Recent events in the US may have put a damper on proceedings at the 2001 Frankfurt Motor Show, but the event goes on. CARtoday.com continues its ongoing coverage of the show. Featured today are Saab, Jaguar, Citroën and Mercedes-Benz.
Recent events in the US may have put a damper on proceedings at the 2001 Frankfurt Motor Show, but the event goes on. CARtoday.com continues its ongoing coverage of the show. Featured today are Saab, Jaguar, Citroen and Mercedes-Benz.
Saab
Saab has signalled its intentions to introduce six all-new models by 2007. The company has used the Frankfurt Show to showcase its stunning 9X concept coupé – a car the Swedish manufacturer claims “hints at the cars Saab will build over the next six years”.
Saab president Peter Augustsson says “performance, control, safety, versatility and design” would be core values for the future. The 9X draws on Saab’s past glories in aircraft design and the car features a steeply raked, wraparound windscreen. Aeroplane-style controls are dominated by a centrally mounted gearshift, while bucket seats are mounted close to the floor.
Powered by a turbocharged three-litre V6 engine, the all-aluminium 9X is claimed to produce 224 kW and 410 N.m of torque. Projected performance figures suggest a zero to 100 km/h sprint time of 5,9 seconds and a top speed in excess of 240 km/h.
Four-wheel drive and a six-speed sequential gearbox will be fitted. The changes to Saab’s product range are expected to more than double Saab’s worldwide sales to around 250 000 vehicles per year, the company said.
Jaguar
Jaguar wants to steal the show with the R-Coupé concept – and they just might. According to Autoweek, “the low-slung four-seat coupé represents the Ford-owned firm’s attempt to return to Jaguar’s golden era of form, stance and proportion in vehicle design”.
The R-Coupé features a beefy V8 powertrain, Formula One-inspired paddle-style gear-shifting, four-piston brake calipers and xenon headlamps that follow the steering direction. According to the company, the interior was inspired by contemporary “design trends in luxury jewelry, watches and luggage”. The concept is not based on any current or proposed Jaguar chassis. The car is about 4,9m long, 1,89m wide and 1,347m high.
Meanwhile, Jaguar announced this week it would produce the next generation of its flagship XJ saloon using aluminium for the bodywork, powertrain and suspension parts.
The move, which follows a similar model by Audi, is aimed at reducing the car’s weight and cutting fuel consumption. The change heralds a switch in emphasis for the British manufacturer, which expects to use increasing quantities of aluminium to replace traditional steel parts in future.
“Advanced technologies and materials, such as aluminium, will play a far more prominent role in Jaguar’s future,” Jaguar managing director Jonathan Browning said.
Citroën
If the much talked-about C3 supermini, on show at Frankfurt, is perhaps too sensible for some people’s tastes, Citroën’s C-Crosser concept will positively blow their mind.
The C-Crosser is a firm indication of the French carmaker’s desire to move into the leisure-vehicle market and takes the styling of the future C3 Pluriel production model a step further. The vehicle is a four-wheel drive leisure minivan that features an aircraft-like joystick instead of a steering wheel; sliding side and rear doors; and a panoramic glass roof.
And here’s the coup de grace … a flexible roofing system means the C-Crosser can be converted into a pick-up (could we be so bold to say bakkie?) at the touch of a button.
Ludovic Amuah, who was appointed head of Citroën marketing after masterminding the launch of the big C5 saloon, says the C-Crosser is not a four-wheel drive vehicle for extreme conditions, but rather shows how Citroën wants to expand its range and build spacious, versatile leisure vehicles.
Asked whether the C-Crosser was meant for production, Amuah said nothing was planned in the short term. He joked: “To get the regulatory approval for the steering joystick will take some time.”
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes may have brought its impressive SL 500 and powerful SL 55 AMG to Frankfurt, but the Vaneo is well worth a mention. It represents the firm’s latest sojourn into the “mini minivan” market and is designed as a multi-purpose vehicle especially for use in European cities.
“Vaneo is about as big as a compact saloon, with room on board for five adults, two children and a sizeable amount of luggage. With a high roof and a “one-box” design, Vaneo features sliding doors on each side as well as a roll-out cargo tray in the rear storage compartment. Engine options come from the A-Class, with three petrol and two diesel engines available,” Autoweek reported.
