Paris Show Highlights: Concept Cars Take Center Stage

 

By: Michael Bettencourt, ForbesAutos.com
Photo Credit: Staff

By the look of the latest crop of concept cars to be unveiled at the 2008 Paris Motor Show, automakers remain fixated on pursuing alternative fuels and smaller, lighter vehicles. We expect at least 17 new experimental vehicles will be shown to the world for the first time there.

In Pictures: Paris Highlights: Concepts on Center Stage

The Paris show is Europe's biggest auto event this year and is expected to attract more than 1 million visitors and 500 manufacturers from 30 countries. It is held at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles and is open to the public from Oct. 4 to 19. 

Below we highlight the concept cars that make their world debut in Paris. This list will be continually updated, so check back for the latest announcements.

Audi A1 Sportback

Small is in all over the world these days, and Audi is using the A1 to push down-market and battle Mini and the BMW 1 Series in this emerging niche of petite premium cars. Audi's future vision for the category is the plug-in hybrid A1 Sportback concept, which the company says could travel up to 100 miles at speeds "considerably more than" 60 mph on electric power alone.

If Audi turns this concept into reality, it would blow away the 2011 Chevrolet Volt's 40-mile electric only range.

The A1 Sportback is a four-door hatchback. A three-door hatchback A1 concept debuted at last year’s Tokyo Motor Show.

The Sportback concept uses a 1.4-liter engine in conjunction with a battery-powered electric motor to drive 177 horsepower and 288 pounds-feet of torque through the front wheels. When not being pushed hard, the A1 Sportback could average 60 miles per gallon on premium gasoline. The lithium-ion batteries that store electric power can be recharged by plugging into a power outlet.

The production A1 is expected to go on sale next year, but there’s no word yet on when or if this hybrid version will find its way to market.

Audi A4 TDI Concept e

Fuel economy was also a major theme for the launch of the A4 TDI Concept e — that's a small "e" because the vehicle has a small thirst for diesel fuel. The Concept e looks nearly identical to the finalized 2009 A4 — it’s what Audi calls a "near-production concept" — but tweaks to the front grille and a lower ride height reduce wind resistance, also called aerodynamic drag, compared to the standard A4. This, in turn, increases fuel economy. The car's 2.0-liter four-cylinder diesel engine is a modified version of the one offered on the all-new A4 2.0 TDI in Europe. It adds stop-start functionality — the engine shuts off when the car is stopped temporarily — and an electricity-recovery system so the car can power some of its own comfort and convenience features without using more diesel. Fuel economy is projected at a miserly 59 mpg.

In Europe, there are already "e" versions of most of Audi’s cars, from the A3 to the full-size A8. Bringing them to the United States could be one way for the automaker to meet more stringent fuel-economy regulations in coming years.

BMW Concept 7 Series ActiveHybrid

BMW will be busy in Paris, unveiling a new crossover utility vehicle called the X1, as well as the all-new BMW 7 Series Sedan in both production and concept form. The Concept 7 Series ActiveHybrid previews a fuel-saving "mild hybrid" system that will likely be offered on the production 7 Series, BMW's largest, most luxurious sedan. The set-up isn't like the hybrid system previewed in the BMW X6 ActiveHybrid concept, which debuted at the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show. The differences are complicated, but basically the system in the Concept 7 Series ActiveHybrid doesn't offer electric-only propulsion, while the one in the X6 ActiveHybrid does.

The 7 Series ActiveHybrid uses a lithium-ion battery under the trunk floor. There is a regenerative braking system like on existing hybrids that captures energy dissipated while braking and coasting and then converts this to electricity that gets stored in the battery. An auto-stop system, which shuts the engine down when the car isn't moving also improves efficiency. BMW promises a 15 percent reduction in fuel consumption and emissions compared to the V8-powered 7 Series Sedan.

Chevrolet Orlando

Compact minivans such as the Mazda5 and Kia Rondo have been few and far between in North America in 2008, but they are big business in Europe.

The Chevy Orlando concept foreshadows the brand’s first foray into the European market for small minivans, or “multi-purpose vehicles� (MPVs), as manufacturers like to call them. (Europeans will do anything to avoid driving a minivan.) GM insists the Orlando is a design study, but admits that it intends to produce just such a vehicle soon, debuting perhaps as early as next year.

