Frankfurt, Germany - Eco-friendly models and futuristic technology like automated driving look set to dazzle at the IAA motor show in Frankfurt next week.
Hundreds of thousands of visitors are expected to crowd into the massive exhibition halls of Frankfurt's sprawling trade fair from September 19-27 to catch a glimpse of the latest models and high-tech innovations.
The world's press will get a two-day sneak preview starting on Tuesday. The show promises 210 world premieres and an “amazing display of innovations” from 1100 exhibitors from 39 countries, in a space the size of 33 football pitches.
“The atmosphere promises to be excellent, with lots of new products and new ideas,” said EY analyst Peter Fuss.
In the mass-market class dominated by Volkswagen's Golf, Renault's Megane 4 and Opel's Astra 5 will both be vying for attention. The French carmaker will unveil a new version of its Talisman , while German top-of-the-range maker Audi will present the next generation of its A4 .
But it will be the urban 4x4s, the market's darlings, that are likely to steal consumers' hearts, with Volkswagen and Ford presenting more affordable models such as the Tiguan and Edge, while Jaguar will show off its luxury F-Pace and Bentley its ultra-exclusive Bentayga .
For those opposed to the fuel-guzzlers, there are more ecologically-minded models - particularly interesting for drivers in Europe, which already has the most stringent transport CO2 emission goals in the world and could see them tightened at the COP21 summit in Paris in December.
Toyota has chosen Frankfurt to lift the veil on the fourth generation of its flagship hybrid, Prius . BMW will also present a series combining both electric and petrol engines.
Another key focus at this year's IAA will be exciting new technologies such as automated driving, said Elmar Kades, auto specialist at AlixPartners.
For the first time, around 30 000 square metres of exhibition floor space will be given over to new forms of mobility, from the connected to the self-driving car.
When the last IAA was held in 2013, the market had hit rock-bottom after five years of crisis, with car sales slumping from 16 million to just 12 million units.
Carmakers reacted by restructuring their operations and shifting their production away from Western Europe to emerging markets.
But following these bleak years for Europe, the stage appears to be set this year for a rebound in demand, with new registrations in the region rising 8.2 percent in the first six months.
The European Automobile Manufacturers' Association ACEA is pencilling in growth of around five percent for the whole year.
Nevertheless, “carmakers will no doubt err on the side of caution” at the IAA in view of the slowdown in emerging markets, said Ferdinand Dudenhoeffer, an auto industry expert at the University of Duisburg-Essen.
AFP