irishcar.com - Geneva Motor Show 2001 Part 1

GENEVA, February 28 2001: It is really pretty well impossible to decide on a 'star of the show' for something like the Geneva Motor Show, because motoring and motorcars are very subjective things to most people. Made deliberately so by motor manufacturers so that they can ignite and maintain the flames of a personal passion about what is after all, no more than a method of getting from A to B in our travels through life.

That said, and as much on the merits of the passion pedigree as anything else, perhaps the Jaguar X-Type (below) comes as close as any car at the show this year to sitting on the top branches of the tree, waiting to pounce on a purchaser. Even the smell of the leather and wood when we sat in went a long way towards tipping the balance in the new small cat's favour.

But there were many others, most all clearly born of passion of varying degrees, which may well play a greater part in the way we all motor through the next few years. Fiat's Stilo, for instance, which has available to it an array of gadgetry previously only seen in very premium cars. Or the Peugeot 307, crucial to the fortunes of its maker in a segment dominated by some of the best small family cars ever built. Or the Skoda Montreaux (below) which provides us with an indication of the challenges this inexorably-climbing VW brand may make to the middle/upper executive car market.

At the exotic end of the motoring spectrum, Mazda showed Europe its final version of the RX-8 (below), the only current production car to use the Wankel rotary engine system. It won't make an impact in Ireland when it finally comes here, but it does represent part of the determination by Mazda to come back from the doldrums of both style and substance where it has been rather becalmed in recent years.

Closer to achievable dreams, Opel's neat Astra Cabriolet (below) - which we drove also at the weekend and liked very well - is as well-designed for the inclements of our own indifferent weather patterns as it is for the sunnier systems on the Mediterranean.

Geneva allowed us to look at versions of current offerings which we're unlikely to see in Ireland, such as the 3-litre V6 VW Passat 4-motion, or the Audi A8 L with its massive V12 6-litre engine. Though you never know ...

We could look to the future in real terms, with the experimental fuel cell-powered Ford Focus (above), a method of propulsion not to be common for some time, certainly not in the life of the Focus, but showing that the blue oval company is as much committed to getting out of the fossil fuel era as everybody else.

But then, of course, the passion will be gone.

Never mind. Look at some of what we saw, and then dream. Because dreams are what eventually find us our realities. BB & TW

MORE LIVE GENEVA HERE

Jaguar's compact cat purrs in

Yes, it probably was the Star of the Show to many of us, particularly those who could recall driving the 240 'small' Jaguar to which the X-Type is the spiritual successor, writes Brian Byrne. And to see it in the metal for the first time at Geneva was a pleasant experience. The X-type should make BMW and Mercedes-Benz shiver ever so slightly. Because for the first time in a motoring eon, there is now a real 'image' badge competitor in the executive segment where both those Germans have had it all their own way. full story

Citroen's estate version of the new C5 - the Break - which was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show is arguably one of the nicest estates in its class, writes Trish Whelan. And from as far as we could view, the car certainly does not compromise either style or practicality to provide a load-carrier which could do duty anywhere, from the farmyard to the concert hall. full story

Nissan's Chappo concept car at Geneva stopped people in their tracks if for no other reason than the sheer whiteness of the vehicle on the stand, writes Brian Byrne. The very square van-shaped car was the company's expression of its thoughts on when a car will become 'a social space for young people to gather'. (Duh ... did nobody mention the VW bus of the hippie 60s?) full story

Perhaps the Jaguar X-Type came as close as any car at the Geneva Motor Show this year to earn the title Star of the Show, write Trish Whelan & Brian Byrne. But there were many others, most of them all clearly born of passion of varying degrees, including Fiat's Stilo, the Peugeot 307, the Skoda Montreaux, and the exotic Mazda RX-8, Opel's neat Astra Cabriolet and the Audi A8 L. There was so much that we've only touched the surface so far, but we will be adding to it over the next week. full story

There is a host of new cars being premiered at next week’s Geneva Motor Show, which promises to be more than interesting to even the most jaded of car buffs, write Brian Byrne & Trish Whelan. What follows is just a few among the many we’ll see for the first time in the metal on this side of the world. The irishcar.com team will be there in force to bring you the best coverage of the show, but here’s a taster. full story

1 March 2001: High tech features of the new Fiat Stilo will ‘belong exclusively’ to Fiat in the class for at least 12 months after it launches, according to Nicola Greco (below), chief executive of Fiat Auto Ireland. He was speaking to irishcar.com at the Geneva Motor Show where the car was shown publicly for the first time on Monday.

