VW Group to Display Up to Seven Concepts at the Geneva Show

It seems that the VW Group will do just about anything to become the world’s biggest automaker by 2018. After announcing a €51.6 billion (US $70.3 billion) investment plan last November, the Germans also want to showcase their future intentions at the Geneva Motor Show in March, by displaying up to seven concepts.

Walter de Silva, head of the group’s design department, told ANE that the concept lineup will include Seat, Skoda and Volkswagen models, plus “one – if not two” Audis.

Furthermore, the Italdesign Giugiaro design studio, acquired by the automaker last spring, will also present two Volkswagen concept cars.

Seeing this kind of commitment, one has to wonder what exactly has Volkswagen is store for us. With the Golf Mk7 said debut in late 2012 or early 2013, we're inclined to say that it’s too early for a design study and the same goes for the next generation Audi A3, due for a release in the summer of 2012. While the manufacturer did say that it wants to expand its North American SUV lineup, information on the subject is scarce, so we wouldn’t bet on an SUV concept either.

In any case, if you have an opinion on the matter, now is the time to share it with us in the comments section below.

*Note: Volkswagen Up! Lite Concept featured in the gallery

By Csaba Daradics

Source: ANE [Subscription required]

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Hyundai Releases First Real Life Photo of the New i40 Mid-Size Model

Hyundai today gave us a new sneak peek of its upcoming i40 mid-size model with the release of the first real life image of the car, which is scheduled to receive its world premiere at the Geneva Salon on the 1st of March. The new i40 will replace the older generation Sonata in Europe competing in the D-Segment with the likes of the Ford Mondeo and Volkswagen Passat. At Geneva, we'll see the estate version of the model (probably named i40 CW) with the four-door sedan variant to follow before the end of the year.

Up until now, South Korea's largest automaker had only released a set of illustrations of the i40 CW (CrossWagon). The new photo shows off the interior of the i40, and in particular the dashboard with its sculpted shapes.

There's a big screen display mounted high up on the middle of the dash flanked by a pair of small air vents, underneath which nestle a bank of push buttons for ventilation and minor controls.

The company claims that new i40 "will move the company towards a ‘modern premium’ positioning that will bring high-end features and vehicle quality to Hyundai customers at accessible prices."

Hyundai has not released any details on the engine line-up, but it is believed that at launch, the i40 will be offered with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder petrol with direct injection and an output of around 170-horsepower, plus two variants of the a 1.7-liter turbo-diesel with 115 HP and 136 HP.

The new i40 will be joined in Geneva by the European specification of the Veloster sports model (see our scoop photos here) and the Curb small crossover concept study, which we first saw at the Detroit Motor Show this past January.

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Toyota Announces Yaris HSD Concept and New Prius+ MPV with 7-Seats for Geneva Salon

Toyota is going to have an interesting collection of cars at this year's Geneva Motor Show in March as the second and closer to production concept version of the FT-86 rear-wheel drive sports coupe will be joined by the Yaris HSD study and the new Prius+ minivan, which appears to be the European version of the Prius V with seating for seven instead of five.

The Japanese automaker said that the Yaris HSD study represents the next step in the firm's full hybrid roll-out strategy in Europe. The single cropped photo reveals that the car is based on the all-new Yaris supermini, which was unveiled in Japan at the end of December 2010, featuring hybrid-specific styling cues. A production version will follow within the next year or so.

As for the Prius+, Toyota said it's the first car to offer European customers the versatility of 7 seats combined with a full hybrid powertrain, adding that it will boast the lowest consumption of any 7-seat MPV on the market. It remains to be seen if Prius+ is a longer version of the North American Prius V minivan that made its debut at the Detroit auto show in January.

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Alfa Romeo Rumored [Again] to be Planning a KTM X-Bow-based Sports Car

At this year’s Geneva Motor Show, Alfa Romeo may take the audience by surprise with a lightweight, mid-engine and rear-wheel drive coupe concept that will eventually become the Italian maker’s next affordable halo car, reportedly named 4C GTA.

According to an Automotive News Europe [ANE] report, a Fiat spokesman has confirmed that development is underway, however the Geneva debut is uncertain due to “delays in the concept model construction”.

