Economy cars take back seat at Swiss show
Print Edition
FROM ultra-luxury sports cars to 4x4 urban conquerors, the Geneva International Motor Show opened yesterday as gas guzzlers see their popularity rebound amid the oil price slide.
More than 120 new models from manufacturers across the world will be introduced at the 86th edition of Europe’s flagship auto show, with industry leaders boasting of a positive mood after the financial crisis of 2008-2013 fades for some consumers.
That optimism comes despite the ongoing fallout from the Volkswagen pollution scandal.
The show, which opens to the public tomorrow, but offered a tantalizing peek at what would be on view with a ceremony awarding Opel/Vauxhall the coveted Europe’s Car of the Year title for its 2016 Astra.
While more practical, even modestly priced cars often win the top award, the Geneva show is synonymous with luxury and performance and the 2016 edition is unlikely to disappoint.
Bugatti unveiled the Chiron — successor to the Veyron — which aims to take its place among the most powerful and fastest cars in the world.
At an estimated price of some US$2.2 million it is also one of the most expensive.
Appealing to a broader market, the Geneva show includes a full line-up of SUVs catering for urban driving that have captured more than 22 percent of the European market since they were introduced a decade ago.
With oil prices plummeting from over US$100 in 2014 to below US$35 a barrel, analysts said cheap fuel was making hybrid cars less of a priority for some buyers.
Last year’s Car of the Year winner was the Volkswagen Passat, but the company is expected to keep a low profile this year, amid the scandal that followed revelations its diesel engine cars were secretly outfitted with devices to cheat US emissions tests.
Analysts said the plight of the German car giant, which controls nearly 25 percent of the European market, will dampen the mood in Geneva, the biggest European show since the scandal broke.
“Volkswagen will be more modest than usual. The company is trying to appear more open, more transparent and we should see this new culture in Geneva,” said German car expert Stefan Braztel.
Volkswagen faces potentially huge damages as a result of the scandal, after some 200 owners of VW, Audi and Porsche diesel vehicles filed a class-action lawsuit in San Francisco earlier this week.
Organizers expect 650,000-700,000 visitors at the show, which runs through March 13, with 200 exhibitors from more than 30 countries and regions.
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