Frankfurt Motor Show 2013 review
The Frankfurt Motor Show 2013 is over and Auto Express has created handy round-up of everything on show
The Frankfurt Motor Show 2013 is over and Auto Express was reporting live from this year’s biggest car show. We’ve created a handy round-up to help guide you through all the biggest and most exciting debuts.
Details on all of the cars unveiled at the show can be found below or in the links provided.
Latest update:
As promised, Auto Express is on hand to keep you up-to-date with all the unveilings at Frankfurt, and German manufacturer VW and Mercedes tuning arm Brabus have both taken the waps off new machines. Volkswagen has unveilied the new Golf Sportsvan concept, which will replace the old Golf Plus in the VW line-up. At 4,338mm long, the Sportsvan is 134mm shorter than the old Golf Plus, but 83mm longer than the current Golf and has a 48mm-longer wheelbase and higher roofline.
Brabus has also worked its magic on the already mighty Mercedes G63 AMG. The result is the incredible Brabus B63S-700, a 690bhp six-wheel-drive titan that will explode from 0-62mph in 7.4 seconds – despite weighing-in at almost four tonnes!
Suzuki has also unveiled a compact SUV called the iV-4, which is set to rival the Nissan Juke and Renault Captur. It will be available in the UK in 2015 in two and four-wheel drive and features various personalisation options. Prices should start in the region of £11,500.
Fellow Japanese manufacturer Nissan has taken the wraps off the new X-Trail. Its takes inspiration from the popular Juke and Qashqai and features various high-tech safety equipment. It will be launched in the first quater of 2014 and sit above the aforementioned Juke and Qashqai in the range.
The Mercedes S-Class Coupe has also been unveiled at the Frankfurt motor show. It previews a CL-replacing coupe due in mid-2014. While the Frankfurt show car is billed as a concept, our sources say it's 90% the finished article. Check out our video report.
Four years after presenting the Vision EfficientDynamics concept car, the production version of the BMW i8 has been revealed. The hybrid super car expected to go on sale later this year for a price starting around £100,000.
If your prefer something a little more subtle, take a look at the updated Kia Optima. It has been given a light facelift ready to go on sale early in 2014.
Highlights so far
Audi
A new Audi Sport Quattro concept also made its debut at this year's Frankfurt Motor Show – check out our show video of the monstrous 690bhp plug-in hybrid. The Quattro will be built in small numbers, and will be the most expensive model Audi sells at £125,000. It will feature a tuned version of the firm's 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8, paired with an electric motor to help boost torque. Audi also wheeled out the new Audi A3 Cabriolet and the production version of the A3 saloon, as will a facelifted Audi A8. Plus the German firm revealed the Nanuk concept car – a part supercar, part SUV crossover – which previews new design language and exciting SUV technology. Take a look at our video of the Nanuk.
BMW
BMW had its hands full at this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show, showcasing no less than seven new cars. The long-awaited BMW i3 was the main attraction – and thanks to a bit of bribery, charm and fast talking, we even managed to sneak a ride in a production version months before we were supposed to. The other main attraction on the BMW stand was the BMW i8 – we've made a video report on the hybrid supercar. The BMW 4 Series also made its first public debut, as did the all-new BMW X5. The German firm has also announced an X5 plug-in hybrid – the X5 e-Drive concept – which will be able to cover 19 miles in EV mode and return 74.3mpg while emiting just 90g/km CO2.
Bugatti
In the build-up to Frankfurt, Bugatti announced it would be launching six special edition 'Legend' versions of the Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse – each named after a key figure from the brand's past. The first made its debut at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in August and was called the Jean-Pierre Wimille to commemorate one of Bugatti's most famous drivers, who won the Le Mans 24hrs in 1937 and 1939. The second model in the Legends line up was unveiled at Frankfurt and is called the Jean Bugatti, for the son of the brand's original founder Ettore Bugatti, and features a colour scheme and detailing inspired by the Type 57SC Atlantic La Voiture Noire.
Chevrolet
Chevrolet showcased the Camero Coupe and Convertible in Europe for the first time at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The Coupe will cost from £35,320 and the Convertible £40,320 when they go on sale in the UK at the end of the year, both powered by a 426bhp 6.2-litre V8.
