As of: February 26, 2024, 4:54 p.m
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Electromobility for the mass market: Renault is bringing back the R5 as the successor to the Zoe.
© Thomas Geiger/dpa-tmn/dpa
What a crash: The Motor Show was once the most important car show on the continent.
This time many people turned their backs on him.
But these five firsts deserve your attention.
Geneva – There could have been a big birthday gala.
But on the occasion of its 100th anniversary, the Geneva Motor Show (public days February 28th to March 3rd) is in danger of sinking into insignificance.
Even more than the IAA in Munich or the motor show in Paris, what was once the most important industry summit on the continent had to struggle with cancellations.
Empty areas therefore had to be filled with vintage cars and seating areas.
But the few remaining exhibitors are making a virtue of necessity, making a big splash and basking in the attention that, for once, they don't have to share with industry giants like Mercedes, VW, Stellantis or the Japanese.
And you can't do it without premieres at the Palexpo exhibition center.
On the contrary: these five innovations from Geneva are definitely worth taking a close look at.
Renault R5: Big comeback for the “Little Friend”
It is perhaps the most important Renault innovation of the decade and has what it takes to make electromobility widespread: As the successor to the Zoe, Renault is bringing back the R5 and making the “Little Friend” from the 1970s and 1980s an electric hope.
It is scheduled to launch in late summer at prices starting at around 25,000 euros and will redefine entry-level mobility.
Two battery options with 40 or 52 kWh ensure a range of up to 400 kilometers.
The motorization with up to 110 kW/150 HP is sufficient for a top speed of 150 km/h.
And the body, with a lot of charm and quotes from the past, consoles the fact that the R5, with a length of less than four meters and a wheelbase of barely more than 2.50 meters, is in most cases too small for a family car.
MG3: Greetings from the old combustion engine world
The vast majority of new cars in Geneva are electric and many of them come from China.
But MG, as the most successful Chinese brand in Germany, is bucking the trend and is once again showing a new combustion engine: the second generation of the MG3.
In the future, with a length of 4.11 meters, it should play in the same league as the VW Polo or Opel Corsa.
Before the summer holidays it will come to us with a 1.5 liter petrol engine (75 kW/102 HP).
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The second generation of the MG3 will be available from German dealers in the summer as a hybrid model.
© Thomas Geiger/dpa-tmn/dpa
However, he cannot completely ignore the trend towards electrification.
In addition to the combustion engine, the four-door model also has a 100 kW/136 hp electric motor and a 1.83 kWh battery, which makes it a hybrid model and brings the standard consumption to 4.4 liters (CO2 emissions: 100 g/ km).
MG is not yet mentioning prices, but the trade fair floor is speculating that it will be well under 25,000 euros.
Lucid Gravity: SUV with streamlined lines
With a 900-volt architecture and the lowest drag coefficient in the segment, Lucid has made a name for itself with the Air luxury sedan.
A good six months after its European premiere, the American start-up is now following up with the Gravity.
As an elegant SUV with a streamlined design, it will compete against models such as the Mercedes EQS, the Tesla Model X and the BMW iX by the end of the year.
Lucid is presenting the Gravity to the European audience for the first time at the Geneva Motor Show.
© Thomas Geiger/dpa-tmn/dpa
Lucid advertises this with up to 588 kW/800 HP, an expected range of 700 kilometers and so much charging power that the electricity flows for 300 kilometers within 15 minutes.
There are no prices yet, but since the cheapest Air costs 85,000 euros, the price tag for the Gravity probably has six digits.
Yangwang U8: The “G-Fender” from China
So far, BYD has been in the middle of the market with models like the Tang, the Dolphin and the Seal.
But now the Chinese are aiming for higher honors and are giving a first look at their flagship Yangwang U8 in Geneva.
Visually: a mix of Land Rover Defender and Mercedes G-Class.
Technically: With a range extender it should be ready for more than 1000 electric kilometers.
And with its 360-degree turn on the spot, advertised as a tank turn, and a buoyantly sealed body, it became a star on social networks.
Visually a mixture of Land Rover Defender and Mercedes G-Class: The flagship Yangwang U8 from BYD.
(to dpa: “Geneva: These premieres make the motor show shine”) © Thomas Geiger/dpa-tmn/dpa
The 882 kW/1200 hp off-road vehicle is already being sold in China for the equivalent of 140,000 euros and is now intended to whet the appetite of Europeans for luxury from the Far East.
However, it has not yet been decided whether it will actually go on sale here.
And one problem is its weight.
Because with over 3.5 tons, the colossus requires more than just the normal B car driving license in Europe.
IM LS7: Next one please
There are not only a handful of new models in Geneva, but also a new brand.
And of course she comes from China.
For all those who think MG sounds too much like old England, the SAIC Group is offering IM for Intelligent Mobility, a more advanced alternative with a lot of new technology including largely autonomous driving.
Intelligent Mobility (IM) is the name of a new electric brand.
And they are presenting the 578 hp L7 all-wheel drive sedan in Geneva.
© Thomas Geiger/dpa-tmn/dpa
In any case, the sensors for this are already installed in the humps above the windshield of the individual models.
IM is scheduled to be launched next year and is aimed at a class higher than models like the MG4 in terms of price and standards.
At the start, the Chinese are showing the 425 kW/578 hp all-wheel drive sedan L7, which is reminiscent of the VW ID.7 in format and is supposed to drive around 500 kilometers with a 90 kWh battery.
There is also the SUV LS7 in the format of the Porsche Cayenne and the LS6, which is modeled on a Cayenne Coupé.
The batteries there have 100 kWh and enable driving distances of up to 560 kilometers and the output increases to up to 579 kW/787 hp.
dpa