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Want another copy? For a printer-friendly PDF version Guide to the Geneva auto show of the Geneva preview, go to: autonews.com/geneva09preview Stylish, sexy, smart

More than 30 concept and production cars past years likely will be muted due to budget cuts. Still, will make their world debuts this week the roster of vehicles, an equal split between perfor- mance and economy, is impressive. Mark Rechtin At a time when automakers are pulling out of auto Automotive News Europe shows, putting the very survival of the events at risk, the With car sales plummeting globally and little sign of life Geneva salon is perhaps one last display of brashness coming from any nation’s economy, the 79th Geneva from an industry looking for any hint of good news. auto show could be seen as the modern equivalent of Yet it is possible to wonder how grand the Geneva the string quartet on the deck of the Titanic. show could have been. Automakers and design houses will use the show to Many automakers have slowed their product develop- display more than 30 world debuts of concept and pro- ment plans in order to conserve cash, delaying introduc- duction cars. tions and extending the length of their current vehicle Those sorts of numbers are normally seen during cycles. Had those product plans stayed on schedule, this boom times. year’s Geneva show would have been truly epic. What Of course, many of these product plans were started follows is the list of planned introductions to occur dur- when times were good. The glitz and showmanship of ing the show’s March 3-15 run.

Audi aims A4 Allroad at rugged set Aston Martin Aston Martin The redesigned A4 Allroad gives Audi a has stuffed a more rugged-looking variant of the A4 6.0-liter V-12 powerplant into its Avant wagon with enhanced off-road small coupe’s bay. The V12 capabilities. Vantage will be “the most potent At 180mm, the Allroad’s suspension is production in the marque’s 70mm taller than the Avant’s. This 95-year history,” the automaker claims. results in better ground clearance. The engine produces 510hp and 570Nm of , resulting in a 0 V12 Vantage The Allroad also has Audi’s Off Road to 100kph acceleration of 4.2 seconds. Aston Martin engineers cre- Detection stability control system, ated the car in just a year. The engine bay was redesigned to house the larger which offers improved traction dur- motor, brake cooling system and intake system. The rear suspension is more com- ing off-road driving. pact to account for wider and tires. Production will start in the autumn, and With 17-inch wheels, additional be limited to about 400 units a year. Pricing will be revealed at the show. -arch cladding and deeper front and rear protective bumper Mark Rechtin shields, the Allroad’s design has been 3 See related story on Lagonda, Page 17 adapted to reflect its all-wheel-drive A4 Allroad functionality. The A4 Allroad comes initially with three All three motors come in combination gasoline and the larger diesel have a sev- Bentley : a 211hp, 2.0-liter turbocharged with a brake-energy regeneration sys- en-speed dual-clutch . gasoline direct-injection engine; a tem, which converts deceleration energy The A4 Allroad goes on sale this summer. Displaying its green-performance credentials, Bentley will 170hp, 2.0-liter turbodiesel; and a 240hp into electricity. The smaller diesel has a unveil a high-performance sports car with an engine that 3.0-liter V-6 turbodiesel. manual six-speed transmission while the Wim Oude Weernink can run on E85, a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. Bentley said adapting the car to run on E85 was achieved by giving it an enhanced engine management system and newly developed transmission. Bentley declined to disclose the price and volume goal for the Continental Supersports, but said it will go on sale this year. The sports car will be positioned above its Continental GT Speed model, with more than the GT Speed. Bentley Design Director Dirk BMW hatches a new type of 5 series Braeckel oversaw the car’s styling. Based on the 5-series BMW claims the concept The car will be Bentley’s first model under its platform, BMW has offers legroom compara- long-term strategy to deliver renew- developed a new con- ble with that of the able-fuel vehicles throughout its cept for a five-door premium hatchback. 7-series , and head- range. Bentley claims it will be BMW describes it as a Progressive Activity room equal to that of the the first luxury manufacturer Sedan and calls the model the Gran Turis- BMW X5 premium SUV. in the world to do so. mo. The concept GT is designed like a The overall length is four-door coupe, with frameless side 4995mm, while the car is Gran Turismo Bettina Mayer windows. A large two-piece tailgate 1555mm tall. As shown in Continental Supersports gives access to a luggage compartment Geneva, the GT is still a styling concept. A then go on sale in the fourth quarter. that grows from 430 liters to 1650 liters production version is expected to be when the rear are folded down. unveiled at this September’s IAA in Frank- Wim Oude Weernink

