Interesting comment tweeted by a UK car magazine editor from Geneva this week: the year of cars mere mortals can buy. And it was quite a new model fest.
In amongst the stuff for the 1% – Bentley crossover concept, two-tone Rolls-Royce Ghost and the usual cast of supercars, even a stretched Porsche Panamera – were cars the rest of us might, after due supplication in the bank manager’s office, just be able to afford. VW Up five-door (and a whole range of possible future variations), Ford B-Max with fuel-sipping one-litre EcoBoost petrol engine, new Hyundai i20, i30 and its Kia Ceed clone, Honda CR-V, a superb low-CO2 1.6 diesel also from Honda, Audi A3, some Dacias for us here in the UK, Fiat 500L, Volvo V40 revived as hatchback, Opel Mokka, Chevrolet Cruze wagon, and on it went. Something for the 99%. Our coverage is all grouped in one handy package here. The public are let loose in PalExpo tomorrow, I believe, and I bet it’s packed.
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From our men on the ground, we learned of some of Volvo’s future plans (the V40 is just a start, RIP C30) and talked to the head of Toyota in Europe about sales targets and profits as well as Ford UK’s chief about the aforementioned B-Max and new EcoBoost motor.
Naturally, the recently announced GM-PSA alliance was a key subject of discussions at the show and GM officials, keen to focus on launching new Opel/Vauxhall and Chevrolet models, could only try and duck what we really wanted to talk about. We’ve grouped all our coverage on that one here.
BMW 2011 results came out this week – I imagine these have delighted BMW executives and stunned those at struggling rival European automakers after flat early 2012 sales results hereabouts. Though not necessarily at VW…
Have a nice weekend.
Graeme Roberts, Deputy Editor, just-auto.com
