2017 Geneva Auto Show: Preview

The Geneva Auto Show is one of the most important automotive events of the year and always has a long list of concepts, reveals and updates that are both globally important and India relevant. The Geneva Auto Show began in 1905 and this year will be its 87^th overall running. The show which will take place in the first week of March will showcase a host of cars right from small city hatchbacks to the latest in supercar territory. That said, what everyone also seems to be equally excited about is the electric mobility space and the range of high performance models being launched by smaller ‘startup’ auto makers from around the world. Here is a list of what you can expect this year.

Suzuki:

The Suzuki Swift in its European spec will be one of the biggest reveals at the 2017 Geneva Auto Show and also the most important one from an Indian perspective. The Swift will feature a hybrid powertrain for the European market along with the standard petrol, diesel and RS models. The Swift will also spawn a more aggressive ‘Sport’ variant soon but it is unlikely to be debuted at Geneva. The new Swift supermini will also make it to India by September 2017 but will be preceded by the Swift Dzire compact sedan. The newly launched Ignis with its all-wheel-drive setup and the Baleno will also be on display at the Suzuki stall.

Kia:

The new generation Kia Picanto will be publicly unveiled at the Geneva Auto Show post its online reveal a few weeks ago. Why is this important for India? Well, Kia will be the next global brand to enter India and considering their shared platforms with Hyundai cars, they should do well as they look a lot sportier and better designed than their Korean cousins. That said, the version of the Picanto that we are most looking forward to is the GT line with its larger wheels, red accents and angry looking grille. The Picanto will also share the same petrol and diesel engines as the Grand i10 when it makes it to India.

In addition, Kia will also have the new Stinger on display for the first time in Europe after its very recent unveil at the Detroit Auto show. The Stinger is Kia’s first sports sedan and has received high praise amongst the world’s automotive press.

Tata:

Tata has regularly been a part of the Geneva Auto Show with some great concepts like the Pixel and the Nexon taking the centre stage. This time around, we expect Tata to showcase the new Hexa and the upcoming Nexon in Europe along with the Tiago. Tata has also been working on a larger hatchback to go up against the likes of the Hyundai i20 so unveiling a larger hatchback concept could also be on the cards at the 2017 Geneva Auto Show.

Jaguar Land Rover:

Jaguar and Land Rover pretty much have a very up to date range when it comes to their cars and SUVs but the Tata owned British automaker could still surprise by showcasing the new Range Rover Sport Coupe or an updated version of the XJ (which is due soon). That said, Jaguar have confirmed the XF Sportbrake (or stationwagon) for the 2017 Geneva Show. Jaguar’s electric I-Pace will also make its European debut at the Geneva Auto Show. Another important SUV that JLR could surprise the world with is the upcoming Land Rover Defender. Although production versions of the car are still a year or so away, a final production ready design concept could certainly be something that JLR could wow with at Geneva.

Ferrari:

Ferrari will bring in the F12’s replacement at the 2017 Geneva Auto Show. The F12M as it is rumoured to be called will be one of the many supercars unveiled at the Geneva Show. Expect power figures to be close to the 780bhp that was put out by the limited production run F12 TDF. Ferrari might also showcase the J50 that was made to celebrate 50 years of Ferrari in Japan to the Geneva Auto Show as a part of their display.

Lamborghini:

Lamborghini’s update to the Huracan has just one aim – to make it even quicker, sharper and a more focused track weapon. The Huracan Performante will be like the Gallardo Superleggera of the past, a lighter and more aggressively styled version of the supercar which will make its way to India in very very limited numbers. Lamborghini might also have the Urus SUV on display again since the car is expected to enter production sometime later this year.

McLaren:

Yet another supercar manufacturer with an important reveal will be McLaren. The P14 is the replacement for the 650S and will be much prettier and much more powerful. The P14 is said to be as quick or even quicker than the flagship P1 around certain tracks and will be sold alongside the 540C and the 570S. The McLaren P14 will also have MSP versions and a spyder which will be unveiled next year. Just like every other McLaren, the P14 gets a carbon tub monocoque and signature doors that open upwards.

Volkswagen:

Volkswagen has a bunch of reveals for the Geneva Auto Show including some European debuts. The most important car for the German auto giant will be the Arteon which is a 4-door coupe that replaces the CC. The other important debut for the brand will be the UP GTi and the Atlas 7-seater SUV. That said, what is more important for the Indian market is the new concept compact SUV that Volkswagen will unveil at the Geneva Auto Show. The concept should be roughly based on the T-Rock that was showcased a few years ago.

Volvo:

The Volvo XC60 is the big debut for the Swedish (or now Chinese) automaker. Expected to draw inspiration heavily from the XC90, the XC60 will make its Indian debut sometime later this year and will help Volvo grow in the 50 lakh SUV range. The XC60 will have a similar interior as the XC90 with a large central touchscreen and top of the line materials and will also have the Thor’s hammer lighting pattern in the headlamps as with all Volvo cars.

Techrules:

Chinese EV startup Techrules originally showcased its innovative turbine-recharging EV technology at the 2016 Geneva show and this year, they claim to have made a production ready version. The turbine electric supercar/hypercar will make a peak output of over 1000 bhp and has a claimed 0-100 kmph time of 2.5 seconds on to a top speed of 350 kmph. The car is also said to have an all-electric range of 150 km and an overall range of a whopping 1931 km!