Replacing the Matiz, the Spark is 2009 Geneva auto show world debuts Chevrolet’s new minicar model. The Spark was developed in South Korea by GM Production Peugeot 3008 BMW Gran Turismo Daewoo Auto & Technology, which also will manu- Aston Martin V12 Vantage Scenic Citroen Inside DS facture the car. Allroad Renault Grand Scenic Dacia /coupe The Spark comes with either a 1.0- or 1.2-liter four-cylin- Spark Audi TT RS Renault Megane Tourer Ford small der 16-valve gasoline engine. It has a five-door layout Saab 9-3x Hyundai HED-6 that sits on a 2375mm , with an overall length of about 3500mm. A Fiat 500 C Seat Exeo ST Essence three-door version is also being considered, GM sources said. Mazda 3 MPS Skoda Yeti Italdesign Namir The design of the Spark reflects much of the Chevrolet Beat concept, first shown in Mazda 3 i-stop Toyota Verso Kia YN spring 2007. A motorcycle-style instrument panel, fitted as a separate cluster to Mercedes-Benz E class sedan VW Polo MiEV Sport Air the dashboard, is a styling touch that carries over from the Beat. The Spark goes on Mercedes-Benz E class coupe Qazana sale in Europe during the first quarter of 2010, with a US introduction in 2011. Nissan NV200 Concept Rinspeed iChange Ampera Bentley Continental Supersports Rolls-Royce EX200 Wim Oude Weernink 20090302-0015_18-ANE.qxd 2/27/09 10:29 AM Page 16

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Fiat Citroen gives DS a new twist Fiat will take the top off its popular 500 Looking to benefit from past successes, minicar. The 500 C is Citroen will unveil the Inside DS, a three- not a traditional convertible. Only the door hatchback concept that closely fabric roof panel can be folded toward resembles a near-production version of the rear, similar to Fiat’s original 500 mod- the planned DS3 small car. els of the 1950s and ’60s. The new DS3, which goes on sale across The softtop, including its glass rear window, is elec- 500 C Europe in early 2010, will be the first trically operated. The convertible retains the same interior model in Citroen’s planned three-car space for four occupants as the standard 500. “near-premium” range. The DS badge A stop-start system is standard equipment on the 500 C, which shares its power- stands for Distinctive Series. The first DS train lineup with the 500: A choice between 1.2-liter and 1.4-liter gasoline engines, was Citroen’s iconic executive sedan or a 1.3-liter diesel. All are available with a manual or automatic transmission. during the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s. The 500 C will be made in Fiat’s Tychy, Poland, plant. The car goes on sale in May. However, the Inside DS concept bears The price premium over comparable 500 trim levels should be about €2,000. little resemblance to the classic DS. Instead, its design, size and general feel Fiat also will debut its variable-valve-timing system, called Multiair. The technology draw immediate parallels with BMW’s improves torque and by about 10 percent, and reduces fuel consump- Mini, whose buyers Citroen executives tion by 10 percent and CO2 emissions by half. say will be one of the principal targets The Multiair technology could be applied to normally aspirated and turbocharged for the DS3 small car. gasoline engines, from two to six cylinders. Its first application will happen this year The DS3 will be built on the same plat- on a 1.4-liter gasoline engine. Fiat says Multiair could also be adapted to work on form as Citroen’s existing small-segment diesel engines, doing this would reduce NOx emissions. car, the C3, as well as sister brand Peu- Inside DS Fiat hopes that eventually the technology could allow two-cylinder engines to take geot’s top-selling 207. the place of four-cylinder engines in small cars. The system works with a new appli- The DS3 will offer higher-quality features cation of intake-valve operation, which uses an electronic/hydraulic valve actua- than its less-expensive cousins, as well as among Mini buyers – the choice of differ- to extend the French brand’s profile and tion instead of a mechanical throttle valve. Fiat claims the system is less costly than numerous ways to personalize the interi- ent paint colors for the body and roof. market share. BMW’s similar VANOS variable-valve solution. or and exterior. Citroen plans to launch six new models These will include a popular option over the next three years, part of a plan Lawrence J. Speer Wim Oude Weernink & Luca Ciferri Ford Hyundai unveils Tucson replacement Much like Ford did with the Iosis (2005) and Iosis X (2006) – concepts that were preludes to the production Mondeo and Kuga respectively – the automaker will show a multi-activity vehicle concept that Three new vehicles will make their Hyundai European Design, which created SUVs in the future. hints at the replacement for the C-Max medium minivan, or a vehicle similar in size debuts on the Hyundai stand: The the car. It is the sixth concept done by The exterior features a hexagonal grille, and packaging. The concept will also show phase two of Ford’s kinetic design phi- HED-6 medium SUV concept, i20 three- Thomas Burkle and his team at Hyundai’s angular style lines and back-swept front losophy. Although some sources believed the concept would show the replace- door, and i30 Blue with stop-start tech- design center in Rüsselsheim. , LED daytime running lights ment for the Fusion minivan, Ford denies it. The concept will be unveiled on March nology. The HED-6 hints at the replace- The production model will be built at the and 21-inch alloy wheels. 2, the evening before the show opens. At the IAA in Frankfurt in September, Ford ment for the current Tucson. The new Kia factory in Zilina, Slovakia, and will The three-dimensional, sculpted shape is expected to present a model that is closer to production. crossover arrives at the end of this year. take the new name IX-35. of the HED-6’s rear window is achieved The concept’s name is an acronym for Hyundai will use the IX prefix for all of its using Lexan high-performance plastics Wim Oude Weernink & Luca Ciferri instead of standard safety glass. The concept is powered by a 175hp, 1.6-liter gasoline direct-injection Infiniti turbocharged engine. The three-door version of the new i20 Infiniti will unveil the Essence concept, a high-performance small car also will be shown for the car that executives describe as “a 20th birthday present to first time. It replaces the Getz three- ourselves.” The car will hint at the design door. It was designed by Hyundai’s and technology direction Nissan’s luxury European studio. brand will introduce to new models starting The i30 Blue lower-medium car in 2010. Styling will be akin to the Mer- will showcase the first applica- cedes-Benz SLR McLaren or the Aston Mar- tion of stop-start technology on tin Vanquish. The stylish and sporty car will a Hyundai production car. This have a massive engine, possibly generating technology will contribute to a more than 500hp. Sources were secretive significant cut in both fuel con- about the possibility of a gasoline-electric sumption and CO2 emissions. hybrid powertrain. The Essence features fit- ted luggage from Louis Vuitton. John Revill Essence HED-6 Lawrence J. Speer

