After less than half a year, I again got the opportunity to visit one of the foreign car showrooms. And it was not just any exhibition, but the most visited car show of the last two years – Mondial de l'automobile in Paris .
There was a huge number of visitors at the exhibition center (as at every big exhibition). They came to see more than 100 world and European premieres. They could certainly be disappointed by the absence of Aston Martin, Lotus or Bugatti . On the other hand, no other major car company was missing. Then several cars towered over all the premieres.
The most important model for the domestic market in recent years – fourth generation Renault Clio . The first Renault model that carries elements of the brand's new design wave. The large "peep" looks very good in the real car. On the other hand, I liked the interior of the car less and the space in the back seats could have been bigger. However, this problem is solved by the station wagon version. It offers, in my opinion, more balanced shapes and, according to initial information, also a better use of the interior space. And to make the Clio not enough, Renault also presented a sharp version of the RenaultSport. However, it will offer a turbocharged engine, only a dual-clutch transmission, an artificially created sound and five doors. This is no longer the real Clio RS …
However, the most important news for the European market is on another stand – the German Volkswagen presented the new Golf , even as a GTI . I thought for a long time how to characterize the model, but in the end I will stick to just one slogan: "Simply Golf". This car is new and yet the same as the sixth generation. It's unbelievable how similar the two cars are, and it just proves that the design is still timeless, even though the outgoing six is already in its fourth season on the automotive scene. Inside, you will again be flooded with quality materials, the center panel is pleasantly turned towards the driver, and you won't suffer from a lack of space in the back, even though the competing Leon from Seat seemed bigger to me. The GTI version was only shown as a concept, but it is clear that this is how it will go into production. Again, there is a body with three doors, checkered seat covers, a DSG automatic transmission and a sporty position behind the wheel.
The second generation Toyota Auris will become a major competitor of the Golf. Toyota tried to improve it in all aspects, so don't expect silver plastics in the interior, a "bridge" on the central tunnel or a boring design. Auris went in a different direction! The interior is completely new and looks much better. Even the materials and layout of the interior are like from another world. Sitting in the back is quite comfortable, although it was not easy to sit "behind yourself". As I mentioned, the design was also changing. The Auris is now much more aggressive and fits better between the Yaris and GT-86 models. In addition to the hatchback, a station wagon was also introduced, but it has an unnaturally long rear overhang. It doesn't look pretty. Unfortunately, the spaciousness remains a secret for now. Maybe in Geneva…
Another very important novelty is the Opel Adam . The stylish car wants to change the perception of the Opel brand. He wants to show that even young people can drive an Opel. And I think it worked out perfectly. Adam offers sophisticated details, but mixes it with a relatively favorable price, which in the basic version does not exceed CZK 300,000 (the Mini and the Fiat 500 are worse off). Just a sampling of those solutions – the Flex Ride system for attaching bicycles, opening the trunk by pressing the car company's logo, or replaceable plastic parts of the wheels, which turn gray cast six-pointers into, for example, black six-pointers. It's the same in the interior, although you can't change the panels here. Nevertheless, painting the dashboard in the color of the body paint is very tasteful and stylish. However, my impression was marred by hard and unsightly gray plastic surfaces in places. Unfortunately, that was to be expected.
However, Seat presented its possibly most important stand in Paris. The brand, which is fighting for bare survival, presented two very important models for its existence – Leon and Toledo . The first-named comes as a big competitor to Focus, Astra or even the sister VW Golf, and the success of this hatchback also depends on the success of the brand itself. If the car sold only half as well as it looks, Seat has won. In terms of appearance, the new Leon has really done well. Aggressive front and rear parts and what's more – as the only car in the segment, Leon already has LED diodes in the front and rear lights as standard. The interior is of good quality, although it lags behind the Golf, compared to which I felt more space in the rear seats, despite the fact that both use the MQB platform . The second novelty is the Toledo liftback , which thus brings back a well-known name, especially from the nineties, into the game. The model is almost identical to the Skoda Rapid and yet I dare to say that it is better. Not perhaps in the materials used, nor in the space, but simply because it looks significantly more dynamic and downright beautiful in blue. Yes, it's subjective, but Skoda seems like a bigger dozen to me compared to Toledo. In any case, Toledo will have to second Leon in sales if Seat is to survive. However, after visiting his stand, I am not worried about this.
