Motor Show 2016 - under the sign of SUVs

A really rich edition of the Poznań Motor Show is behind us. The recent Geneva Motor Show 2016 helped a bit, because many cars premiered in Switzerland for the second time in Poland. The exception was Hyundai, which ... preferred Poznań.

What attracts the most crowds of viewers at the Motor Show are the cars shown in Poland for the first time. So if the premieres are the main measure of the quality of the fair, this year the level was very high.

Traditionally, the entire one hall was reserved for its cars by the Volkswagen Group (Audi, Porsche, Seat, Skoda, Volkswagen). As if that was not enough, Audi owned a large area of the zone located outside, between the main halls. The second large piece of this space was taken by BMW , which also reserved a lot of space inside for private label and MINI cars. The Bavarian concern was also present in the part devoted to motorcycles. Other leaders of the exhibition space are the PSA group (Citroen, Peugeot, DS), Mercedes, JLR (Jaguar and Land Rover), Hyundai, Kia, FCA (Fiat / Chrysler), Toyota and Honda. The brands Ferrari, Maserati, Infiniti, Ford, Suzuki, Nissan, Renault, Mitsubishi, Mazda, Volvo and Rolls Royce were also present.

Big premieres

Important events were the shows of two SUVs, and those not at all in the financial reach of Kowalski (even the middle class one).

The Maserati Levante - the first SUV of this Italian brand - had its Polish premiere. The further fate of Maserati is to depend on the market success of this model, which is why we strongly cheer for this large and (which does not always go hand in hand) shapely SUV to be a success. For now, there are opportunities for this, because, for example, in Poland, half of the copies intended for our market have already been sold. It is worth mentioning that all Levante engines are coupled to the intelligent Q4 all-wheel drive, which can transfer torque between the axles when the need arises.

On the opposite side of the same hall, the F-Pace was presented - also the first Jaguar SUV (or, as the manufacturer wants - crossover). This model is interesting because it shows the change that is taking place in the group itself. Until recently, the brand wanted to be associated with luxury limousines. Today, he is not afraid to offer cars at prices from 199 thousand. PLN (this is what F-Pace is supposed to cost), and in addition, it offers a relatively "inexpensive" car from the category in which expensive Range Rovers (belonging to the same concern) have been reigning for years. So will the Jaguar soon prove to be a cheaper version of the Range Rover? Hopefully the brand will keep its distinct style, although it's nice to know that the manufacturer offers a free 3-year service pack as an addition to the F-Pace.

Compact news

Whoever is not on the way with Jaguar or Maserati, could go down to the ground at the joint Fiat and Jeep stand. During the fair, you could try on the Fiat Tipo , which has a good chance of reaching the top five best-selling cars in Poland. Success can be ensured by an affordable price, decent quality and solid equipment. It seems Fiat really knows how to make cheap cars that drive well and don't scare off with a tacky finish.

The second interesting novelty of Fiat was the 124 Spider model, next to which was placed a restored version of the Fiat 124. The reference to history can be considered extremely successful in this case. And it does not matter that the new Fiat is based on Mazda MX-5 components.

And what was happening at the Volkswagen stand? It's nice that the old "cucumber" or - if you prefer - the Bulli model was exposed so much. The car attracted the attention of visitors no less than modern cars. From the driver's point of view, the comfortable sofas and the excellent all-round visibility are still impressive. The Bulli and the Transporter in the tourist version of California distracted viewers a bit from the main attraction, which was to be the new Tiguan . The car will be equipped with, among others in Emergency Assist, which will stop the vehicle if its driver collapses.

In the same hall, you could see the Seat Leon in the Cupra 290 version - this model accelerates to a hundred in 5.7 seconds. You could also see the Seat Altec - another "first SUV" of the well-known brand at the 2016 Motor Show.

Speaking of off-road cars, it is worth mentioning the Q2 models and the e-Tron Quattro concept. The latter model is today a somewhat futuristic vision developed by a Pole - Kamil Łabanowicz. The car is distinguished by, among others extremely low drag coefficient of 0.25! The car is expected to go into production in 2018.

Luxury to power

Well, maybe there will be enough of these SUVs, but in fact - they dominated this year's Motor Show.

Those looking for a car that could enjoy driving on asphalt roads could be interested in the MINI Convertible in the color "Caribbeam Aqua". And if they want to carry their family in the MINI - there was also the Clubman model with the trunk doors that open like shutters.

From the MINI stand, close to the BMW stand, there are luxuries - incl. Individual limousines with hand-sewn upholstery (the sewing show could also be watched). The biggest attraction was undoubtedly the M760Li xDrive model - it is the top version of the "seven", which, thanks to the 600 HP engine, accelerates to 100 km / h in 3.9 seconds. The sports hybrid model was also sensational - the i8 model with tilted doors.

When it comes to luxury, the Mercedes is not to be missed. Several convertibles: S, SLC and the restyled SL model were shown in Poznań. The biggest magnet of the stand, however, was to be the new E-class model, which "dangerously" approached the S-class. The hallmark of the new E model is to be a noble finished cabin, although light, quilted leather will probably not be available in the cheapest version. The manufacturer calls this model "the smartest upper-class limousine in the world", so I leave it to your imagination how long a list of all the innovations used in this car would be if I were to list them now. More modern power steering and an even more sophisticated lane change assistant are just two of the new features.

Other news

Indeed, it is impossible to describe all the novelties in one article. That's why I just mention that the new S90 and V90 models attracted a lot of interest at the Volvo stand. An interesting curiosity in the part reserved by Citroen was the family van Spacetourer (it is worth taking a closer look at it). Peugeot unveiled a new SUV (of course!) - called 2008 - which is supposed to be small but very versatile. The concept SUV was also on the Mitsubishi ( Ex Concep ) stand. Renault showed a completely new model Megane (also in the Sport version!). But when it comes to sports emotions, the Porsche 911 R or the Audi R8 V10 plus will certainly provide larger ones, which were also available in Poznań.

What about the Hyundai brand mentioned at the beginning? At a large stand, the Korean manufacturer presented its entire range of models, including a hybrid called IONIQ and a luxury model sold under the name Genesis . For the Polish branch of the brand, however, the Elantra model was the most important, because it was possible to make this car have its European premiere during the 2016 Motor Show. So it was in Poznań that you could see a model that would be difficult to find in Geneva.

Keep it up! Let us hope that there will be more and more prime ministers from year to year.