Modular powertrains arrive with E class

Mercedes-Benz gave a sneak peek of the which requires any four-cylinder Mer- The E-class sedan goes on sale this redesigned E-class sedan to journalists in cedes engine to work with any Mercedes month, followed by the coupe in June. In Detroit in January, but Geneva will mark car model, from the A class’s transverse 2010, the sedan also will be offered with the public debut of the car, as well as the mount to the S class’s longitudinal an extended wheelbase in China. That world debut of the E-class coupe. layout. A new range of smaller, fuel-effi- version will be produced there. The new E class focuses on passive safety, cient four-cylinder gasoline and diesel In September, at the IAA in Frankfurt, Namir with standard features including a engines are part of the E class’s engineer- Mercedes will present both the E-class that actively cushions against pedestrian ing package. wagon and cabriolet. impacts, and a “pre-safe” brake system The coupe shares most of its equipment Sales of the wagon will start after the Italdesign Giugiaro that anticipates sudden, sharp applica- and powertrain packages with the sedan. show, while the convertible will reach tion of the brake pedal. For this reason, Mercedes-Benz has dealers in November. “Fast and furiously clean” is perhaps the message envisaged by The E class is the lead vehicle for Mer- decided to price the coupe at the same Italdesign Giugiaro’s new debuting at the Geneva cedes’ modular powertrain strategy, level as the sedan. Wim Oude Weernink auto show. The Namir two- coupe will be able to reach a top speed of 300kph and accelerate from 0 to 100kph in less than four seconds, yet still be capable of traveling 50km on a single liter of gasoline. This miserly fuel consumption equates to about 50 grams per kilometer of CO2. By comparison, the third-generation Toyota Prius will be the first production hybrid vehicle to achieve CO2 emissions of less than 100g/km. In creating what it claims is the fastest hybrid concept car in the world, Giugiaro teamed up with UK-based Frazer Nash Research Ltd. Giugiaro will announce technical details of the hybrid pow- ertrain at the show, but a source said that a Wankel rotary gasoline engine powers a generator. The Namir’s traction comes from electric motors that power each axle, creating a permanent all-wheel-drive setup. The wedge-shaped coupe features a body made entirely of aluminum and carbon, sitting on a carbon fiber chassis.

