Geneva Show Highlights: New Production Cars

The Geneva Auto Show, which runs March 8-18, is traditionally a showcase for glamorous European luxury cars. This year is no exception. And there are a significant number of non-luxury models being unveiled as well. Below are world-debuting vehicles, most of which will be sold in North America.

Click here to see the Geneva concept cars.

2008 Alfa Romeo Spider 2.4 JTDm

Alfa Romeo showed off a new version of its latest Spider convertible in Geneva, the 2008 Spider 2.4 JTDm featuring a 200-hp diesel engine. With an aggressive shape based off the current Alfa Romeo Brera coupe, the Spider features a body by famed Italian designer Giorgetto Giugiaro. The Alfa Romeo name may spark an emotional connection with Americans when the brand returns to North American shores, a move planned for late 2009. Alfa Romeo pulled out of the U.S. in the early 1990s. The Spider will likely be one of the first models Alfa Romeo will reintroduce to the U.S., although it’s questionable whether the 2.4 JTDm diesel variant announced in Geneva will be sold in North America. The classic Alfa Romeo Spider is widely recognized in the U.S. for starring alongside Dustin Hoffman in the 1967 movie The Graduate. Its style was so popular that the look persisted all the way through 1993.

2008 Audi A5

Audi’s svelte new A5 is intended to compete with the BMW 3 Series Coupe and Mercedes-Benz’s CLK-Class. Volkswagen design director Walter de’Silva (formerly with Audi) spoke some heartfelt words at the A5’s world premiere in Geneva. “I am convinced the Audi A5 is the most beautiful car I have designed in my career,” he said. That’s a strong statement by someone whose design for the Audi R8 supercar has some calling it a Ferrari killer. The 2008 A5, based on the Nuvolari concept that Audi introduced in 2003, is slated to arrive in North America later this year, following a mid-year arrival in Europe. The top engine will be a 3.2-liter V6 that puts out 265 hp, while a turbocharged 1.8-liter four-cylinder will also be available in Europe. Both engines will use Audi’s direct-injection technology.

2008 Audi S5

The 2008 Audi S5 bowed alongside the A5 on which it’s based, contrary to Audi’s usual time frame for unveiling high-performance S derivatives — they usually debut after the regular models. The S5 offers a 4.2-liter direct-injection V8 similar to the engine offered in the new R8, but detuned to 354 hp. It’s good for 0 to 62 mph in 5.1 seconds, helped by standard quattro all-wheel drive, Audi says. The body design is similar to that of the A5, but with vertical chrome inlays in the grille, quad tailpipes and aluminum mirror housings that help to visually distinguish it from the A5. Audi S models, like the S4, S6 and S8 already on sale, offer higher performance but are still luxurious and compete with BMW M and Mercedes-Benz AMG models. The electronic stability program can be deactivated in two stages for enthusiasts who like to push the limits of adhesion during spirited driving.

2008 Bentley Brooklands

Bentley bills its new Brooklands two-door as “the world’s most exclusive coupe.” Only 550 of the vehicles will be produced, with a couple hundred likely to reach North America. The Brooklands is based on the Azure, a convertible currently in the Bentley lineup, but it will have the most powerful engine Bentley has produced, a 6.75-liter V8 making 530 hp and a crushing 750 pound-feet of torque. Ceramic brakes will be optional. The 2008 Brooklands coupe features room for four full-size passengers, unlike the smaller, swoopier and considerably less expensive Bentley Continental GT. Final pricing has not been determined for the U.S., where it will be available by March of next year, but a Bentley spokesperson said the price would be in the neighborhood of the $329,000 Azure convertible.



2008 BMW 5 Series

BMW’s 5 Series receives a freshening for 2008 inside and out, with the most notable differences coming under the hood. All engines benefit from increased power and better fuel economy by the addition of an advanced direct-fuel-injection system. This new system pumps up horsepower in the 530i from 255 hp to 272 hp, while the 525i is bumped up to 218 hp from 215 hp. An automatic transmission further boosts fuel economy in both models. Upgraded equipment includes a drive-by-wire electronic shifter from the new X5, a smarter radar cruise control that can slow as well as now speed up the car when traffic bunches and then clears up, and a lane-departure warning system that, instead of emitting beeps, and vibrates the steering wheel to help keep the driver focused.


