The Paris Motor Show opens to the public on Saturday. Michael McAleer, Motoring Editor, stepped into the city's traffic to preview what's on offer
Given the famous French regard for fashion and design, it's hardly surprising that concept cars will play an integral part of the biennial gathering of the motoring world in Paris, which starts this week.
Yet there are other tempting models on offer as well, not least several supercar flagships and more signs of the increasing threat posed by the Korean marques. Here's a preview:
ALFA ROMEO 8C Competizione
This is to be the Italian marque's new flagship model, a 450bhp supercar that will go on sale next autumn, though only 500 are expected to be built.
AUDI R8
The flagship supercar from the four-ringed German brand, Audi is expected to build 5,000 R8s. It's based on Lamborghini's Gallardo platform and features an all-wheel-drive system. It's powered by Audi's 4.2-litre V8 taken from the RS4. Unfortunately the upcoming A5 coupé - aimed at chasing the BMW 3-Series coupé and Mercedes CLK - is missing from the Paris line-up.
BMW X3 facelift
The changes here are largely internal, with better interior fittings and trim. Of course, as is the case in most facelifts, the light clusters have been slightly adjusted but not that anyone but the most avid X3 fan will notice.
The new X5 may miss this show but it is going to Los Angeles at the end of the year.
CITROËN C4 Picasso
Although it's been revealed some time ago - and test driven in Motors (August 9th edition) - the seven-seat C4 Picasso makes its official debut at the French show. Much larger and upmarket than the current Picasso range - which will continue to be sold alongside it - the new car is incredibly airy inside and features a host of fancy features. It's set to rival the likes of the Opel Zafira and Renault Grand Scenic.
FORD Mondeo
Arguably the biggest launch at the show, Ford is unveiling its new Mondeo - albeit in "concept" form - at the Paris show.
The production version is due to arrive here in the middle of next year and is based on the same underpinnings as the new Galaxy and S-Max.
Ford accepts that for all the positives with the current Mondeo, it lacked style to match its substance. This new look will spread across the range in the coming years.
The wheelbase has been stretched by no less than 10 cm (it now has 2,854 mm), bigger than Volvo's S80 distance between the wheels (a car from a superior class) and an impressive 14cm longer than the new VW Passat, Mondeo's arch-rival. Nevertheless, the overall length increased by only 5cm (to 4,78 metres), meaning the wheels were positioned towards the extremes of the body. The luggage compartment's capacity will only be disclosed at Paris premiere.
The air vents for the rear seat passengers have been placed in the B-pillars, in an MPV-like position. There are also improvements to the car's handling, with a trailing arm in the rear axle rather than the Quadralink system on the current model. The petrol engine range will start with the 1.6 Duratec and go up to the 2.5 litre. The diesel offer ranges from the 1.8 and 2.0 TDCi to the - still to be confirmed - more sophisticated V6 2.7, jointly developed with the PSA Group.
Finally, with mid-size saloons suffering at the hands of SUVs and MPVs these days, don't rule out an SUV/Crossover version of the new Mondeo during its lifetime if demand for such vehicles continues apace across Europe.
FOCUS CUV
Again another "concept" offering, this is the new soft-roader SUV version of the current Focus. It's going up against the likes of the Nissan Qashqai and upcoming VW Golf SUV, and is planned to steal sales from the likes of Hyundai's Santa Fe and Tucson.
HONDA CR-V
This is the third-generation CR-V and is powered by a 2-litre 150bhp petrol engine and 140bhp 2.2-litre diesel. It's claimed that both fuel economy and performance have been improved on current models. The car is already on sale in the US. Particular improvements have been made on the interior, bringing it closer to the premium look in the likes of the Accord.
HYUNDAI Arnejs "concept"
This is the big news from Hyundai, where it unveils the car set to replace the Accent and Elantra and give the Korean brand a real challenger against the likes of the Ford Focus and VW Golf. It looks remarkably similar to the new Kia Cee'd, but Hyundai stress there are differences between it and its sister company's offering. It's thought that the vast majority of features will make it into production, when sales start early next year. The concept name, however, is unlikely to survive.