The Stilo will be launched in Ireland at the end of this year, and Greco said he thinks it can overtake the very strong performance which the smaller Punto has maintained in Ireland in recent years.

“It’s one of those cars that grows on you very quickly, after a while you are struck by its solidity and size and the new things in the style,” he said. “I’m personally very fond of the car, in both 3- and 5-door versions.”

The ‘unique features’ include the Targa Connect communications system, which will allow the Stilo to use the global positioning navigation system (GPS) not just for navigation, but for ‘beaming down’ a ‘layer’ of services, including directories of local services.

“Ireland will finally be digitally mapped by the end of the year, which will allow all this to happen,” he said.

An ‘intelligent’ cruise control system will also be available on the Stilo, operated by radar, which will check the vehicle’s speed against the one in front of it and automatically adjust things to maintain a safe distance. The Stilo’s features include automatic switching on of headlights when conditions get darker.

There’s also an ‘electronic key’ system which allows the doors to be opened and the engine started without a key. This involves having a coded sending unit in your pocket, which also locks the car automatically when you leave it. Xenon headlights are also to be an option.

The Stilo is a totally new car, built on a brand new Fiat platform, with a new suspension system, and Greco also said he hadn’t seen anything as innovative at the Geneva Show as the new Fiat. “However, competition in the sector is going to be very tough, because everybody is improving the quality of their cars,” he concluded.

Also at the Geneva Show, Fiat announced that they had made a $14 million profit last year, after suffering two years of losses. TW.

New Hyundai SUV launched at Geneva

2 March 2001: The Hyundai Terracan SUV was launched this week at the Geneva Motor Show, giving the brand a vehicle in the sector with a traditional body-on-frame construction and the go-anywhere capability of a true SUV

The vehicle, which partners the ‘soft-roader’ Santa Fe in the segment comes with a TCI diesel in 2.5- or 2.9-liter displacements or a 3.5-liter DOHC V-6 gasoline engine.

Stylistically, the Terracan’s front is dominated by a large, body-color radiator grille and a hood-mounted air intake scoop is the signature of the diesel powered edition. A two-colour scheme comes from body color and contrasting side cladding work.

Inside, seats are of metal frame construction and multi-density polyurethane foam. In basic models these are upholstered in full-cloth but a leather seating option is available. Rear seats come with a 60:40 split folding feature to accommodate over-size cargo and can also be double folded. And with the rear seats in upright position, Terracan still offers carrying space sufficient to carry up to four golf bags.

There’s a built-in glass radio antenna, dual power outlets at the front and rear, an electric tilting and sliding sunroof, air conditioning, wood grain dashboard trim and an audio system with eight-disc CD changer.

Safety considerations include full-size dual supplemental restraint systems, 4-sensor 3-channel ABS, clear lens projection-type fog lamps and lectrically-heated side view mirrors.

A five-speed manual gearbox is standard and there’s a four-speed automatic option. Terracan comes with part-time 4WD with Electric Shift Transfer (EST) or the optional electronic full-time 4WD.

There’s yet no indication of when the Terracan will come to Ireland. TW/BB.

Celtic Tiger market for new Opel Cabriolet

2 March 2001: The ‘young Celtic Tigers’ are going for ‘ragtops’ in Ireland and therefore there should be a decent market for the new Opel Astra Cabriolet in Ireland, according to Opel Ireland’s Aidan Doyle.

Speaking at the Geneva Motor Show this week, he noted that there was a long tradition of cabriolets in Opel’s manufacturing history and he was glad to see that it was being ‘kept alive and well’ with the launch of the new car.

“Contrary to popular belief, the big markets for cabriolets in Europe are not the Mediterranean countries, but Germany and the UK,” he said. “Fifty per cent of cabriolets produced throughout Europe and sold in Germany and 19% are sold in the UK, which has a similar climate to us. So in the current economic climate, we would hope there IS a market for the new Astra Cabriolet in Ireland.”

He noted that the Astra soft-top is built to cope with inclement weather conditions, with an insulated roof which is electrically operated and goes up and down very easily and quickly.

Prices for the new Astra have not yet been agreed, but it will be on sale in July. TW.

