Automotive News Europe - September 22, 2010 - 23

Paris Auto Show Guide | Automotive News Europe

RENAULT

Renault DeZir

SMART
Smart will show an electric scooter concept that could join the brand’s lineup as the ForOne, alongside the ForTwo and forthcoming ForFour. Smart parent Daimler AG’s is increasingly positioning its microcar division as a green brand and the scooter could become part of the new focus. Described as a concept with a possible production future, the scooter uses a lithium-ion battery and is capable of traveling up to 100km on a single charge. Smart’s Paris display will also feature a lightly face-lifted version of the ForTwo, the company’s sole model until a reborn ForFour is launched in 2012.
Smart e Scooter

DeZir, Zoe herald Renault's future
The dramatic DeZir electric sports car and the Zoe battery powered city car will give a glimpse of Renault’s future. The blood red DeZir gullwing coupe showcases a bold new styling direction that aims to give Renault’s cars the “wow” factor. The front of the DeZir has a wide grille and LED “eyelids.” The concept previews a new frontend identity that will feature on all future Renault cars, the automaker says. The concept is powered by an electric motor mounted in a mid-rear position to optimize weight distribution. It has a range of 160km and a top speed of 180kph. The two seater is the first work of new Renault design director Laurens van den Acker who has said he will give the brand a more emotional styling than it has now. Renault will also roll out in Paris the electric cars at the heart of the company’s ambitious bid to become the first volume automaker to make EVs accessible to the mass market. The Zoe will be Renault’s core-range electric model, with an annual production of 150,000 units that will account for two-thirds of the company’s EV sales in Europe. The four-seat minicar is less than 4000m long and is intended to be used for short daily journeys in urban areas. First unveiled as a concept at the 2009 Frankfurt auto show, the Zoe will appear in Paris as a near-production concept. Sales will start in mid-2012. Renault could also show a new Twizy prototype without many of the unusual features that appeared on a concept at the 2009 Frankfurt auto show. Renault says the two-seat Twizy will be a new type of urban vehicle. The Frankfurt concept was a narrow four-wheel car that had a scooter-style layout with the passenger seated behind the driver. Production versions of the first two Renault electric vehicles, a battery-powered Fluence large sedan and an electric Kangoo car-derived van, which both go on sale in mid-2011, will also debut in Paris. Renault also will show its new flagship, the Latitude, which will replace the Vel Satis. The Latitude is derived from the SM5 large sedan built by Renault’s Korean subsidiary, Renault Samsung Motors, and, like the SM5, the Renault version will be built in Korea. The Laguna large car gets a face-lift with more assertive front-end, including a narrower grille. The fresh look will bring the Laguna’s styling closer to the rest of the Renault range. A face-lifted Espace large minivan will also be shown.

SUZUKI
The new Suzuki Swift has improved fuel consumption and significantly lower emissions than the current model as well as better safety equipment and an improved driving performance. Three- and five-door versions will go in sale in Europe shortly after the car’s Paris debut. The latest Swift is slightly longer than the current model. It will be sold with a 94-hp 1.2-liter gasoline engine that’s more powerful than the 1.3-liter unit it replaces. The engine has variable intake and exhaust valve timing technology to improve fuel economy to 5 l/100 km and reduce CO2 emissions by 17 percent to 116g/km. A new 75-hp 1.3-liter diesel engine uses 4.2 l/100 km of fuel and cuts CO2 emissions by 9 percent to 109g/km. The Swift will continue to be built for European markets in Suzuki’s factory in Esztergom, Hungary.
Suzuki Swift

SAAB
Saab will unveil a battery-powered 9-3 station wagon concept along with a new, more efficient diesel engine for the 9-3. The company plans to introduce a test fleet of 9-3 EVs in early 2011 in selected global markets. Saab has not said whether it plans to build EVs for sale. The diesel will be offered with 130-hp, 150-hp or 180-hp variants, all with CO2 emissions of 119g/km. Saab will unveil the new 9-4X crossover at the Los Angeles auto show in November and the 9-5 station wagon at the Geneva auto show in March. The Swedish automaker will also showcase the new 9-5 sedan in Paris.

SEAT
Seat’s new Alhambra large minivan will make its first auto show appearance in Paris. The seven-seat Alhambra is a sister model to the Volkswagen Sharan. To differentiate the two minivans, the Alhambra gets an arrowshaped front-end in keeping with the Spanish brand’s sporty image. The Alhambra is lighter than the current model and has a new lineup of gasoline and diesel engines with direct fuel injection, turbocharging, stop-start and brake energy recovery technology. Both the Sharan and Alhambra minivans have sliding rear doors.

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