The Orlando is built on the compact-car platform that underpins the Chevy Cruze — a production “four-door car also unveiled in Paris. This would make it a possibility for sale in North America, logistics-wise. But GM hasn't confirmed that either.

Honda Insight

Like the Chevrolet Volt, the 2009 Honda Insight promises to make a major impact when it arrives in North America, Europe and Japan for 2009. Although a concept in name, it is a near-finished precursor to what Honda promises will be the least expensive gas-electric hybrid on the market when it reaches dealers in the spring.

Honda says the new Insight, which revives the name of its super-efficient but slow-selling two-seat hybrid hatchback that was discontinued after 2006, will even undercut the price of its own Civic Hybrid. The company is betting that the Insight's low price will help it achieve an aggressive 100,000 units-per-year sales goal in North America — about half the projected 2008 sales of the market-leading Toyota Prius.

Hyundai Sante Fe Hybrid

Hyundai’s enthusiastic entry into the hybrid vehicle sweepstakes begins next year in Korea with a modified Elantra sedan, but it has further plans for a hybrid mid-sized crossover: specifically, it has in mind something like a hybrid version of its Santa Fe sports utility vehicle.

What it’s showing now is an under-the-hood concept. In both looks and dynamics, the blue Hybrid Santa Fe looks the same. But Hyundai Motor Europe vice president Allan Rushforth is very excited about the electrics on show with the blue Hybrid, specifically the 207-volt lithium-polymer battery putting the power to the vehicle’s 30 kW electric motor. Rushforth says the lithium-polymer technology which Hyundai developed with Korean electronics firm LG has advantages over more standard lithium ion batteries in terms of energy density, costs, longevity and ability to stand up to driving punishment. The electric motor in the blue Hybrid is hooked directly to a six-speed automatic transmission with the top three gear ratios tuned for lower RPM at higher speeds, and therefore better mileage.

As with most hybrids, the driving is done with a mix of combustion and electric power, with the electric motor taking over periodically to boost efficiency. The electric is mated with a 2.4-liter, four cylinder in-line engine which generates 175 horsepower. As with many contemporary rides, Hyundai’s hybrid is highly computerized and regulated: software controls injection pressure, cycle timing and exhaust treatment rates, and electric motors and low-resistance tires reduce power drain and optimize fuel use. All told, Hyundai says, the blue Hybrid gets 38 mpg and still gets moving from zero to 60 in 10.6 seconds.

Kia Soul Hybrid

Part of Kia's Paris display was a "Green Zone" (someone should show the company a recent map of Baghdad), at which the company showed off various eco-friendly technologies and vehicles, including the Soul Hybrid concept. With its transparent hood and floor panels displaying the car's 15 kW electric motor, along with the gasoline-gulping 1.6-liter four-cylinder that's normally under the Soul's hood, Kia used this car to highlight the fuel-saving features that will arrive on its vehicles starting next year.

It all begins with Kia's start/stop system, which will be offered in Europe in early 2009 on the gasoline-powered Cee'd models. Beyond its gas-electric powertrain, the Soul Hybrid concept goes further with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) and regenerative braking technology. It also comes with a panoramic sunroof.

The latest generation of Kia Sportage fuel-cell electric vehicle (FCEV) also bowed at the company's green showcase. Improvements over the previous-generation model include a 100 kilowatt (136 hp equivalent) fuel cell, as well as a much larger lithium-ion battery pack that Kia says extends the vehicle's range to 186 miles.

The Sportage FCEV's fuel-cell "engine" uses hydrogen to create electricity and power the wheels and/or batteries. The larger-capacity batteries also help cold-weather starting, one of the major challenges for electric vehicles in winter climates.

Lamborghini Estoque

The Lamborghini Estoque is the Italian automaker's first four-door model. If produced, it would compete with the Maserati Quattorporte, the Porsche Panamera, which is expected to launch for the 2010 model year, and the Aston Martin Rapide, final production of which is unconfirmed.

