Automotive News Europe - September 22, 2010 - 21

Paris Auto Show Guide | Automotive News Europe

MITSUBISHI
Mitsubishi says most European customers will be able to buy its i-MiEV electric car for less than 30,000 euros ($38,000) including batteries after government incentives. After its Paris debut, the European i-MiEV will launch in 14 markets including France, the UK, Germany, Spain and Italy, starting in December. Unlike the Japan-market version, the European i-MiEV includes electronic stability control, side airbags and curtain airbags as standard equipment. It also has improved interior comfort. The i-MiEV has a range of 150km on a single charge of its lithium ion batteries and a top speed of 130kph from its electric motor, which has a power output of 49kW, equivalent to 67 hp.

NISSAN
A concept called Townpod will show how Nissan could expand its electric car lineup. The Townpod is a cross between a car and a van and is designed to offer zero-emissions mobility to future home-based, innovative entrepreneurs who are “creative and tech-savvy,” Nissan says. The Townpod combines an eye-catching design with a spacious and practical interior, the company adds. Ahead of European customer deliveries that begin early next year, Nissan will show the European–spec. Leaf electric car, which has a 160km range, along with the new Micra whose lineup will include a supercharged 1.2-liter gasoline direct-injectiom engine with CO2 emissions of 95g/km. The Juke crossover and a restyled, more fuel-efficient version of the X-Trail will also be on display.

Peugeot 508 sedan and wagon

PEUGEOT

Upscale push and dieselhybrid power
Peugeot will debut the 508 large car and the 3008 HYbrid 4 crossover, which will be the world’s first diesel-electric hybrid production car. The carmaker has big ambitions for the 508, which is about the same size as the Ford Mondeo and Opel/Vauxhall Insignia. Peugeot believes the 508 will be able to compete against premium cars such as the Audi A4, BMW 3 series and MercedesBenz C class. To lure premium buyers, Peugeot is counting on an exterior design it calls “French chic.” Inside, the 508 has high-quality materials and details, as well as what Peugeot says is exceptionally large interior room and a very generous trunk space. The 508 will be offered in two body styles: a four-door sedan and a station wagon. Both models will go on sale at the beginning of 2011. The 508 will replace two slow-selling Peugeots – the 407 mid-sized car and 607 large sedan. The Peugeot 3008 HYbrid 4 combines performance with fuel efficiency. It has 200 hp but uses 3.8l/100km and emits 99g/km of CO2. The crossover’s 2.0-liter diesel engine provides 163 hp to drive the front wheels, while the remaining 37 hp comes from the electric motor used to power the 3008 HYbrid 4’s rear wheels. The 3008 HYbrid 4 will go on sale in spring 2011.
Peugeot 3008 HYbrid 4

OPEL/ VAUXHALL

GTC Paris

GTC previews new Astra coupe
With the GTC Paris concept, Opel seeks to show “sculptural artistry meets German precision,” the brand’s design chief Mark Adams says. The concept’s dynamic sweeping lines, sculptured surfaces and a wide muscular stance will largely go into production as a three-door Astra coupe. The coupe is likely to keep the GTC name when it goes on sale in late 2011, challenging cars such as the Volkswagen Scirocco and Renault Megane coupe. At 4460mm, the GTC Paris offers ample space for five people, Opel says.
Astra Sports Tourer

The GTC’s powertrain is a four-cylinder 2.0-liter turbocharged gasoline direct-injection engine, mated to a six-speed manual transmission and a stop-start system. Opel will also debut the Astra station wagon, called the Astra Sports Tourer, as a production car in Paris. The wagon variant accounts for about 25 percent of all Astra sales in Europe, a much higher proportion than the compact segment average of 17 percent. The Astra Sports Tourer, will go on sale in November, with prices starting at 18,000 euros in Germany. Opel will also debut the Corsa and Agila with stopstart technology and show the new Meriva small minivan with three new diesel engines that join the two diesels and three gasoline units already available. Opel says the eight powertrain choices ranging from 75 hp to 140 hp give it a much wider selection than its rivals.

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