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Automotive News Europe Frankfurt show A-Z: All the debuts Electric cars will take center stage Paul McVeigh Automotive News Europe | September 13, 2009 06:01 CET The 2009 Frankfurt auto show will mark a major step toward the introduction of production cars that run on electric power. In addition to eye-catching concepts such as BMW's plug-in electric supercar, automakers will unveil small electric cars that will be on the roads in cities within a few years. Volkswagen, Renault and PSA/Peugeot-Citroen are among volume carmakers that will show production- ready or near-production-ready electric cars aimed mainly at buyers in cities where the cars' limited ranges will be less of a drawback for drivers. Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn says electric vehicles could account for 10 percent of the global market by 2020, The French carmaker will show four electric vehicle concepts previewing a new zero-emissions product range. Peugeot's stand will showcase the brand's iOn electric minicar, based on the Mitsubishi i-MiEV. Peugeot says the car is particularly suited for use in urban areas. VW will reveal an electric version of its new Up minicar. Here are the debuts listed by automaker from A to Z: ASTON MARTIN Aston Martin will unveil its new Rapide four-door sedan that will go on sale in early 2010 as the company's first true production sedan. The production car stays true to the eye-catching concept that debuted at the Detroit auto show in 2006. The Rapide will be powered by a 470-hp, 6.0-liter, V-12 built at the company's engine factory in Cologne, Germany. Magna International Inc.'s Austrian subsidiary, Magna Steyr, will build the Rapide. It will compete with cars such as the Porsche Panamera, Mercedes-Benz CLS and upcoming Audi A7. AUDI Audi is expected to show electric and convertible versions of its R8 supercar alongside a new niche model, the A5 Sportback. The electric R8 likely will appear as a concept. Audi has not confirmed that the car will debut at the show so it's unclear whether it will be a pure electric vehicle or a hybrid. The mid-engine R8 spyder convertible version of R8 coupe will be shown in its production form. The R8 spyder will have the same 420-hp V-8 and 535-hp V-10 as the coupe. http://europe.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID...template=printartANE&AssignSessionID=373363141968522 (1 of 10) [9/14/2009 10:54:19 AM] Automotive News Europe European sales of the Audi A5 Sportback start soon after the model's debut in Frankfurt. The car is a four-door variant of the A5 coupe. Audi may also show a concept for a roadster based on parent Volkswagen's VW Bluesport rear-engine roadster unveiled at the Detroit auto show in January. ENLARGE BENTLEY Audi A5 Sportback Bentley's Mulsanne will replace the Arnage as the brand's flagship when it goes on sale in the middle of next year. The ultraluxury sedan was first unveiled at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in California on August 15 and Bentley says it will release more information about the car when the sedan has its European debut in Frankfurt. Bentley was not releasing engine details before Frankfurt but reports said the sedan will be powered by a lighter, more fuel-efficient version of the Arnage's 500hp, 6.75-liter V8 with fuel consumption cut by 20 percent. Specialist car magazines said the Mulsanne could be priced at about $350,000. BMW BMW will show a concept for a plug-in diesel-electric hybrid sports car alongside its new 5-series Gran Turismo and X1 SUV. Called Vision EfficientDynamics, the sports car concept with gullwing doors is powered by a three-cylinder turbodiesel engine and two electric motors. BMW says the concept showcases "the dynamic performance typical of a BMW against the backdrop of future demands in sustained mobility." The production 5-series Gran Turismo aims to offer a sporty alternative to an SUV or station wagon with its coupe-like styling, high driving position and roomy interior. It is based on the new 7-series platform and is almost as long as the BMW flagship. The car's trunk space can be enlarged to 1,700 liters from 440 liters, giving it the second-largest trunk space of all BMW models after the X5. An innovative feature is a two-piece tailgate, which opens like a conventional sedan-style trunk for smaller objects or hatchback-style for bigger items. The 5-series GT will go on sale in the U.S and Europe soon after the show. The X1 is another production debut. The