So far, Lamborghini isn't saying whether it will build the Estoque. "As a concept, the Lamborghini Estoque represents one of several possibilities for a third model series within the Lamborghini product line-up," the company says. "At this point in time, no decisions have been taken in respect of either a third model series of any kind or of the Estoque concept in particular."

The Estoque has a generous interior that seats four comfortably and a trunk large enough for a weekend's worth of luggage or several golf bags. The car is nearly 16.89 feet long, 6.53 feet wide and 4.43 feet tall. Its wheelbase, the distance betwee the centerline of the front and rear wheels, is nearly 10 feet long.

On the one hand, Lamborghini insists the Estoque is only a "design exercise," but on the other, it says the car is technically feasible. The Estoque could be powered by the V10 engine from the Gallardo LP 560-4, a turbocharged eight-cylinder engine derived from this V10, a hybrid V8, or a high-performance diesel engine, the company says.

The engine would be positioned just behind the front axle for optimal weight distribution, and the car would have all-wheel drive, in keeping with the company's current models.

While most Lamborghinis are named after famous breeds of fighting bulls, the Estoque is named after a type of Spanish bull-fighting sword.

Mazda Kiyora

Mazda's nature-themed concepts continue with the Kiyora, a lightweight urban commuter the company says adheres to an environmentally friendly vision it calls "Sustainable Zoom Zoom." The Kiyora's design is inspired by water, as reinforced by its translucent door panels and rippling, wave-like body panels.

It uses a new direct-injection four-cylinder gasoline engine that employs start-stop technology — the engine shuts down when the car is stopped — similar to the feature that aids hybrid fuel economy in city driving. The Kiyora's light overall weight and aerodynamic shape further improve efficiency.

Mazda promises that the Kiyora, which means "clean and pure" in Japanese, will also pack some surprises on the inside that help support a "youthful lifestyle."

Mercedes-Benz Fascination

Mercedes calls the Fascination a modern twist on a body style known in Europe as the "shooting brake," which, according to tradition, is a luxury coupe with the rear end of a wagon. As such, the Fascination has two side doors and not four. Mercedes has confirmed that this concept car presages the look of a new midsize coupe version of the E-Class sedan. The front-end in particular is likely to be a close interpretation of the the new E-Class two-door.

The Fascination includes a number of, well, fascinating surprises, besides its odd shooting-brake moniker. It has decadent features such as a cargo area trimmed with wood, a fridge and even a cigar humidor — appointments more often seen in limousines than hatchbacks or wagons.

In an obvious nod to the current fixation on fuel efficiency, the Mercedes Fascination uses a 2.2-liter four-cylinder BlueTec diesel engine that boasts 204 horsepower.

Mini Crossover Concept

BMW's Mini brand takes a big step away from its small-car roots with the Mini Crossover concept, which adds all-wheel drive and a larger, taller body to the biggest Mini to date, the Clubman. This concept car is likely a preview of a future crossover utility vehicle that Mini has confirmed it will produce, expected to go on sale in 2010.

Although it's bigger than any other Mini before it, the Crossover Concept is still small by other automakers' standards. It has four doors and four seats. The driver's-side rear door slides back and forth like a minivan's. The rear hatch swings out to the right. There are four seats inside the Crossover Concept, all of which tilt and slide to increase cargo- and people-hauling flexibility. The rear seats can be folded into the floor.

The concept has a unique center rail that runs between the seats and can be fitted with cup holders, music players and storage bins. These add-ons can slide along the center rail, making it easier to, for example, pass a juice box to a child sitting in the rear.

Nissan Nuvu

Designed for the urban landscape of 2015 — one in which motorists accept that driving five-seat vehicles that rarely carry more than two passengers is wasteful — the Nuvu electric concept car is named for such a "new view" of what urban commuters may be looking for in a vehicle by the middle of the next decade.

The Smart-sized, bubble-shaped Nuvu two-door hatchback offers a unique 2+1 seating arrangement, with the passenger seat next to but slightly ahead of the driver to make room for a fold-down third seat in back. It is powered by an all-electric engine that previews the production powertrain in Nissan's upcoming plug-in electric cars, which are set to go on sale in California, Japan and a couple of European markets in 2010, with a broader rollout across the U.S. and around the globe in 2012.