From Toledo, I'm rushing to the even lower floors – to Dacia ! It presented two flagship models – Logan and Sandero . Both are the current center of gravity of the car company's global sales. And so while in the first generation the two models were different, now they differ only in the shaping of the rear and the fact that the Sandero also offers a Stepway version. The design is a few light years ahead of the original Logan/Sander, but I don't recommend buying just tins. The car looks unworthy. At least basic alloy wheels would suit him better. Where Dacia could add, on the other hand, is the interior. The pair has the Media NAV system for the first time, but even so, the plastics around it are hard, gray and of poor surface quality. But then again, they could look like that even after a few hundred kilometers. And that is quite an advantage….
For another novelty, we have to go to Ford . The new Mondeo is perhaps more than important. Ford is doing well, but the Mondeo is currently one of the oldest models in the range, so it needs a change. Which one, Ford showed us in Paris. The new front mask, which looks so unattractive on the Fiesta , suits the Mondeo very well and, especially in the station wagon version, goes well with the rest of the bodywork. Personally, I probably had the biggest problem with the white sedan . That's where I like the design the least. Liftback is such a better class average. But the Insignia is nicer. I was only able to peek into the interior as all the cars were locked, but even so, there is a noticeable departure from the "fiesta" style of the center panel. No wilderness, but relatively smooth shapes decorate the new Mondeo. In conclusion, I would add that personally, I would consider the station wagon the most beautiful in the D segment.
I can't end the overview of the most important things other than with Skoda Rapid . This liftback has been one of the most discussed cars in the country since the holidays. It's nice, it's not nice, it's good quality, it's not good quality… These are questions related to the model. In truth? My impression is somewhere in the middle of the road. I find the design a bit boring, but it will find its fans and it could have been better or worse in terms of quality. The interior is decorated with gray plastic, which I don't really like to the touch, but the matching of all parts is again at a high level. But what irritates me about the car is the inability to adjust the headrest. The Rapid uses the same seats as the Citigo , so you simply won't get separate armrests. And those integrated into the seats are not god how great and comfortable. The same can be said about the rear of the car. The length is fine, but the height is worse. In an upright position (I'm about 180 cm), I hit my head on the ceiling of the car (this also applies to the Toledo). Everything is at least partly compensated by an easily accessible and large trunk. Anyway, I would at least consider buying a Rapid. It can easily happen that you will not get your dream car for your money.
Now let's look at other interesting premieres of the Paris Motor Show. If I were to mention them all, I would probably be signing myself to death. Nevertheless, I decided to select other interesting models that you should definitely "google".
After a long time, the Jaguar F-Typ e is a really compact sports car from the British car manufacturer, and although it weighs over 1600 kg, it looks very agile and simple. But I don't dare to guess how it will be in practice. However, Jaguar did a great job with the design, and so did the interior. Although I could not sit in the car.
A new Range Rover stood a short distance away. Luxury on four wheels, as a label, is not enough for him. Four separate seats with self-adjustment, digital alarm clocks, real wood and leather. This car just grabs you and won't let go. Only the design could have been a little better….
Surprisingly, Korean automakers did less. The biggest news of the trio of Kia, Hyundai and SsangYong was the new generation of Kia Carens . It has a significant dose of the new Cee'd in it, but it also added its own details. Compared to the previous generation, the car is smaller and you can tell it mainly inside. There is less space in the back seats than one would need. In any case, smaller children won't mind, and you can even fit a medium-sized Labrador in the trunk. Carens thus has a chance to become an ideal family companion. However, the price can prevent him from doing so.
Both Kia and Hyundai tried to play on a sporty note, so we could watch the three-door hatchbacks Cee'd and i30 . The Pro_Cee'd looks better than its Hyundai sibling and is also more differentiated from the base model. I was very surprised by the loading area of the model. The sportier i30 is very similar to the classic hatchback, but at the same time it also differs slightly in design. According to the latest reports, we could also expect sharp versions of both models!