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March 2, 2009 www.autonewseurope.com · PAGE 17 Geneva auto show

An electric ‘pocket rocket’ from Mitsubishi Kia In an attempt to show that green vehi- Kia will show a small minivan concept, called No 3. cles don’t have to be boring, Mitsubishi The Korean automaker said the car will have a “unique glass will present a sporty convertible electric roof treatment to create a cool and spacious automotive vehicle concept. powerhouse.” The production version of the car, The Mitsubishi i MiEV Sport Air is based code-named YN, will be built at the Hyundai fac- on the electric-powered Mitsubishi tory in Nosovice, Czech Republic, later this year. i MiEV four-door, which goes on sale in The minivan will be based on an enhanced Japan this summer. platform shared with the Kia Rio. It will go The show concept focuses on the enter- on sale toward the end of 2009. The taining performance and driving habits concept was designed by Gregory Guil- of future electric cars, while emitting zero laume, Kia’s chief European designer. CO2 emissions.The Japanese carmaker refers to the i MiEV Sports Air as a “pock- John Revill et rocket,” which points to a direction a YN production Mitsubishi might take in the future. Mitsubishi began feasibility tests of a Lagonda left-hand-drive version of the four- door i MiEV in the Netherlands, Nor- Aston Martin said last September that it would revive its exotic Lagonda brand way, Spain and the UK, preparing the with a concept car at this year’s Geneva show. Few expected the idea would sur- car for market introduction in Europe vive the subsequent financial crisis. and the US in 2011. i MIEV Sport Air Lagonda spokesman Kevin Watters backpedalled when asked if Lagonda would have a full-sized concept, stating, “We will have a property on the stand to show.” Wim Oude Weernink In the Queen’s English, a “property” usually refers to a theatrical prop, not some- thing full sized. Watters wouldn’t clarify whether he was speaking about a car, scale model, or just visual renderings. In 1993, Lagonda, then under Ford control, presented its Vignale concept for a GM hopes Ampera hybrid will spark Opel luxury sedan. The model was well received, but never entered production. Tony Lewin

The world debut of the Opel Ampera is power. 370Nm torque. The 181kg battery pack the first sign of Opel parent General The batteries cannot be recharged while will be produced by South Korean suppli- Motors Europe’s plans to enter the plug- the car is being driven under its own pow- er LG Chem. Mazda in hybrid segment here. The car will go er. However, with the 73hp 1.4-liter gaso- GM Europe plans to sell several thousand on sale in 2011. line engine engaged, the Ampera’s range units a year here. Mazda will give world The four-door Ampera is a rebadged can be extended to almost 1,000km. debuts to high-performance and version of the plug-in The electric propulsion works on a 230- Wim Oude Weernink environmentally friendly versions hybrid, but with Opel design character- volt system and develops a maximum of of its Mazda3 lower-medium car. istics. The car sits on GM’s global lower- 150hp and The Mazda3 MPS, which stands medium Delta platform architecture. for Mazda Performance Series, The hybrid system is simpler than the will be displayed at the show along- Toyota Prius’s because the Ampera is side the more frugal Mazda3 i-stop. effectively an electric car with an The MPS features Mazda’s 2.3-liter tur- auxiliary gasoline engine. This bocharged Direct Injection Spark Ignition (DISI) engine will start charging engine and pushes Mazda’s design and performance Mazda3MPS the batteries when envelope. The engine generates 260hp and 380Nm of the car has torque. The Mazda3 MPS also features improved fuel economy and emissions that reached its satisfy Euro 5 regulations. 64km range When sold in America, it will be known as the Mazda-speed3. on electric The Mazda3 i-stop with Mazda’s new stop-start system adds a new eco-friendly option to the lineup. In combination with a 2.0-liter engine, the i-stop system achieves a 12 percent fuel economy savings (urban cycle) compared with the cur- rent European Mazda3. Both cars will be introduced in the second half of this year.

