLA designation and mainly the A45 AMG Edition 1 . If I take it step by step, then probably the most successful new car is the modernized Ečka in coupe design. The facelift (although I didn't get it from the pictures) benefited him a lot. In second place, I rank the somewhat fair-looking A45 AMG Edition 1. The worst of the new three-pointed stars is probably the CLA for me. The design is very elegant, but there is very little space inside.
If I called the A45 AMG Edition 1 a fairground attraction, the Kia Pro_Cee'd GT is the complete opposite. Discreet modifications of the three-door hatchback pushed the styling a few kilometers further. The understated interior is also great. Only the engine could be more powerful… In contrast , Volvo showed the modernized pair of S60 and XC60 . I'm not sure about the facelift for a small SUV, but the S60 sedan clearly benefited from the upgrade. The question remains as to how much the blue body color is to blame.
At the premiere, Toyota showed the new generation of the RAV4 SUV and the Auris Touring Sports station wagon. I was very impressed with the RAV4. Not only the design, but also the position behind the wheel and especially the space in the back seats. When sitting so-called "behind myself", I had no problem at all, on the contrary. The Auris TS is a bit different. I already have to chew on the design for a long time and the space in the back seats? Not much… Although the suitcase looked quite big.
Hall B Center belonged to Honda , the last hall B2 then Opel, Hyundai, Renault, Dacia, Peugeot and Mazda. The two French representatives – Renault (together with Dacia) and Peugeot – showed the most novelties. Nevertheless, I would pick Opel and its Cascada convertible the most from this group of brands. Not only does he look great in photos… He looks great in real life too! Just the right size – not too little, not too much. A design-balanced mix between Astra and Insignia…
Hyundai showed off the i20 WRC concept, the extended Grand Santa Fe , and the sporty Genesis and Veloster Turbo models. To put it bluntly, the fluid design is starting to lose its charm for me. The i40 might look good, but the Genesis or i30 will definitely not charm you with the amount of curls, folds and lines. But I have to highlight the appearance of both versions of the Santa Fe model, in the case of the Grand version, the large interior space should also be mentioned.
The French lion attracted visitors mainly to the small crossover 2008 . The pair of 208 XY and 208 GTI , as well as the sedan 301, remained a bit in the background. The 2008 impresses with its appearance, but the overly complicated interior and less space on the back seats are a drawback. 301 (as well as fellow C-Elysée from Citroën) also score points in terms of appearance, unfortunately the interior is several levels lower. The design of the plastics, the workmanship, the headroom in the rear seats, and I'm not talking about the headrests.
I will now pit the 208 GTI against the Renault Clio RS 200 EDC , another Slovak premiere. If I ignore the engines and transmissions of both cars and compare these cars purely by feeling, Peugeot leads the way for me. The design is far less aggressive and more polished, relying on details. In contrast, the Clio immediately catches the eye with its distinctive yellow color and front end design. The interior of the Renault was (at least for the unit I tested) tuned to a red and black combination. And that suits the car. However, it is degraded by the details – the Renault Sport sticker and some strange-looking plastics. Although the GTI is also not a champion in terms of materials, its seats fit better and the elements of the center console are somehow closer to me. However, I would have to complain about the small steering wheel and the hard-to-read alarm clocks over the thick bezel.
And what else did Renault show? Above all, the small Captur crossover , which impressed many visitors with its successful design. However, it was worse in the interior. As the slogan on the Fluence sedan proclaims, you'll feel like you're in a real limousine. After a long time, I tried it again and had to nod my head gratefully at the offer of a place. One note is related to the Clio – don't buy all kinds of interior decor. The plastic on the steering wheel is very badly attached and there is a risk that you will cut your hand on it.
And what better way to conclude a walk around the Bratislava exhibition grounds than with a Mazda . She mainly presented the exceptionally good-looking Mazda 6 . Already during my first contact last year in Paris, I praised the space in the rear seats, especially in the station wagon version. But I also expressed my concern about the design in a color other than red. Needless! There was also a "six" in white color in Bratislava and it also looked very good.
That was, in short, this year's Bratislava motor show , which offered many fans such a light touch of the Geneva motor show . Those who came could see more or less all the important news of the first half of the year, which could help individual brands to lift the moribund sales in some markets in Europe.