Cadillac ATS wants to score points against BMW's top three. But it will be very difficult for him. So far, only a petrol engine, an American design or a typical "plastic" interior. That doesn't sound convincing. In any case, positives can also be found in the American design of the model. That is, if you don't prefer two kidneys. But at least the "Amics" still have a lot to learn about the interior and, for example, audio control.
Looking at the first photos, I praised the facelifted Gallardo . However, after spending some time looking at it, I changed my mind. I don't know what it is, but the model looks like it was involved in an accident. The bumpers match it. But perhaps the color used helped a lot, which did not suit the given model at all. Either way, the Gallardo should get a successor by now…
I wrote superlatives about the Honda CR-V a long time ago. And after personal contact, my praise was confirmed. The model looks better than in the photos (where it looked very good) and to top it all off it has a nice interior and lots of space in the back seats and in the trunk. My only regret is that the price will not be one of the lowest.
And we will stay in Japan, specifically with Mazda . She showed the 6 Series sedan and station wagon . The paradox remains that the station wagon is shorter than the sedan. Nevertheless, I was quite comfortable in the back seats and didn't miss a trunk either. The dynamic appearance of the car suits and the red color as well. Other colors remain unknown to me, where the magic of Mazda's dynamic appearance can fade very quickly.
The domestic Peugeot has prepared a 301 sedan from the larger serial novelties, which was not on the stand at the time of my visit, as well as a fast 208. The GTI model is supposed to build on the success of its legendary ancestor, the 205 GTI . But it will be very difficult for him to succeed, because today's technology and limits limit the fun of cars to a minimum. Nevertheless, it will be interesting to watch the micro-fight between the Clio RS and the 208 GTI . Quite possibly, sharp hatchbacks will once again be reigned by the lion.
The C-Elysée sedan was also missing from the Citroen stand, so the DS3 cabriolet became the biggest production novelty. It is not significantly different from the basic hatchback, but it still attracted a lot of attention. The combination of the purple roof and lighter colors from the range of colors on offer looks luxurious. But black with a purple or light roof is also not to be thrown away…
However, I am not afraid to call the Juke Nismo the strangest car of the exhibition. Red accessories or sports bumpers are a bit of an eyesore on this car. The interior with seats that you sink into and feel like you're sitting in something much bigger is also special to me. I wish Nissan would focus more on the new Almera…
Fiat Panda 4×4 is an equally interesting novelty. The raised chassis and plastics of the car suit – but less so the green interior in white body color. The aesthetics probably went by the wayside, because the green plastic stretching along the entire length of the interior is very strange and in the passenger seat is also hellishly sharp. You can easily cut your hand and that is very unpleasant…
Such cheaper details can be expected in the Mitsubishi Mirage . However, the model that replaces the Colt offers a surprising level of comfort. And even if the rear bench is as flat as a table top and the upholstery looks like a Favorita, the Mirage can be a pleasant companion for shorter trips. And that's thanks to several energy-saving technologies.
To end our walk, I will stop at Mini . The three-door Countryman named Paceman garnered unprecedented interest from visitors, but the question remains: Why? The front part up to the A-pillar agrees with the Countryman, and the rear part of the Mini probably didn't shape it quite the way it imagined. If so, I don't know where the designer was looking. The silver bezels around the lights are really awful. Traditionally good is the interior, which is stylish and adds Mini flair.
Concepts and development studies are the spice of every car show. However, this year's Paris offered far fewer of these cars than we were used to.
The McLaren P1 ranks among the most successful. The long-awaited successor to the legendary F1 looks great, and even if it won't be as good, at least it will be something to look at. The rear part with the large exhaust in the middle was a big success. But the "squatting" orange color also did its job. We will see the serial version already in Geneva next year.
However, he was not alone in the category of sports concepts. The home team, led by the Peugeot Onyx , also finished second. Peugeot unveiled the black-bronze piece about three weeks before the motor show, yet there was a long queue to see it. After years, Peugeot managed to make a really handsome concept (even if it has a diesel engine under the hood). An interesting detail is the opening of the doors, the interior made of recycled paper and also the copper body panels, which change their color over time.