KIA Cee'd
The Cee'd is due to replace the current Cerato model and differs from its Hyundai lookalike in that it will be aimed at providing a more sports-styled car than the Arnejs.
LAND ROVER Defender facelift
There has been much speculation surrounding Land Rover's efforts to replace its most iconic model, but the Ford-owned brand has played it safe with this facelift. Differences include a minor improvement on trim and a 2.4-litre 122bhp diesel engine.
LANCIA Delta
While they've not been seen in these parts for some time, Lancia has confirmed it will return to right-hand drive markets in the next few years and the first car that will go on sale here will be the new Delta. This five-door is yet another concept that will make it into production virtually the same and comes from Fiat's star designer Frank Stephenson, whose previous work has included the Mini, BMW X5 and more recently the Ferrari 599.
MITSUBISHI Outlander
Again another concept that will make it all the way to production. It's already on sale in the US and Japan and is due to come to dealerships here next year. This time it will feature a new 140bhp 2-litre diesel engine, sourced from VW.
Pajero: Mitsubishi will unveil its new production version of the flagship SUV in Paris.
MAZDA CX-7
Mazda is preparing for a very busy 2007, with a new Mazda2 due and a facelift of the Mazda6. First up, however, is the European version of the CX-7 SUV crossover (see below right). The five-seater version (tested in Motors on May 24th edition) will go on sale in the first few months of next year and will feature a 2.3-litre 258bhp disel engine.
MINI
It's hard to rejig such an iconic car and in truth the BMW-owned brand is taking a rather gentle approach to this second generation of its take on the 1960s car. The big changes are under the bonnet, with the introduction of a new 1.6-litre petrol engine, built in conjunction with PSA. In Cooper format it will offer 120bhp while the Cooper S will put out 175bhp. The car has also grown slightly, up 70mm in length.
NISSAN Qashqai
It's one of three new models due to replace the outgoing Almera, but this one is set to win favour with hatchback owners who are increasingly turning to soft-roaders for their motoring needs.
The styling has definite hints of the great-looking Murano, though it doesn't feature the smart front grille of its larger sibling. Built on the same platform as the Renault Megane (Nissan's sister company) it will feature four engines: a 1.6-litre petrol with five-speed manual transmission and a 2-litre petrol with six-speed transmission or CVT; and a 1.5-litre and 2-litre diesel, both with six-speed transmission. Only the 2-litre versions offer four-wheel-drive. Prices for the 1.6-litre petrol should start at about €22,000 with the 2-litre diesel at about €35,000.
OPEL Antara
The long-awaited replacement for the Frontera, the new Opel shares its platform with fellow-GM brand Chevrolet's new Captiva SUV. A five-seater soft-roader, it will be powered by a 2-litre diesel and 2.3-litre petrol during the initial stages.
PEUGEOT 908 RC
This may be yet another crazy concept, but beneath the 21" wheels and all the hype, it's there to offer some design directions for a replacement of the current ailing flagship, the 607.
207 Epure: Another concept that will make it into production virtually intact, this is the replacment for the 206CC and will be introduced in time for next summer's convertible market.
TOYOTA
It's the worst kept secret in the car industry, but Toyota is set to announce the end of the Corolla brand name for its mid-range hatchback models. It is being replaced by the Auris, a concept of which will be on show.
The look is expected to be similar to a larger version of the Yaris. However, not all will end for the Corolla brand. If Ireland decides to keep the saloon, which was always popular, then it may well keep the historic name.
VOLVO C30
The entry-level model is aimed at young buyers looking for a premium marque, sporting looks and not too tied up on space. .
VOLKSWAGEN IROC
Yes, it's yet another concept that will be identical to the final production model. This is actually the new Scirocco, VW's answer to the affordable sports car, it harks back to the heyday of the model name in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Engines will start with a 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol version offering 170bhp and a 2-litre version with 240bhp.
The Paris Motor Show opens to the public on September 30th until October 15th. Full details www.mondial-automobile.com Motors will carry a full report from the show next week