Citroen
Citroen unveiled two models at Frankfurt. The first was the Cactus concept – which shows off the firm's new back-to-basics design philosophy for its non-DS branded models and previews a production model that will be called the C4 Cactus. The other model to make its public was the Citroen Grand C4 Picasso.
Ford
The Ford S-Max concept was showcased at Frankfurt. The concept features a bolder front end with chrome detailing and raked back headlights. It's based on the same platform as the next generation Mondeo and is likely to use a range of turbocharged EcoBoost petrol and TDCi diesel engines, a hybrid version is a possibility. Expect prices to start in the region of £23,000.
The Ford Mondeo Vignale is a flagship Mondeo which heralds the start of Ford's plan to produce more premium versions of existing cars. Each will wear a new Vignale (pronounced vin-yar-lay) badge. As an example of what we can expect from the new range – due in early 2015 – Ford debuted the Mondeo Vignale Concept, featuring a unique interior and subtle exterior updates, at the Frankfurt Motor Show.
Honda
The Honda Civic Tourer was the star of the Japanese firm's stand. But bosses also revealed that the new Civic Type R will be powered by a turbocharged 267bhp 2.0-litre engine. You can see a video of the prototype in action.
Hyundai
The Hyundai i10 has been given a facelift and the new car was on show in Frankfurt. More than 110,000 i10s have found a home since it was introduced in 2008, making it Hyundai's most popular model. The new i10 is bigger and more practical than the outgoing model. Prices start at £8,500, up £150 on the current price, but Hyundai says the increased space, quality and practicality will seduce buyers.
Infiniti
Sebastian Vettel has been helping with the development of the Q30 concept. The BMW 1 Series and Audi A3 rival is the first car the three-time Formula One world champion has been involved in from the very beginning, after helping the latter stages of development of the Infiniti Q50. Production won’t start on the Q30 until 2015, which will take place at Nissan’s assembly plant in Sunderland.
Jaguar
Jaguar finally took the wraps off its much-anticipated SUV – the C-X17. It's only a concept, but a production version will go on sale by 2016. There is speculation that it will be called either the Q-Type or XQ, after Jaguar trademarked both names. It also shows off a new scaleable aluminium architecture that will form the basis of an aggressive product expansion from the Brit firm. Check out our video of the C-X17.
Kia
Competition among jacked-up hatchbacks is fierce at the moment but that isn’t stopping Kia from joining the party. Initially introduced as the KED-10 concept car, Kia has now revealed their latest concept and baptized it the Niro concept. There are no definite plans to put the Niro into production but Kia is using the Frankfurt Motor Show to gauge public reaction, which will help determine whether the Niro concept gets the go-ahead. Alongside the Niro concept, Kia also revealed the updated Soul MPV. An exterior redesign featuring an SUV styling pack, including blackened bumpers, roof and wheelarches and a more driver focused interior mark this out. The Korean firm also took the wraps off the facelifted Optima.
Land Rover
The Land Rover Discovery has undergone a bit of nip and tuck, and the Brit firm was showing off the changes at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The Discovery also features added safety tech and gets intelligent auto stop/start for increased fuel economy. Biggest changes include restyled LED headlight and revised front grille and bumper. For customers who take full advantage of the Discovery's off-roading abilities, they can spec wade sensors, which use SONAR to inform the driver of the depth of water they are currently in.
Lexus
The star of the Lexus stand was a ferocious-looking compact SUV concept called the LF-NX. It previes a £25,000 model that will go up against the likes of the Audi Q3.
Mazda
The just-launched Mazda 3 made its first public debut at Frankfurt. And the Japanese firm revealed its specifications and the fact that prices will start from £16,695.
Mercedes
The Mercedes stand at the Frankfurt Motor Show was a hive of activity, with four debuts. There was the S-Class coupe, which is due to go on sale next year costing from £75,000; the S500 Hybrid, which boasts an incredible economy figure of 94.2mpg and CO2 emissions of just 69g/km; the CLA Racing Series, a track version of the CLA; and the S63 AMG super saloon.
Nissan
Nissan took the wraps off its all-new X-Trail. And the SUV is packed with technology and has a sleek new look inspired by the firm's Qashqai and Juke crossovers. It also revealed its new Nissan Nismo smartwatch. It's a rival to the Samsung Galaxy Gear smartwatch and aims to connect the driver and vehicle, delivering biometric data as well as info on the car's economy and performance stats.
