For the past few days, car enthusiasts have gathered in Paris to see the latest cars and the future of automotive technology. The 2012 Paris Motor Show enters its fifth day today and almost everybody is here. At every auto show, we walk around to see what other automakers are bringing to the premium segment. We have seen the impressive $550,000 Electric Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG displayed, we have also seen the Ferrari FF, McLaren’s P1 ubercar and many others, and we are right to conclude that cash may be short in Europe at the moment, but Europeans will not be short of luxury cars.
Different electric cars ranging from the cute and clever to not so cute and in few cases plainly ridiculous are here. One thing is obvious to us; Electric vehicles are becoming so popular at the other end of the automotive industry.
Local automakers have not allowed the visitors to nudge them out of the show; Renault, Peugeot, and Citroen have renewed their rivalry at the 2012 Paris Motor Show. Peugeot started the show with its brilliantly designed Onyx which has a 400cc hybrid scooter that can go as fast as 150km/h. Citroen showed that it is up to task with the new cabrio version of the DS3 and a Tubik concept. Renault also showed us that it has not lost touch with the reality by presenting a great-looking hatch Clio to the public.
Away from the local automakers, Ford displayed a new Mondeo. We applauded Ford’s plan to put a one-litre EcoBoost engine (also used by the Focus and Fiesta) under its hood. But we are not totally convinced that a 92kW mill in a weighty Mondeo is the right move. We may not be totally convinced by Ford, but the new Range Rover and Jaguar F-Type were good consolations and they have represented the British automobile very well. We have known that the Jag is always a class ahead of others, and it has not disappointed us again. Three engine options have been mentioned (a supercharged V8 and two supercharged V6), but we believe we deserve more than the only eight-speed automatics transmission system that is fitted with the engines.
We also realised that European automakers are trying to find their ways into the U.S. market by focusing on in-car technology. Internet is the norm, and everybody is buying into it; Features that enable users to tweet and email while driving are finally sneaking into cars from Europe. The In-car entertainment (a CD multi-changer or GPS) has now been replaced by an infotainment system (pioneered by Ford) which provides internet facility, emails, phone calls, music and turn-by-turn navigation.
Europe’s collective economic situation may be bleeding and we may be suffering at home, but we are all having fun at the 2012 Paris Motor show and no one is thinking about the economy at least for now!
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