2007 BMW Alpina B5

Building upon updates to the 2008 BMW 5 Series, and following the launch of the BMW Alpina B7 in North America at the Chicago Auto Show in February, Alpina showed off its revised 2008 B5, which uses the engine from the 7 Series-based B7 in the lighter 5 Series body to create what it calls the fastest four-door in the world. Its supercharged 4.4-liter V8 engine pumps out 500 hp and a mountainous 516 pound-feet of torque. Because Alpina doesn’t subscribe to the voluntary 155-mph top-speed limit that other German carmakers abide by for their models, the B5 tops out at 195 mph. Although Alpina is a separate company from BMW, they share a close relationship. Alpina vehicles are covered under BMW’s standard warranty, including its no-charge scheduled maintenance in the U.S. While BMW’s in-house M division shies away from force-fed turbo or supercharged engines, Alpina has no such compunction and aims for higher levels of performance, luxury and exclusivity, compared to the harder-edged BMW M cars. Alpina’s manager of sales, Kris Odwarka, says there are currently no plans to sell the B5 in the U.S., due to production capacity restraints. “We just couldn’t build enough of them to meet that demand,” he said.

2007 BMW Alpina B6

Although the BMW Alpina B6 debuted at the Frankfurt Motor Show in the fall of 2005, Alpina officials said in Geneva that the Alpina B6 will most likely be the next model to make it to North America. “We’re actively studying it, and it’s the only other model besides the B7 that may be feasible from a production standpoint,” said Kris Odwarka, Alpina’s manager of sales. The B6 is based on the curvaceous BMW 6 Series two-door and shares its 500-hp 4.4-liter supercharged V8 with the B5 and B7. It will be available in both coupe and convertible models, as the 6 Series is. Alpina models are generally priced above the BMW M vehicles based on the same models, said Odwarka, simply because they are available in smaller numbers. This despite being built on the same production lines as their standard and M BMW counterparts. The B6 has a top speed of 193 mph, with a 0-to-62-mph acceleration run officially listed at 4.9 seconds.


2008 BMW M5 Touring

The BMW M5 Touring is a four-door, 507-hp V10 monster wagon that needs no introduction to North American enthusiasts, who must content themselves with the four-door sedan version of the M5, as there are currently no plans for the M5 Touring to be sold here. In Europe wagons have the same lofty cool-factor as SUVs do in the U.S., so a practical hot rod like the M5 Touring is a no-brainer. Apart from the longer body with a versatile cargo hold, the M5 Touring is virtually identical to its sedan sibling.






2008 Jaguar XJ

The 2008 Jaguar XJ is not all new, but it receives styling and interior upgrades meant to keep it fresh until an all-new version arrives, reportedly in 2010. The most noticeable exterior changes are the redesigned front and rear bumpers. The car also gets slit-like vertical gills from the XK coupe. Turn signals are now integrated into the rearview mirrors, along with some additional chrome detailing around the car’s lower air dam and fog lights. Heated and cooled front seats are now available, while rear-seat passengers get slightly more room from resculpted front seats. Jaguar is taking a firm stand against knob-like controllers in its top-line sedan as most other luxury carmakers increasingly adopt them. Jaguar is currently the only European manufacturer to do so, in an effort to keep its interiors easy to use. The 2008 XJ does, however, offer an improved Bluetooth system that allows up to five phones to be synched to it, instantly storing phonebooks and “last number dialed” lists.


2007 Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera

Lamborghini unveiled a higher-performance variant of its Gallardo model, which the Italian manufacturer produced by cutting weight and adding power. Superleggera translates to “super light” in Italian. The car’s 5.0-liter V10 engine has been upgraded to 530 hp, while its weight is down 220 pounds to a total of 3,153 pounds. Neither the power gain nor the weight loss is particularly extreme. Lamborghini says the changes result in a 3.8-second sprint from 0 to 62 mph — 0.2 seconds quicker than a standard Gallardo coupe. Carbon-fiber sport seats and titanium wheel nuts help cut the car’s weight, although the Gallardo’s all-wheel-drive system is retained. The car will be available this year in North America and Europe.


2008 Maserati GranTurismo

Maserati played up the historical symmetry of the introduction of its all-new GranTurismo, the original version of which was unveiled at the Geneva show in 1947. That classic was the company's first production car and was designed by Mr. Giovanni Battista “Pinin” Farina, namesake of the famous Italian design house Pininfarina that created the look of the new model. The current Maserati two-doors, the Coupe and GranSport, were designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro of ItalDesign and have been criticized for not upholding the brand's design heritage. The all-new GranTurismo is based on the Maserati Quattroporte and uses a slightly more powerful version of the Ferrari-designed 4.2-liter V8 in that sedan. It puts out 405 hp and is mated to the same ZF six-speed automatic transmission just introduced on the Quattroporte.