Ireland C5 Break decision depends on estate market

2 March 2001: The Irish distributors of Citroen cars say they’re going to ‘wait and see’ how the estate car market reacts to the Renault Laguna Tourer before making a decision on bringing in the new C5 Break estate (above) to Ireland.

“The estate market in Ireland has got very small, because hatchbacks have taken over,” Gallic Distributors’ MD James Wyse said during the launch of the C5 Break at the Geneva Motor Show.

He noted that in other European countries such as the UK, Finalnd and Italy, nearly half the market for the M2 segment is estates because of their outdoor lifestyles.

The C5 saloon will be launched in Ireland in April (see previous story here). TW.

5 March 2001: The premiere of the 3-door Honda Civic in standard and hot Type R form was one of the highlights of the Honda stand at the Geneva Motor Show, at least in terms of what ordinary motorists can expect to be driving. The 3-door variants won't be available in Ireland until later in the year, but in their very stylish shapes they should make a significant impact in their class.

The show also was the opportunity for the carmaker to show its Stream (below), an MPV which replaces the Shuttle. A 7-seater, the Stream is due in Europe in April. Unlike the US-built Shuttle, the Stream is being built in Japan. It is lower in height than most of its competition, more car-like in look and feel.

The 3-door Civics will use the same 1.4- and 1.6-litre all-alloy petrol engines as are already familiar in the 4- and 5-door models, and a diesel engine is promised towards the end of the year. For the hot Type R, a 2-litre 200PS engine gives the oomph for a 0-62mph performance of 6.8secs. The Stream comes with a 1.7-litre engine and a brand new 2-litre power unit, the former which could make it a good proposition for Ireland.

Honda also showed mildly upstyled Accords, with the SE version getting a larger engine of 2.3-litres. The car has a closer-ratio gearbox to give it smarter acceleration.

We also liked the supermini Logo, which has been around in Europe since this time two years ago but never made it across to Ireland. Perhaps the fact that it only has a 1.3-litre engine option was the reason. TW/BB.

'Personalisation' programme for Clio Sport V6

5 March 2001: Renault has launched a 'personalisation' programme for its very fast Sport V6 Clio, which has been ordered by over 1,500 customers across Europe since its launch at the end of last year.

At the Geneva Motor Show they're presenting an example of the kind of individual choices which can be made by a prospective customer at the time of ordering, which include special colour, interior finishes and materials, and a number of external options which each carry a special Renault Sport logo.

The personalisation programme will be done through Renault dealers and will become available throughout Europe in the second half of the year. TW.

Mazda shows hybrid sports tourer concept

5 March 2001: A hybrid-powered concept car revealed at the Geneva Motor Show by Mazda is that company’s view of a versatile, economical and environmentally-friendly sport tourer of the future.

The MX Sport Tourer is powered by a hybrid system consisting of a lightweight, high-performance 2.0-litre S-VT engine, plus an electric motor. For out-of-town driving, the petrol engine drives the MX Sport Tourer through a new type of four-wheel drive system. In town, zero emissions are achieved by switching to the electric motor which drives the rear wheels.

The electric motor permits a maximum speed of between 40 and 50 kph, recharging on the move through the petrol engine and a regenerative braking system. There are, effectively, three types of driving modes: petrol engine mode for normal on road conditions; zero-emission electric motor rear-wheel drive mode for urban areas; and four-wheel-drive mode for additional traction on ice and snow

The wedge-shaped MX Sport Tourer adopts the freestyle door system from Mazda’s RX-8 design engineering model, removing the need for centre pillars. Other features include a sports car cockpit area, a cargo area and a structure that allows the roof to be retracted for open-air driving or to facilitate the transport of large loads. In fact, the rear of the vehicle is transformed into a pick-up truck. The rear seats store away to create a fully flat floor and a maximum cargo capacity of 1,250 litres. The rear hatch glass can be raised and lowered for easy access to the cargo area.

Power tranmission is by Mazda’s original toroidal CVT, and a paddle shift mechanism on the steering wheel column allows the driver to switch to manual shift operation.

There’s a keyless entry system that reacts to an ID card and an electrically powered pop-up display incorporates a 10.4 inch screen. It can be removed and used as a cordless device (implemented with the Bluetooth standards) for Internet access or e-mailing. TW/BB.