X1 will be the smallest model in BMW's SUV lineup. Based on the 1-series hatchback, the car will go on sale in Europe soon after the show and in the U.S. starting in 2011. BMW also will unveil production-ready gasoline-electric hybrid versions of its X6 and 7-series models. The ActiveHybrid X6 and the ActiveHybrid 7 hybrids combine electric motors with powerful twin-turbocharged V-8 engines to boost output, performance and fuel economy. BUGATTI Bugatti's stand could feature a concept for a luxury four-seat supercar. If built, the car is expected to get the same 1001-hp, 8.0-liter engine found on the Volkswagen subsidiary's Veyron, suggesting it will be the fastest four-seat model ever built. CHEVROLET Chevrolet will show its new Spark. The five-door minicar, which will replace the Matiz, will go on sale in Europe in early 2010. In some European markets Chevrolet already uses the name Spark for the car. Chevrolet says the Spark will offer versatility with a fresh, youthful exterior and interior designs that are reflected in the selection of materials and colors. CITROEN Citroen will unveil a concept called the Revolte, the latest-generation C3 and the production-ready DS3, the first model in Citroen's http://europe.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID...template=printartANE&AssignSessionID=373363141968522 (2 of 10) [9/14/2009 10:54:19 AM] Automotive News Europe planned three-car near-premium range. The French brand was not releasing details of the Revolte before the Frankfurt show, but reports suggested it will be an electric car with a design that hints at the next C2 subcompact. Citroen's 2CV economy car that was sold from 1949 to 1990 inspired the concept's styling. Citroen has given the new C3 a sportier edge, with a tauter profile that gives the car a more dynamic appearance. The second-generation C3 will have a panoramic windshield that flows over the heads of the front occupants to give a feeling of roominess inside the car. ENLARGE Citroen DS3 The new C3 will remain one of the most compact vehicles in its segment, weighing the same as the current model, which ranges from 1085kg to 1132kg depending on the size of the engine. At 3940mm long and 1710mm wide, the new C3 has 300 liters of trunk space. Its most fuel-efficient variant, powered by a 90hp diesel engine, will have CO2 emissions of 99 grams per kilometer, the first production Citroen to emit less than 100g/km. The C3 will go on sale in Europe starting early next year. The DS3 is the first car in the Distinctive Series range aimed at giving Citroen an image boost. Based on the C3, the DS3 will rival BMW's Mini and the Fiat 500. It will go on sale in Europe in March, priced below the Mini, which starts at 15,200 euros in Germany. Cars in the range will carry the legendary DS badge, made famous by Citroen's iconic executive sedan during the 1950s, '60s and '70s. A DS4, based on the C4, and DS5, based on the C5, will follow in 2011. Citroen says higher design and performance standards will set the DS cars apart from the rest of the brand's range. FERRARI Ferrari's 458 Italia coupe will replace the company's best-selling model, the 430. The 458 Italia gets its name from its 4.5-liter, eight- cylinder engine. Ferrari also added the word Italia, which means Italy in Italian. Ferrari Chairman Luca Cordero Di Montezemolo said the company decided to dedicate its most innovative product to Italy as a tribute to a country that is a worldwide "synonym of excellence, creativity and quality." The 458 Italia has the same layout as the 430. It's a two-seat coupe with the V-8 longitudinally mounted between the passenger compartment and the rear axle. The car is based on an aluminum spaceframe coupled with aluminum body panels. Ferrari said the car's top speed is more than 325kph (about 202 mph) but doesn't disclose precise figures. The 458 Italia accelerates from 0 to 100kph in less than 3.4 seconds, making the car 0.2 of a second quicker than the current fastest accelerating Ferrari, the Scuderia. FIAT Fiat has given its Grande Punto, which has been on sale in Europe since 2005, a face-lift and a new name. The updated hatchback will be called the Punto Evo. The revised car will be more fuel efficient than the Grande Punto with an updated engine range that includes an innovative 1.4-liter gasoline Multiair powerplant, which uses electrohydraulic valve management to reduce fuel consumption. Stop-start technology will be fitted as standard throughout the engine range. The car's length grows by 30mm to 4060mm.