Porsche
The Porsche 918 Spyder has been in the pipe-line for some time now and a production ready version has been presented at Frankfurt Motor Show 2013. Despite its 875bhp hybrid powertrain and race car performance, the Porsche 918 Spyder will have better economy than a Toyota Auris hybrid. Porsche has also updated the Panamera by fitting it with an Audi-sourced 296bhp 3.0-litre turbocharged V6 diesel engine. It will replace the current 247bhp V6 diesel, with prices starting at around £62,922.
Radical
We're no stranger to the Radical RXC but Frankfurt has played host to the debut of the RXC in road legal specification. It uses a 380bhp 3.7-litre Ford V6 engine and offers the closest on-raod experice to a Le Mans racer. It will crack 62mph in 2.7 seconds and hit a top speed of 175mph.
Renault
Prior to its unveiling at Frankfurt, images of the Renault Initiale Paris concept car surfaced online. It previews the next-generation Espace, which is due to be launched in 2014. Renault has already revealed the next-gen Espace will swap its boxy MPV stance for a more stylish and elegant crossover design, something the leaked concept images show.
Seat
The Seat Leon was crowned Auto Express car of the year for 2013 and the new Leon ST was on show at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The ST will complete the Leon model line up, with a five-door hatchback and three-door SC already on sale. Prices are yet to be announced but we expect it to cost around £750 more than the hatchback.
Skoda
Originally thought to be an estate car, the Skoda Rapid Spaceback is a more conventional hatchback version of the Rapid. The Spaceback features the same design and wheelbase as the existing car and is set to go on sale in October after its debut in Frankfurt.
Smart
Smart has revealed the new Fourjoy concept car – an all-electric four-seater that previews how the next-generation Forfour will look when it arrives in late 2014.
Subaru
Subaru has left a gap in its line up after ditching the old WRX STI due to poor sales performance. However, that could all change with the unveiling of a new Subaru WRX STI in Frankfurt. The revamped car could get the 2.0-litre turbo Boxer engine from the current Subaru Forester and a power output of around 300bhp.
Suzuki
Suzuki teased us earlier in the month with their Nissan Juke rival. The Suzuki iV-4 compact crossover concept takes inspiration from the Jimny and Grand Vitara SUV and will be available in two and four-wheel-drive.
Toyota
Frankfurt marked the debut for the new Toyota Yaris Hybrid-R concept, however, this is no ordinary Yaris hatchback. It uses a 1.6-litre GRE (Global Race Engine) developed by Toyota Motorsport, which is twinned with two powerful electric motors developing around 400bhp. The motors drive the rear wheels while the engine turns the front, making the Hybrid-R all-wheel drive.
Vauxhall
A big attraction in Frankfurt was a new coupe, the Vauxhall Monza. Rivaling the Audi A5 and BMW 4 Series, the Monza is a result of the $4 billion investment GM Europe received from its US parent company. Said to be a similar size to Vauxhall’s Cascada, it is also expected to use the same front-wheel drive platform.
Vauxhall also unveiled the facelifted Insignia VXR. The 170mph super saloon has had a few cosmetic tweaks such as a revised front grille and headlights as well as a restyled interior. It's available in hatchback and SportsTourer form priced at £29,749 and £31,049 respectively.
Volkswagen
Volkswagen was busy in Frankfurt, unveiling five new cars. The cooked-up four-wheel drive Golf R, along with the Nissan Leaf-challenging e-Golf and an electric version of the Up! were all revealed. To complete the new Mk7 Golf line-up, a replacement for the Golf Plus model was also showcased, and is due to go on sale in 2014. VW is also extending its Bluemotion range and fitting the extra efficient package to the Volkswagen Caddy, which also debuted at Frankfurt. Headline figures read 62.8mpg and 117g/km of CO2, thanks to aerodynamic tweaks, low rolling resistance tyres and a stop/start system.
Volvo
Volvo unveiled the Concept Coupe – the first model to be penned by new senior vice president of design, Thomas Ingenlath, and is the first of three concepts that introduce the firm’s new design language.
