Paris Motor Show: star cars
Breaking news from press day at the Paris motor show: Andrew English, Erin Baker and Peter Dron examine the star cars, with photographs by Andrew Crowley.
AUDI
The A1 Sportback concept goes into production in 2010 as the plain old A1, and what you see above in our picture gallery is roughly what you’ll get, minus the vertically split glass tailgate, the jazzy lights and possibly the carbon-fibre and plastic body panels. Audi aims to emphasise the sporty nature of this five-door, four-seat hatch, however, so the magnetic ride suspension might stay. Under the bonnet, the show car was powered by a hybrid engine emitting 92g/km of carbon dioxide, but at launch the A1 will come with a range of conventional diesel and petrol engines, including the 1.4 TFSI petrol unit.
At the other end of the fuel-supping spectrum, Audi showcased the new S4 saloon and its Avant estate version. No high-performance saloon is worth its salt these days without a significant reduction in CO2 emissions, so the new 330bhp V6 replaces the old V8 and emits 30 per cent less carbon than its predecessor while having “the potential” for a fuel consumption figure of 29mpg. Hmm… The S4 goes on sale in November, priced from £36,000.
Hmm… The S4 goes on sale in November, priced from £36,000.
BMW
The X1 might have been unveiled as a concept, but it’s basically the car that will appear in showrooms in 2010. Roughly the same length as an X3 but significantly lower, the X1 will be BMW’s entry-level SUV. Despite having four-wheel drive and an elevated ride height, the emphasis will be on the X1’s on-road ride and handling qualities. To make room for the new model in BMW’s existing range, the new X3 will be specified to a higher standard, with prices to match.
Also on the BMW stand were the new 7-series (full driving impressions will appear in these pages next week) and the facelifted 3-series, with an updated 330d diesel engine developing 245bhp.