John Revill

Nissan

Ampera Nissan will show a small crossover concept car called the Qazana. The four-door model shows how the production model, planned for intro- duction in 2010, could look. The Qazana will complete the Nissan crossover portfolio that comprises the medi- A return of the Silver Ghost for Rolls-Royce um Qashqai and Qashqai+2, and the large Rolls-Royce will display the The production version of the car will be systems such as the air conditioner are . The Qazana will be built at EX200 concept car, which targeted at younger buyers and will be shared with BMW, the switchgear visible Nissan’s Sunderland, UK, plant alongside will be smaller than its “more like a well-cut sports jacket than a to the Rolls-Royce owner will be com- the Qashqai and the Note small minivan. Phantom sedan. The con- tuxedo,” said CEO Tom Purves, compar- pletely different than that in a BMW. The The Qazana and its production variant are cept will preview a “baby” Rolls-Royce ing the concept with the Phantom. overall length of the car is 5399mm, based on the Renault-Nissan alliance’s sedan due to go on sale in the first quar- The EX200, also known internally as RR4, riding on a 3295mm wheelbase. B platform. ter of 2010. will be powered by a new 12-cylinder Rolls-Royce expects to sell about 500 The boxy Qazana concept features four doors, with the rear doors Qazana Some sources suggest the historic Silver engine not seen before on any BMW units a year of the EX200, with prices opening rearward for easier access. The Qazana will compete against Ghost nameplate will be revived for the group product, Purves said. starting slightly above £200,000 vehicles like the Toyota Urban Cruiser, Kia Soul and Citroen C3 Picasso. model, which will be built alongside the About 80 percent of the car’s parts will (€223,000) Phantom at the company’s Goodwood be unique. Purves declined to say what The Nissan NV200 is an all-new passenger vehicle derived from the NV200 light factory in West Sussex, England. platform would carry the car. Although Tony Lewin commercial vehicle. Its predecessor, the Nissan Kubistar, shared its platform and body with the . But the NV200 has its own body style, though again based on the Kangoo. The NV200’s design is an evolution of the Nissan NSV – New Small Van – concept study, first shown at the 2007 Tokyo auto show. Nissan initially wanted to produce the NV200 at the Morocco plant it planned to share with Renault, but now Nissan is looking for another location. Insiders say that the Japanese automaker’s plant is the most likely option. The NV200 will come to the market first as an LCV, due in September. The passenger-car ver- sion arrives at Euro- pean dealers in March 2010.

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Renault

Renault will unveil the third generation of the Scenic medium mini- Peugeot joins crossover fray van – which has defined the segment since its unveiling in 1996. Based on the same platform that underpins the new Megane, the redesigned In an attempt to broaden its offerings Scenic also comes in a stretched-wheelbase version, Grand Scenic. in the lower-medium segment, Peugeot Although the front fascia styling evokes the new Laguna and Megane sedans, the will debut a 308-derived crossover design of the Scenic is more of a mild restyle of the current model. model. The new Scenic grows by 180 mm in length while the Grand Scenic will be The crossover is called the 3008 because 150mm longer than its predecessor.The Grand Scenic can seat seven people. That it is a different model from Peu- moves it closer to the Renault Espace large minivan, for which no successor has geot’s mainstream range. been planned. The Grand Scenic goes on sale at the end of March, while the Scenic It is based on the arrives at dealerships two months later. Renault also will unveil a wagon version of PSA/Peugeot-Cit- the recently redesigned Megane, tentatively bearing the name Estate. roen medium-sized platform and has Wim Oude Weernink styling reminiscent of the 308 wagon, but with a taller ride height. Rinspeed Functionality and Swiss concept car builder Rinspeed will unveil a zero-emissions car with a body intelligent packaging that adapts to suit the number of occupants inside. The iChange can transform are keywords of the 3008 from a single-seat car into a vehicle with room for three with the press of a but- 3008, which will have a ton. The car has no doors. Instead, the roof panel pops up to allow access for occu- dual-rear hatch for better access. pants. The iChange is barely one meter in height. The 3008 will come with standard front- Rinspeed partnered with engineering firm Esoro to create the car, which weighs wheel drive, but have an enhanced trac- absorbers, to improve stability. company hopes to sell 100,000 units 1,050kg. The , powered by lithium-ion batteries, is able to propel tion control system. Starting in 2011, the 3008 will come annually, although that target was the car to a top speed of 220kph, with a 0-100kph acceleration of just more than In combination with special tires, this with Peugeot’s diesel hybrid-4 system, announced before the current four seconds. Siemens supplied the motor- system offers mild off-road capabilities. which has an electric motor fitted to pro- economic crisis. generator, electronics and battery con- It also has an electronic compensation pel the rear wheels. nection interface. Touches include system between the left and rear shock The 3008 will go on sale in April. The Wim Oude Weernink the use of an Apple iPhone to control important vehicle functions. The pro- ject took six months to complete. Tougher Saab 9-3X to arrive in September iChange Mark Rechtin

