2013 Frankfurt Motor Show - Eyewitness Comments from the World's Largest Automobile Show | Part Two Citroën - Mazda

PART TWO Citroën - Mazda

By Henny Hemmes
Senior European Editor
The Auto Channel

FRANKFURT, September 10, 2013. The 2013 IAA Frankfurt Auto Show opened its doors for the media earlier today. The Frankfurt show is organized every other year and there are so many new and updated models to see that I have divided this overview report into 3 sections.

Citroën C4 Picasso: Citroën has already introduced its new C4 Picasse, a model that we would have called a compact people mover years ago. The public will be able to see it now. Citroën has been struggling but is getting in somewhat better shape with the new DS-line. This is a model line that the French want to aim at Audi’s A3.

Citroën Cactus Concept: Skoda is another division of the Volkswagen Group that Citroën sees as a competitor in the compact class. Hence, the Cactus Concept, which hints at the upcoming C-models. Citroën organized a pre-night event exclusively for French journalists. No need for European publicity, or just pestering the Germans…?

Dacia Duster: Dacia is the low key brand of Renault. It offers robust cars with good quality for a low price. The new Duster undoubtedly will get the attention of visitors looking for wheels without caring for its image, which is cheap, not bad.

Ferrari 458 Speciale: The 458 went to the gym, resulting in more muscle power and better abs. The V8 now offers 600 hp with 398 foot-pounds of torque, allowing the Ferrari to accelerate from zero to 62 mph in… one, two… three counts!

Ford Mondeo Vignale Concept: Ford revives the name Vignale with a concpet that gives an indication of the design of a new model line that will be introduced in 2015 both as a sedan and a station wagon. Indeed, Ford would not think about not developing such a popular variant!

Ford S-Max: With the S-Max Concept, Ford shows its vision on a future Sports Activity Vehicle. Will it be able to compete with the ‘inventor’ of the term SAV..? Then Ford has to step up into the premium class.

Honda Civic Tourer: The station wagon variant of the Civic has 22 cu.ft of luggage space, 5.2 cu.ft more than the hatchback and 7.7cu.ft more than the Accord Tourer. With the second row of seats folded down, this Civic is one of the roomiest models around.

Hyundai i10: Five years after its launch the i10 has been renewed. With a total of 100,000 units so far, it is Hyundai’s best sold model. The small car is also a success in The Netherlands, where there are interesting incentives for such models. But may be even better is the seven year warranty that Hyundai-Kia are giving! No worries for seven years… that’s very attractive.

Infiniti Q30 Concept: SebastianVettel, the leader in the Formula 1 World Championship has Infiniti as a sponsor. Not surprisingly so, that Nissan’s luxury division has asked him to contribute to the development of the new compact SUV, as was the case with the Q50. However, the press release does not specify what Vettel did and why. Would be interesting to know! The Q30 will go into production in 2015 in the British Sunderland plant.

Jaguar C-X17 Concept: Jaguar also organized a pre night party to unveil the C-X17, a concept for an SUV. In Geneva, design chief Ian Callum said that he expected such a model to be ready around 2014-2015. Will the big cat be able to climb trees...? We will have to wait and see if he will get real off-road qualities. In any case he will get the engines that are available for the RangeRover Evoque. Expect a name such as Q-Type or XQ, which both have been registered

Jaguar XJ and X-Type R performance: The Jaguar XJ and X have gotten an updated interior, while the new 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine with 240 hp 250 lb-ft of torque and he 5.0-liter V8 with 386hp and 380 lb-ft of torque make their debut, as well as the 550 hp strong XJR and n XF-R. Pretty athletic cats, for sure!

Kia KED-10 concept: When I drove past the Kia pavilion earlier this afternoon, there was a lot of buzz. No wonder the pre night party was big. Attendants were the first to see the 10th version of the KED-Concept. Peter Schreyer, Vice-President for Design of the South-Korean company, always manages to produce something special. If the public likes the model, it will go in production. The Nissan Juke is where Kia will be aiming at.

Lamborghini Veneno: The Italian sports car manufacturer keeps its mouth shut. So we do not know if the Cabrera, the successor of the Gallardo will come to Frankfurt. We know that the car has been spotted testing around the factory. Or I should say has been heard testing. In such a case the locals will not hit the roads, but sit in the front of their houses in appreciation of the work-on-the-way. What we do know is that Lamborghini will present the Veneno Roadster, which will be built in a limited edition.

Lancia Voyager S Many people criticize the Fiat Group for using the Lancia brand in conjunction with the Voyager logo. Couldn’t they have found a nicer name, one which sounds more Italian? Lancia Sputnik would have had the same effect...sounds weird!

Lexus Crossover concept : Lexus presents a new crossover, which is based on the CT and which will be smaller than the RX. Another competitor for the Audi A3 and BMW X1!

Lexus GS 300h: New at the Lexus stand is the hybrid GS 300h with a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder hybrid driveline. The car will arrive on the market later this year.

Mazda 3 New, but not so new: the Mazda3 has been on the road for some time for test drives, but will arrive on the market in October. The new version of Mazda’s best sold model is the first one in the European C-segment that offers a broad range of connectivity for all passengers. Also the head-up display is still an exception in its segment. I bet it will not be the first: once you have seen it, you want it. So expect other manufacturer to follow soon.