Read more about the 2008 Maserati GranTurismo here.

 
2008 Mazda2

There was no specific mention of the U.S. during Mazda’s unveiling of the 2008 Mazda2 hatchback, but the company made it clear that the little car is designed for global appeal and will meet “global environmental and safety standards.” Corporate parent Ford confirmed at the Geneva show that a subcompact Ford car will be coming to the U.S. and Europe within the next two years, and the Mazda2 architecture is a likely candidate for these models (the current Mazda3 platform underpins the European Ford Focus and the Volvo S40/V50). The Mazda2 will be available by summer 2007 in Europe, where its largest engine offering will be a 1.5-liter, 103 hp four-cylinder. The Mazda2 is the first car to use the company’s new design language.


2008 Mercedes-Benz C-Class

Mercedes-Benz is showing off the update to its best-selling and smallest sedan to the public for the first time in Geneva. Sport and Luxury models should be available in the U.S. by late summer. Highlights for this longer and wider new generation include an adaptive suspension system on all models, featuring variable damping rates meant to automatically detect whether the driver is in cruise or attack mode and adjust accordingly. An optional upgrade dubbed Advanced Agility will provide the C-Class driver with the choice of sport and comfort settings. Engines likely to make it to North America at launch are the same ones currently available, a trio of V6s that range from 204 hp to 272 hp in European trim. Three diesel engines have also been announced at launch, but the lack of a BlueTec version (designed to meet stringent U.S. emissions regulations) suggests that a diesel C-Class is not yet part of Mercedes-Benz’s plans for North America.

 
2008 Smart Fortwo Brabus and Brabus Xclusive

The second-generation Smart Fortwo will arrive in the U.S. in early 2008, but by this fall Europeans will have the option of two performance-oriented versions unveiled in Geneva, the Fortwo Brabus and the Fortwo Brabus Xclusive. The Fortwo Brabus will feature a larger but still frugal Mercedes-Benz-designed 1.0-liter, three-cylinder engine, spinning out 98 hp. Estimated fuel economy is about 53 mpg combined city/highway. The 0-to-62-mph run still takes a leisurely 9.9 seconds, but that's loads better than the 18-second times provided by the 40-hp diesel engine in the first-generation Smart Fortwo still currently sold in Canada. The Brabus will also be lowered by 15mm with a stiffer suspension, as well as offer unique wheels, wider wheel arches and a dressed-up interior. The Fortwo Brabus Xclusive receives the same power and handling upgrades, but with more of an emphasis on luxury. It features heated leather seats inside, a unique front spoiler and side skirts on the exterior, and comes in either a silver or black monochromatic paint scheme.

2008 Volvo V70

Volvo has been on a tear of late, announcing its fourth all-new product in the last two years — the 2008 V70 wagon. The 2008 model will be the first V70 with the option of a six-cylinder, a 3.2-liter engine producing 235 hp. The new V70 will offer a unique integrated booster cushion in both outboard rear seats, with a two-position setting that will accommodate growing children. The V70 will likely share the recently released S80 sedan’s lengthy list of safety technology, but add unique features such as a powered tailgate and power sliding rear floor. Volvo says the 2008 V70 will be on sale in early 2008, about a year after its Geneva unveiling. We expect an S60 sedan version of this wagon to follow soon.


2008 Volvo XC70

Volvo released photos and information about its all-new V70 wagon in February, but kept the wraps on its more outdoorsy sibling, the 2008 XC70, for its official debut at the Geneva show. The XC letters have come to represent the crossover moniker for Volvo, joining the more SUV-like silhouette of the XC90 and the smaller XC60 that's slated for 2009. Both the V70 and the XC70 share the unique-to-the-industry integrated rear booster seats, which can be adjusted to fit children of varying heights and ages, as well as a lengthy smorgasbord of advanced safety features. The V70 and XC70 also share Volvo’s impressively smooth inline six-cylinder 3.2-liter engine, as does the brand’s flagship S80 sedan. The two new Volvo wagons ride on the same platform and both will go on sale in the second half of 2007.