2012 Mondial de l'Automobile Paris Part Three: Mercedes - Volvo

By Henny Hemmes
Senior European Editor

AMSTERDAM, September 26, 2012. The third and last part of our preview of the Mondial de l’Automobile, the auto show in Paris that opened its doors for the media Thursday and Friday and for the public from September 28 until October 14. See the up-to-the-minute coverage of all of the stories and complete video of the unveilings, see The Auto Channel's complete 2012 Paris Motor Show Press Pass Coverage

Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes goes electric with the Concept B-Class Electric Drive, together with production Electric SLS. The Concept B-Class has an electric motor with 134 hp and 310 Nm , good for a rRange of 124 miles. The battery can be charged at a normal household plug or a 400 Volt quick charger. The lithium-ion battery is placed ahead of rear axle in what Mercedes calls the Energy Pslace, part of design for esay applying ev on sale in 2014.

For the B-Class will also be available a model that takes natural gas: the B-Class 200 Natural Gas Drive, which will have a fuel consumption of 4.2 kg/100 km, with a 16 percent lower CO2 emission than that of the B200 BlueEfficienty petrol engine. The ‘gas model’ will arrive at the end of the year on the European markets, but it is not know yet which markets will follow.

The Mercedes CLS 63 AMG Shooting Brake bows just shortly after the presentation of the regular model. The top model canbe recognized by its 19-inch wheels with 265/35 tyres up front and 285/35 at the rear. Of course, there are many AMG-details, such as the grille, frond- and rear bumper lips and the four chrome exhaust pipes.

Mini

The production model of the Paceman celebrates its world premiere in Paris. From its market introduction there will be two petrol engines and two diesels available. There is also a John Cooper Works variant planned for introduction later in 2013. In fact the Mini Paceman is a Countryman SUV with two doors and a coupe roof line. In Paris we will see the Paceman with a sport suspension, which lowers the vehicle for some 4 inches.
The standard suspension of the Countryman will also be available, be it as an (free) option. Stay tuned for the first drive in the first half of November. Mini will also show the new limited edition John Cooper Works GP with a 218 hp 1.6-liter turbo engine. It should be able to do 0-62 mph in 6.3 seconds.

Of course, the public will also be able to see the 2013 Mini John Cooper Works Countryman, of which The Auto Channel published a first drive review on September 11.

Mitsubishi

Another world premiere will be celebrated at the Mitsubishi stand with the Outlander PHEV. The plug-in hybrid power train was developed by Mitsubishi and derived from its line up of all-electric models. The Outlander PHEV is the world’s first plug-in hybrid SUV, which will be brought out to the market first in Japan in early 2013.

There will also be the renewed ASX crossover and the European debut of the global compact car, called Mirage in other countries. Furthermore there will be a dummy of the i-Miev Evolution that took part in the 2012 Pikes Peak hill climb in August.

Nissan

The Nissan TeRRA Concept is a hydrogen fuel-cell SUV driven by the electric motor that is also used in the Leaf. The electric powertrain drives the fron wheels placed under the bonnet, while the rear wheels get their power from the electric motors in each wheel. The hydrogen fuel-cell is mounted under the floor of the boot. Although this is not a prototype of a production model, Nissan says that the technology could be in production cars in the future and the styling could shape upcoming hydrogen models.

The 370Z Coupe and Roadster debut in Paris with a facelift. The enhancements include a new front bumper, daytime running lights and new optional 19-inc alloy wheels and re painted brake calipers. The first deliveries are scheduled for October. The Pivo 3 zero emission concept car makes its European debut at 2012 Paris Motor Show.

Opel

News about the Opel Adam was already release this summer, but now we can see it live on the show floor. With this small city car that has a length of 145.6 inches, Opel returns in the A-segment. The design follows market leader Mini and Fiat 500. The Adam will be ideal for customizing with many colors and roof colors.

Peugeot

The Onyx is a concept for a super sports car with a 600 hp hybrid system, consisting of 3.7-liter HDiF V8 diesel engine that has is origin in the Le Mans 908 race car and is placed mid ship. It is assisted by an electro motor that gets its energy from a li-ion battery where brake energy is stored. The monocoque consists of only 12 parts of carbon fibre material. The Onyx weighs only 2425 pounds and sits on fat 275/30 respectively 345/30 Michelin rubber, up front and at the rear.

2008 Concept is Peugeot’s latest vision for an urban crossover. With a length of 163 inches it is not really small, but the French think is would accommodate young people in megacities such as Paris, Moscow, Shanghai and Sao Paulo. Under the hood is a new 3-cylinder 1.2-liter direct injected petrol engine. Peugeot plans to build the car close to its markets, starting in France and later in China and Brazil.

A world premiere is planned for the 301, a compact hatchback with a length of 175 in, and a boot with a volume of nearly 18 cu.ft. It’s design is mostly taken from the 508 and also has elements of the new 208. The 301 will be built in Spain and will arrive on eastern European markets from November.

The RCZ gets a facelift with a new nose. Of this 2+2 sport coupe, Peugeot plans a so-called R-variant. Proof is the RXZ R Concept., with a 260 hp strong 1.6-liter engine The production model is expected by the end of 2013.

