Paris Motor Show 2016: the best new launches and concept cars
Lexus UX: The UX crossover concept explores the Lexus ‘inside out’ design principal that visually links the exterior and interior, and will form the basis for a new model to live below the NX, the marque’s European best-seller
Lexus UX: It features what the firm is calling a ‘visible skeleton’ which means the wheelarches, roof bars and so on are finished in the same textural material
Renault Trezor: This is the latest conceptual study in the Renault ‘Lifecycle’ series, which represents the cycle of life – as in love, marriage, family – a theme that has been worked into the marque’s designs since Laurens van den Acker took the reigns in 2009
Renault Trezor: Trezor is an electric GT, partly inspired by the brilliant 1952 Beast 3. It forms the second chapter in the ‘Love’ series, a theme that started six years ago with the DeZir concept. Here though, the context is of a more mature love, one that leads to marriage. Hence the name, treasure, and the jewellery box themed lid opening that reveals a red treasure box inspired by Cartier packaging. Trezor is purely conceptual, yet much like the other prototypes in the series, elements will feed into Renault’s future production cars
Land Rover Discovery: This is the fifth generation Discovery, and the pinnacle model in a family that includes the Discovery Sport. Design and engineering are firmly centred on practicality, for this is a family car that offers seven adult-size seats which are easily configurable via a central touchscreen or remotely by smartphone. The car is 141mm longer than the model it replaces, yet 480kg lighter for its monocoque body construction, which harnesses lightweight materials such as 83 per cent aluminium, just under half of which comes from recycled sources. And the fixed panoramic roof is the largest built by the marque
Land Rover Discovery: Here, the two-box design has been replaced by a more refined exterior with rounded corners, yet it continues the stepped roof theme of its predecessor. The cabin is more premium, with materials that are noticeably more luxurious yet retain the sporting message. There are thoughtful touches throughout, such as seat rows that are arranged much like a cinema to reduce the risk of car sickness for the children in the rear
Land Rover Discovery: The Discovery boot can increase from 258 to 2406-litres with all but the front seats lowered. It offers lots of interesting elements too. Assist loading such as the Nose Load Measurement allows users to check the weight applied to the towbar and avoid overloading; a simple switch activates Rear Height Adjustment and allows users to raise or lower the car for easy access; and there is a clever boot bench that can hold the weight of an adult, for removing muddy shoes before boarding. On sale in spring 2017, from £43k
BMW Garage Italia CrossFade: BMW Garage Italia CrossFade i3 and i8 are special-edition concept cars created in collaboration with Lapo Elkann of Garage Italia Customs. They feature surface treatments that emphasise the pioneering design and the innovative character of the electric i cars
BMW Garage Italia CrossFade: Here the geometric, almost pop art crossfade pattern transitions from blue to grey – applied horizontally on the i8 and vertically on the i3 to highlight their different characteristics. Elkann says he was inspired by the optical colour mixings of the 19th century pointillists. On sale, early 2017
BMW Concept X2: BMW hints towards an even larger sports-utility family with Concept X2. The design blends the fast-moving body language and low-slung proportions of a coupé with the more robust feel of the marque’s X models
BMW Concept X2: An X2 production model based on this concept will be released in 2018 as a compact crossover – one of the fastest growing body styles – to live between the X1 and X3. On sale, 2018
Volkswagen ID: ID is a clean and clever concept car that is a close indication of what to expect from a fully automated zero-emission Volkswagen. This all-electric driverless car was created on the company’s modular electric drive kit MEB platform, built around a battery pack integrated into the floor of the car, and conceived for pure electric driving from the very start
Volkswagen ID: It is designed to be immediately recognised as an autonomous, clean car. Interiors follow what VW is calling the ‘open space’ concept, so despite the small proportions – the car is only 4100mm long, 155mm shorter than the Golf – the cabin size is closer to the larger Passat. For piloted driving, the multifunctioning steering wheel retracts into the dash by simply touching the logo on the steering wheel. What’s more, ID recognises its occupant, adjusting seats and cabin conditions to suit their profiles. VW will launch ID by 2020, running in parallel to the Golf and forming the core of an ambitious plan to sell a million electric cars by 2025. On sale: 2020
Audi Q5: Audi’s Q5 is one of the original sports-utilities, envisaged before the car market began bursting with SUVs. The mid-size car was much in need of a redesign though, and this second interpretation, debuting at Paris, is a more refined model, following a similar design principal to the larger Q7 to include an angular chrome grille and technical LED headlights. It is lighter than the model it replaced by 90kg, and therefore more efficient to run. On sale, late 2016, from £39k
Mercedes-Benz Generation EQ: This concept car represents the first model to be conceived in the marque’s new sub-brand EQ, which will provide a sustainable mobility ecosystem including products and services. Generation EQ is purposely futuristic in design to deliver this sustainability message. The black panel front grille, for instance, houses a white-illuminated Mercedes-Benz star as well as all the light elements. Interiors, too, are dominated by simple touch-based controls with what the firm calls an ‘electro’ look. The concept car is constructed using a cocktail of metals and carbon – the battery is in the vehicle floor with motors for both front and rear axles which help acceleration of 0–62mph in five seconds, and it promises a range of 311 miles. Mercedes claims the EQ’s basic structure is suitable for all models, be it an SUV, saloon, coupé or cabriolet
Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6: Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 is an homage to the glorious age of aero coupés. This two-plus-two seater is an elongated 6m electric coupé, part of the marque’s current ‘sensual purity’ design principle. It is also a nod to a more romantic era when the automobile was an object of desire
Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6: The interior is dominated by the drama of the curving dashboard that swirls across the door trim into the seating area for a 360-degree lounge area. Inside also represents a bed of ideas for the marque to explore what sustainable design could be for the Mercedes-Maybach of the future. This translates to a play of tradition and technology with Chesterfield-style seats, digital displays framed by wood, accents of rose gold and the introduction of pale open-pore elm, a material the marque is currently working on for its production cars