Nissan is keeping most of the Nuvu's powertrain information to itself, but does reveal that the lithium-ion batteries power a motor that drives the rear wheels, and that the car has a range of 78 miles with a top speed of 75 mph.

Renault Ondelios

French automaker Renault says the Ondelios concept's aviation-inspired crossover design is optimized for long-haul travel. But frankly, the first things to catch the eye are its amazing doors.

These are not just some slapdash gull-wing knockoffs or other such banal trickery. This is "Star Wars" Tie Fighter territory: the big panels make a hissing noise as they unlatch and slide overhead. A long running board, or "sill," as Renault calls it, folds out from underneath. The overall effect is more spaceship than airplane.

At 15 feet long and 6 feet tall, the Ondelios echoes the Citroën Hypnos in size and purpose. Whereas the Hypnos is biological, though, the Ondelios is clinical. "We think of it as made from a single material, where the body and glazed areas merge into one," says Renault design director Patrick Le Quémont. "It is inspired by motion rather than speed. It is a whole new response to the call of the open road." Renault thinks of it as a top-of-the-line car gliding over large distances in the medium-term future.

The Ondelios has many strong visual elements, including arrays of LEDs in front and out back, with taillights curved into boomerang shapes. Gill-like intakes ring the lights to suck in air and cool the engine. The lozenge-shaped tail end may seem like an exaggeration, but it actually feels right considering the massive 23-inch wheels.

Renault equips the Ondelios with a 205-hp 2.0-liter hybrid engine that uses two 20kW electric motors to power the front and rear wheels. The bodywork is anthracite-colored, and looks tough — we've seen these kinds of designs before on concepts for the Mars Rover. It never got from zero to 60 mph in seven seconds, however.

Saab 9-X Air BioDiesel

A quarter-century after the first Saab convertible was introduced — and amid plummeting North American sales — Saab is releasing an aggressively styled open-top concept car called the 9-X Air. The daring vehicle suggests that parent company GM has not given up on the Swedish niche brand, even if the latest monthly sales figures indicate that Saab sold fewer vehicles than Hummer, a brand that’s officially on the auction block.

The 9-X Air uses Saab’s aeronautical design language with large wheels that resemble jet turbines and a wrap-around windshield that is meant to evoke a plane's glass canopy. The 9-X Air has a fabric top that can be folded flat between the rear pillars.

The four-seat droptop is powered by the same ultra-efficient 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that propelled the 9-X BioHybrid hatchback unveiled at the Geneva Auto Show earlier this year. This hybrid system generates 200 hp and can run on E85, a mix of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline.

SsangYong C200

SsangYong's C200 concept isn't so notable for its design, although it's good-looking enough for a compact SUV. What's much more interesting about the C200 is how it signifies the company's ambition. Suk-Ho Lim, SsangYong's Seoul-based executive managing director for overseas sales, pulls no punches here: "We will undoubtedly become a global company," he says. "And with the C200, we are showing that we will be a globally competent SUV specialist with this new concept."

Words and deeds are two different things, of course, but SsangYong has some heft behind it. It is a South Korean automaker, but it is majority-owned by SAIC Motor Corp — the Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. — one of the top car manufacturers in the People's Republic of China. A model very close to the C200 will be released in European markets, Lim says. He wouldn't say when, and said it was too early to talk about North America.

With the C200, SsangYong definitely has its fingers on the pulse. There's an opening in the market for compact SUVs made to efficient standards, auto experts say, and that's what the C200 is about. "It's made to accommodate an urban lifestyle," Lim says. "And it's going to live up to European fuel-efficiency and environmental standards."

Jean-Fran?ois Pardé, president of SsanYong's French operations, says the concept is the firm's first monocoque design — all of one piece — as opposed to skin on a frame. It has a 175-hp 2.0-liter engine and a six-speed manual transmission as part of its newly developed drivetrain.

It seems that SsangYong plans to put the C200 up against the likes of the Nissan Rogue and Honda CR-V. We feel that SsangYong eventually will have a global presence, even if, when the time finally comes, it may not be so unusual for Korean and Chinese car companies to be going tire-to-tire with the boys from Japan.

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