Our Take on the Car Market
Spring 2008
‘Our (March 2008) Take … ‘
March is the month of the Geneva Motor Show: Public Days 6-16th. Crisp Swiss Spring air and snow-covered Alps as a backdrop make it special and it’s easy to attend. Just across the road from the airport, you can fly there and back for the day from Liverpool or Bristol.
Mercedes-Benz, launching the Estate version of the new C-Class and a CLC (Sport Hatch) model based on the previous one, has had a major makeover. For the SLK sport cars, changes go further and the SLK does merit the word ‘new’.
Nose and tail revisions belie a lot of work on the dynamics (steering, suspension and brakes) while the engines are stronger, cleaner and less thirsty according to the company. The SLK 350 V6 engine is a new unit altogether. There’s now an SLK 280 to fit between the 200 and 350 – it’s a V6 and, coupled to a manual 6 speed gearbox really does drive rather nicely. Prices start at just over £28k.
Audi, hot on the heels of the new A4 are showing the ‘Avant’ (Estate) version which arrives here in June. Prices start at £22,590.
Citroen’s
new C5 saloon will be here next month and Tourer (Estate) in the
Summer.
The “volume guys” are not going to surrender the upper-medium class to
posh Germans and this car will come loaded with kit at competitive
prices and a big hike in quality
according to the manufacturers. The new twin-turbo Diesel engines (4
cylinder 2.2 litre and V6 2.7) top off the range.
We
weren’t joking last time when we said that the upper-
medium
class was about to become
THE
battleground of 2008.
Renault has launched a “GT”
fersion of the new Laguna – it’s got four wheel steer for sharper
roadholding – and Skoda
the new Superb. Longer even and
sleeker, it will be here in September.
Lighter, compact
SUVs are the other big thing this year and
Renault
is showing the Koleos. Here in the S
ummer,
it’s a crossover with a front-wheel drive entry model. Also making a
Swiss debut is Subaru’s
new Forester – longer, wider and
taller it boasts ‘symmetrical’ all wheel drive – a very capable 4x4.
Petrol next month it gets the new (breakthrough) boxer Diesel engine in
the Autumn.
Hyundai
i10 is the latest of its new generation. There will be an i20 SuperMini
for 2009 between this city car and the Focus/Golf rivalling i30.
Prices: £6,495 to £7,895 but air conditioning and front electric windows
are standard as is the five year warranty. The two bottom models emit
only 119g/km CO2
so the tax disc is only £35 and they even creep in under Ken
Livingstone’s radar. Not a bad drive either and quite comfortable once
beyond the cheapest and into ‘Comfort’ - for a height adjustable
driver’s seat. Arrives in the UK on April 2nd … not the 1st.