208 Type R5 has its roots in motor sport and succeeds the 207 Super. The Type R5 is a full bred rally car. The model will be on sale in the second quarter of 2013 and will be entered in national and international series.

A debut too for the 208 XY and 208 GTi, which were presented in Geneva and are now up in production trim.

Porsche

With the Panamera Sport Turismo, Porsche unveils a study model that combines a new hybrid drive train and a facelift for the Panamera

The 911 that made its premiere a year ago, will make its entrance with all-wheel-drive in the Carrera 4 and Carrera 4S. The engines are carried over from the Carrera. Furthermore the Cayenne will be available with a second diesel engine as Cayenne S Diesel., Its 4.2-liter V8 turbo diesel produces 382 hp and 672 lb-ft of torque.

Renault

An important world debut is reserved for the new Clio. The fourth generation Clio offers more space and better quality than its predecessor.
Also the electric Zoe will be on stage in Paris. It will be available at a reasonable price – not yet announced – and should have a range of some 140 miles. Indeed, lower priced than the EV’s that are now on the market and a longer range, could make a difference for potential EVbuyer.

Rolls Royce

The British luxury division of the BMW Group will unveil three retro styled models. The Pahntom, Phantom Drophead and Ghost got retro styling and color, remembering of the twenties and thirties.

Seat

Pictures of the complete new Leon were released in July, but in Paris the new model of the Spanish division of the Volkswagen Group will make its official debut. The new model will make its entrance on the European markets by the end of this year in five-door trim.

Another debut in Paris for the third generation Toledo. Seat hopes to continue its success: of the first two generations more than 860 thousand units have been sold.

Another debut is reserved for the Mii FR Line Concept, a special version of the Mii city car with sporty FR styling. FR is used for the Ibiza and current Leon and underlines the sporty character of those models. There are no plans yet for a production version of the Mii FR.

Skoda

The production model of the Skoda Rapid will bow in Paris. It was unveiled as the MissionL concept last year in Frankfurt and has not changed much. The new Skoda will be competing in the compact family car segment and is no direct competitor for the models of the VW Group, such as the Seat Leon and the Golf.

Smart

Daimler presents a world premiere with the electric Smart forstars, an electric Sports Utility Coupe (SUC). The two-seater has a glass roof, so that the passengers have a clear view at the starry sky. The concept also its at the idea of integrating a video projector in the bonnet up fron, to enable the work of movie stars to be shared with friends at any time. The colors of the forstars has a meaning: the alubeam rouge should contrast the matt metallic titanium of the safety cell. The electric drive is based on the concept of the forwo Brabus electric drive and provides a top speed of more than 80 mph.

Ssang Yong

The South Koreans already reveiled sketches of the e-XIV Concept for a hybrid SUV. The abbreviation stands for electric, eXciting, user-Interface Vehicle. It gets a small petrol engine and an electric motor. The two door model has bold wheel arches and a pronounced diffuser in the rear.

Suzuki

The Suzuki S-Cross makes its world debut in Paris. It is a crossover in the C-segment. Suzuki announced to unveil more details at the show.

Tesla

Not much is know about the all-electric Tesla Model S. It will probably seat seven and have two rear facing child seats in the back. Tesla says the Model S will have a cargo space that is a 100 percent larger than that of the BMW 5 Series…

Toyota

Toyota introduces the renewed Auris, its success model in Europe. The Auris now looks better with modern headlights, a lower stance and sleeker lines.. In fact it is 1+ inch longer and 2 inches lower than the outgoing model. The interior has also been reworked with a new design and better looking and feeling materials.
Technically, the Auris remains unchanged, but handling is improved by measures such as shedding weight and stiffening the underpinnings.

New will also be the Verso, that has gotten a facelift with over 300 changes. On the outside we see a new front bumper with a new grille, headlights and a larger Toyota badge. At the rear new lights and a new rear bumper with a diffusior

Viper

It has not been confirmed if the new Viper SRT will be in Paris. It is due to arrive this fall and was presented in Monterey, CA. in August. It has an al new carbon fiber and aluminum body, the chassis has been stiffened and weight has been reduced. The design incorporates iconic Viper details from the 1996 model. The interior is new with high quality materials and new technologies.

Volkswagen

The world premiere of the new Golf will be one of the major debuts in Paris. Many details have already been released during the past weeks. The Golf VII is safer, more comfortable, more dynamic and roomier than its predecessor. Volkswagen succeeded to shed around 220 pounds, depending on the model. This results in 23 per cent better fuel consumption. The new Golf is expected in European showrooms in November.

Volvo

The Swedish brand will bring the V40 Cross Country on stage. It is based on the V40 and has 1.5 inch more ground clearance. We see also bigger wheels and, of course, off-road styling.

Also new is the V40 R Design, a special model with a new grille, bolder bumpers with fog lamps and a lower air intake. At the rear it is recognizable by a diffuser and twin exhaust pipes. The interior gets sporty details, such as a sports steering wheel and sport pedals, sport seats. The R-Design is available for all models.