New Vehicles to be Revealed at 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show
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The Frankfurt Motor Show opens its doors from 15th September 2015, and the world’s automakers are gearing up for one of Europe’s most prestigious motoring events. As always, manufacturers will use the show to introduce new concepts and production models, and there are several exciting new vehicles slated to be debuted at this year’s exhibition. With that in mind, we’ve got a brief preview of what might be in store next month.
New Audi A4
Source: Audi
Audi has released details of the fifth generation A4 and A4 Avant, which will have their official debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The new model, which will rival the BMW 3 series, focuses on efficiency gains, refinement improvements and piloted driving technology.
Audi has increased power by 25%, while at the same time improving fuel economy by 21% across the range. The improvements are aided by the new front-wheel drive MLB Evo platform, which reduces weight by 120kg. Under the bonnet the A4 offers a choice of seven new or revised engines – four TDI Diesel and three TFSI Petrol engines which range from 148 to 272bhp. The 148bhp 2.0 litre TDI Ultra engine provides a class-leading 74.3mpg, with CO2 emissions of just 95g/km.
The saloon is 21mm longer, and the wheelbase 12mm longer than the outgoing version, and Audi has put that space to good use by increasing head room and knee room for passengers. The interior has also been given an extensive facelift, with a complete redesign of seats, steering wheel and centre console, incorporating the 12.3 inch Audi Virtual Cockpit as an optional extra.
Audi say the new A4 has the widest range of driver assistance and safety systems in its class, but it’s an incredibly competitive sector with the BMW 3 Series, the Mercedes C-Class, and the new Alfa Romeo Guilia providing serious opposition.
BMW 7 Series
Among the BMW offering at Frankfurt will be a debut for the Automaker’s flagship, the new 2016 7 Series. There is no radical redesign of the luxury vehicle, but an evolution which increases length, reduces weight, and introduces some of the Munich firm’s latest technology.
The base vehicle is 26mm longer than its predecessor, and the long-wheel base version is a massive 14cm longer, but despite the increase in size, weight has been reduced by up to 130kg. This is largely due to the use of CFRP in the body structure, and engines from the BMW Group’s new generation of power units. Plug-in Hybrid technology has also been introduced to the range, with the new 740e model boasting economy figures of 134mpg.
The redesigned luxury interior also features a raft of new tech, including gesture control, a touchscreen sat-nav and infotainment display, wireless phone charging, WiFi internet browsing, and a removable 7 inch tablet screen that can be used to control functions from outside of the vehicle.
Jaguar F-Pace
The Frankfurt Motor Show will also see the long-awaited debut of the Jaguar F-Pace, a performance crossover based on the C-X17 Concept, which won the award for Concept Vehicle Design at the Automotive Interiors Expo 2014 in Stuttgart. The F-Pace is based on Jaguar’s Aluminium Intensive Architecture, and is described by the automaker as a ‘family sports car’, inspired by the F-Type with a balance of style, performance and practicality.
The official reveal of the vehicle is eagerly-awaited, and Jaguar Land Rover has released details of the rigorous extreme temperature testing they’ve been taking the F-Pace through in Sweden and Dubai. The vehicle’s cooling systems are being tested to the limit at temperatures as low as -40oC at a purpose-built facility in Arjeplog, Sweden; and at temperatures as high as 50oC in Dubai.
Source: Jaguar
Alfa Romeo Guilia
Italian car maker, Alfa Romeo, is set to introduce the new Guilia as a successor to the 159, and a rival to the Audi A4, the BMW 3 Series, and the Jaguar XE. The Guilia will go on sale in mid-2016, and is the first of eight new models expected to be released by Alfa Romeo by 2018, in a bid to boost sales from 74,000 in 2014, to 400,000 in 2018.
Alfa Romeo has moved away from family saloons and into the compact executive sector, with a stylish new design to take on its illustrious competitors. The exterior has a sporty look, and Alfa Romeo has marked its intention to stand out in what it calls the ‘boring’ premium sector. The top spec model offers 503bhp from a 3.0 litre Bi-turbo Petrol V6 engine, which promises 0-62mph in 3.9 seconds.
The body features lightweight materials throughout, with aluminium and carbon fibre used extensively, and Alfa Romeo boasting 50:50 weight distribution and best-in-class torsional rigidity. New performance tech includes Torque Vectoring, an electromechanical integrated brake system, and an active aero splitter that manages downforce for better high-speed stability.
It will certainly be interesting to see how the Guilia fares against its dominant rivals when it goes on sale; and it will be exciting to see it alongside so many other new vehicles for the first time in Frankfurt.
Sources
https://www.audi-mediacenter.com/en/4328
http://www.jaguar.co.uk/jaguar-range/f-pace/f-pace.html
http://www.alfaromeopress.com/press/article/117019