Let's stay with Peugeot for a moment. A little further from the Onyx, the study of a small urban crossover that could not be overlooked was "warming up" – the 2008 Concept. On the one hand, it is already certain that the model will replace the station wagon derived from the 208, and in addition, the color… The very distinctive shade of yellow simply attracted attention in the flood of white cars.
In pavilion 8, at the car and advertising exhibition, there was a slightly hidden Alpine A110-50 , a concept in honor of fifty years of the legendary Alpine A110 model. And although the A110-50 has a Renault logo on the hood, the blue color has been preserved. Underneath it hides racing equipment from Mégane Trophy and watch out! Small series production of the model is being considered!
Infiniti has prepared a pair of studies. Visitors could already see the Emerg-E in Geneva, but Nissan's Leaf-based LE sedan was on display in Europe for the very first time. It must be added that the default Leaf received a tailspin from Infiniti in terms of appearance. Too bad the Leaf will never look like that. As for the Emerg-E sports model, I just stared at it in disbelief. That's such a great concept. A real flagship of the Japanese car company.
However, the Citroen Numéro 9 became the biggest star among the concepts for me. The majestic sedan, which could bring back the old luster to the big Citroens, stood out almost exactly in the center of the car manufacturer's stand. And even though it was not a world but only a European premiere, the crowd's attention was huge and deserved. Although it is not a classic sedan, but rather a kind of shooting brake, the car still has dynamics that current Citroens lack.
And the word shooting brake brings me to Porsche and its Panamera Sport Turismo concept. In 2016, together with the second generation Panamera, we will also see a station wagon version. And its form is precisely indicated by this concept. Despite the station wagon being nicer than the sedan, it's still not a Porsche that captures the heart like the 911 . In addition, the station wagon simply does not fit into the brand's offer. Unfortunately, I can't do anything about it, so I can only state that the design of the station wagon is good, even if the profile could have been even better…
The most controversial concept of the exhibition was certainly the BMW Active Tourer . This preview of the 1 GT series has front-wheel drive, a three-cylinder engine and a design slightly inspired by cars with a star in the emblem. This is not BMW as we know it. But if we look at the car not through fingers, but realistically, something similar to BMW is quite suitable for the shop. Small MPVs are going on sale and there is still a place among the luxury ones. In addition to the Active Tourer, the i8 Spyder electric cabriolet and the mini i3 were also on the stand.
It would be a shame not to mention the Smart ForStars concept. It is exceptional not only with its appearance, but also with the projector in the front hood. No other concept offers this. The bright red color then attracts the attention of the surroundings like a magnet. And what can we say that Smart has grown nicely in all directions since the beginning of his career!
I will end my report with concepts of four SUVs. The first of them is called Nissan TeRRA . This not-so-good-looking model offers an interesting drive – specifically, it's hydrogen cells that power the electric motor. This solution is interesting and I have not seen it in any other car so far. And lest you think that this is just a scream in the dark, the next generation of the X-Trail could look similar.
Audi showed a preview of its smallest SUV Q2 in the form of the Crossline concept. Although the car has a targa-type body, this solution will not make it into the series. Anyway, the model wears a new mask that all Audi cars with Q in the name will gradually get. However, I personally do not like the design with sharply cut headlights or mask…
The new generation of Suzuki SX4 is heralded by the S-Cross concept. It is designed in the style of a coupe SUV and looks very modern. The successor of the SX4 will thus be far more dynamic than the current model. But if it resembles this concept, the SX4 will also lose some of its individuality…
The latest concept is the SsangYong e-XIV . He acted like a UFO among the models of this smaller Korean car company. However, a more attentive visitor recognized that this is not a completely new study, but a continuously modified study of a small SUV, which will probably appear in series form next year.
That was this year's automotive Paris in a nutshell. More than ever, the sounds of the automotive crisis in Europe could be heard here, but many interesting novelties were shown here, which will especially interest those interested in a normal car up to the size of the middle class. Concepts have decreased, available cars have increased. Whether this is correct or not, I will leave it purely up to each of you.