The brand’s last affordable rear-wheel drive model was the “Classic Spider”, which was discontinued in 1994, leaving a gap that was never filled by Alfa Romeo. True, the limited run 8C Competizione, built between 2007 and 2008, was an impressive car, but with a price tag of over €200,000 (US $276,160) it was simply too expensive for the average Alfa buyer.

The new model is said to go on sale in Europe by late 2012 with a base price of €40,000 (or about US $55,244). According to inside sources, Alfa plans to build up to 25,000 units by the end of 2017. If true, the 4C GTA could also make it to the States, but nothing’s final yet.

The role of the 4C GTA is clear: it’s expected to attract customers to the firm's showrooms, where the upcoming 159 replacement and the brand’s first SUV model should convince them to sign on the dotted line.

Sources stated it will be styled by Alfa’s own design center in Turin and that the “rakish, very compact and extremely low two-seat coupe” will make use of modified version of the KTM X-Bow platform, originally engineered by Italy’s Dallara Automobili for the Austrian motorcycle maker. Power is said to come from the Giulietta’s 1.8-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, expected to deliver over 250HP.

Let’s that just hope that if the 4C GTA rumors turn out to be real, the sports car will be instantly recognizable as a true Alfa Romeo and not a rebadged X-Bow.

By Csaba Daradics

Source: ANE

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Chicago Preshow: Lexus CT 200h Concept Tune by Five Axis

Lexus will be showing off a wilder CT 200h prepared by parent company Toyota's tuning partner Five-Axis at the upcoming 2011 Chicago Auto Show, which runs for the public from February 11 to 20. The highly-modified Five Axis Project CT will be dressed in a custom made wide body kit with hybrid's bad-boy appearance further enhanced by the JDSU “Dark Passage” paint, the lowered ride height (thanks to a TEIN Flex coilover suspension system), and custom 19-inch FIVE:AD forged alloy wheels.

No word on any powertrain improvements, but the CT 200h concept study will get a bespoke interior treatment and a Stoptech High Performance Big Brake Kit on the front.

The Five Axis Project CT will be joined by numerous Lexus models including vehicles from last year’s SEMA Show such as a customized LS600h L by VIP Auto Salon and a revamped RX 450h courtesy of tuner Paul Tolson, EST Styling, plus the full range of production models like the 2012 LFA sports car.

Credo E-Bone Designer Peter Simon Takes on the Ferrari Enzo

Remember the humorously named yet somewhat plausible Credo E-Bone? It was a design study for a hydrogen powered bus from Hungarian artist Peter Simon, and with a name like "E-Bone", who could forget?

Well, Simon is back, only this time he's taking on something a little more exotic than public transport: he's envisioning the next generation of Ferrari's legendary Enzo. An ambitious task, though one the Hungarian takes on with a plomb.

With more of his trademark organic styling and a design philosophy that both incorporates and rebuffs Ferrari's past and present models, Simon's Enzo is a wonder to behold. From the look of it, Simon's Enzo was hatched, not styled. I can't help but be reminded of the Mitsuoka Orochi: another organically-styled sports car with love it or hate it styling.

A successor to the original Enzo, of which just 400 were produced between 2002 and 2004, has long been rumored though never confirmed by the Italian automaker itself. Whether you love it or hate it, you have to admit: Peter Simon's Enzo is an interesting response to that brief.

By Tristan Hankins

Source: Peter Simon via Yanko Design

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Artist's Rendition of 2013 Porsche Cajun Small SUV

It's no secret that Porsche is working on a new model to further expand its range in the SUV segment. In fact, the German sports car maker not only confirmed the vehicle but also announced that it is being developed under the working name "Cajun". Further details remain unknown including of course the Cajun's styling direction and whether or not it will be a three-door (most likely) or five-door model.

Nevertheless, Teamspeed member and rendering specialist Wild-Speed has come up with a styling proposal for the Cajun. The artist designed the crossover as a three-door model with a sloping roofline incorporating styling elements from the latest Cayenne, Panamera and the 918 Spyder (notice the head lamps). You can check out the renderings in high resolution after the jump.

Source: Teamspeed & Facebook/Wildspeed via Worldcarfans

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