Automotive News Europe - September 22, 2010 - 24

Automotive News Europe | Paris Auto Show Guide

TOYOTA

Minivan that thinks big
Toyota says the Verso-S will be the shortest minivan on sale in Europe when it launches early next year. Despite being less than 4000mm long, the Verso-S has a flexible interior design that maximizes cabin space, according to Toyota.
Toyota FT-CH concept

The minivan will plug a gap left in Toyota’s European lineup after the automaker stopped selling its Yaris Verso small minivan in 2006. It will rival the Opel/Vauxhall Meriva, Citroen C3 Picasso and Renault Modus/Grand Modus in a fast-expanding segment that grew to 407,000 sales last year, according to JATO Dynamics, from 80,000 in 1999 when the Yaris Verso was introduced.

Toyota Verso-S

The Verso-S is based on the newgeneration Rectis, a Yaris-based model that’s only sold in Japan. Toyota will also focus on hybrid technology in Paris. The FT-CH concept is the company’s first full hybrid for the subcompact segment. It will make a European debut and will share the automaker’s show stand with the UK-built Auris hybrid hatchback and a Prius plug-in electric car.

VOLKSWAGEN
Volkswagen’s latest Passat will debut in Paris with an extensive re-skin that gives the car a sleeker and more elegant appearance. It will also have an array of safety technologies such as has sign recognition, blind spot detection and adaptive cruise control. The Passat also gets VW’s new front-end look already seen on the Golf and Polo. It has a restyled cabin but most of its engines and drivetrains will be carried over from the current model. The Passat is Europe’s best-selling upper-medium car and the fresh design and new comfort and safety features are aimed at further distancing the model from rivals such as the Ford Mondeo and Opel Insignia.

VOLVO

Sporty V60 targets German rivals
Volvo plans to use the V60 station wagon to challenge BMW’s 3-series Touring, the Audi A4 Avant and the Mercedes-Benz C-class wagon in Europe. The V60 will be cheaper than those cars, starting at 28,000 euros in Germany compared with 28,550 euros for the Audi, 30,360 euros for the BMW, and 34,000 euros for the Mercedes. Volvo hopes the V60 will win buyers with a sporty design including a coupe-like roofline, sloping rear windshield and high shoulder profile. The Swedish brand forecasts annual sales of 50,000 V60s, with 90 percent of those sales in Europe. The car will go on sale in November. The V60 likely won’t be sold in the United States where the market for station wagons is dwindling. The V60’s safety technologies include a pedestrian detection system that automatically activates the brakes if a pedestrian steps in front of the car and the driver does not respond in time. It also features City Safety, which debuted on the XC60 and automatically brakes if the driver fails to react when a vehicle in front slows down or stops or if the car is heading too fast toward a stationary object. The V60’s engine lineup will offer a choice from five gasoline units and three diesels.

Volvo V60

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ANE Executive Edition Sept. 22, 2010. Volume 1, Issue 1

Automotive News Europe - September 22, 2010

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