Saab will debut the 9-3X, which features Skoda additional off-road capabilities com- pared with the standard 9-3 wagon from which this model is derived. Get ready for lots of “abominable Skoda” jokes. For the 9-3X, Saab will offer a 2.0-liter Skoda describes its Yeti small SUV as a practical solution for cus- turbocharged gasoline engine, which can tomers who want a that is robust, safe and has universal appeal. The also use E85, a blend of ethanol and Yeti will be built on the Octavia Scout platform, but use some parts from the Fabia gasoline. Alternatively, the car will be small car. It will come in two- and all-wheel drive. equipped with a 1.9-liter 180hp turbo- The small SUV segment is a new one for Skoda. The Yeti might be the flagship for that emits less than the Scout trim level, which usually includes all-wheel drive and SUV-style cladding. 145 grams per kilometer of CO2. The Yeti will compete with the Kia Soul and when it goes on sale in The 9-3X gasoline-powered variant September. The Yeti is based on the same-named design study unveiled in 2005. comes with all-wheel drive as standard Skoda also will debut a GreenLine version of its Octavia lower-medium car. Green- and a suspension setting that is 35mm Line is the badge Skoda uses for its most fuel-efficient cars. The Octavia GreenLine higher than the 9-3 wagon. The diesel has fuel consumption of 4.4 liters per 100km and CO2 emissions of 116 grams per version comes only with front-wheel kilometer. drive and a 20mm higher suspension 9-3X than the wagon. John Revill & Lyle Frink Both gasoline and diesel versions are clad with grey composite wheel arches, Production of the 9-3X is planned to available with manual or automatic rocker panels and bumpers. The car’s start in September. transmission. Roof rails are standard and equipment is equivalent to the Aero the lower part of the bodywork has been trim level. Wim Oude Weernink

Polo sets new green target of 87g/km

Exeo ST Exeo The redesigned Polo, Volkswagen’s sec- efficiency and reduced CO2 emissions, Such a ratio will make the Polo BlueMo- Seat ond-best selling model, will be one of with gasoline turbocharged engines tion’s CO2 emissions one better than the Geneva’s most important debuts. The downsized to 1.2- and 1.0-liter capaci- tiny Smart ForTwo. The Spanish carmaker’s upper-medium Exeo sedan launched at last original Polo was launched in 1975, a ties. VW sources say the new Polo Blue- The Polo initially comes as a three- and year’s Paris auto show will get a wagon sibling in Geneva. This gives Seat a more year after the original Golf. The new Polo Motion diesel variant will emit 87 grams five-door hatchback, followed by an comprehensive lineup for its entry into the segment. The Exeo ST wagon goes on will be the model’s fifth generation. per kilometer of CO2, down from SUV-like variant to succeed today’s Cross sale in the third quarter. The Exeo sedan is arriving at European dealerships now. The Polo features a strong focus on fuel 99g/km in the current Polo BlueMotion. Polo. In the future, VW will also introduce The Exeo sedan and wagon both borrow heavily from the 2000-2007 version of an all-new Polo variant, a small minivan the Audi A4. Seat says the original A4 design has been upgraded with more than to rival the Opel/Vauxhall Meriva, at an 500 details. The changes include a Seat front-end design as well as a carryover of undisclosed future date. the A4 cabriolet’s dashboard. The car also will have the latest A4 suspension and However, only the five-door Polo will be its engine technology, which meets Euro 5 emissions standards. introduced at the Geneva show. The Exeo comes with three gasoline engines of 102hp, 150hp and 200hp, plus The redesigned Polo goes on sale in two diesels of 143hp and 170hp with diesel particulate filters. Seat expects to sell Europe starting in late summer. In 50,000 units per year of the combined Exeo wagon and sedan. That would be a 2010, Volkswagen wants to intro- marked improvement over the Toledo lower-medium sedan, which sold only duce the Polo to the US because 4,280 units in 2008. it believes customers there will be increasingly keen Wim Oude Weernink to buy fuel-efficient small cars.

Toyota Wim Oude Weernink

Toyota will unveil a production version of the redesigned Corol- la Verso medium minivan, which originally launched in 2004. The new version, based on Verso the new Avensis platform, will do without the “Corolla” part of its name, and simply be called Verso. Its wheelbase grows by 20mm, and has 70mm more overall length.

Luca Ciferri & Wim Oude Weernink Polo Computer illustration: Christian Schulte