HERE’S ARE SOME of the new models which caught my eye at the Paris motor show yesterday.
RANGE ROVER
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Most of my fellow journalists think the new Range Rover is
stunning. The front-end looks a bit fussy to my eyes, but I seem to be in a
minority of one. I spoke to a colleague who has ridden in the passenger seat,
and he told me the ride is even better than the current car’s. I’m going to nag
Land Rover on a daily basis until they let me drive one.
FORD MONDEO
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The Ford Mondeo doesn’t stop you in your tracks like the
Range Rover, but it’s a neat enough looking car. However, the Mazda 6 on the
stand next door looks more distinctive (see below).
MAZDA 6
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I like the wide-mouthed grille and
sharply creased lines, which look much better in the metal than in this picture. There’s more space for passengers and luggage than in
the old Mazda 6, too.
VOLKSWAGEN GOLF MK7
[tl:gallery size=460×345] There’s very little wrong with today’s Golf, and the new Mk7
is a careful evolution design-wise. I really rather like it. From launch the
most powerful diesel will have 150PS, although Volkswagen has confirmed there
will be a Golf GTD, likely to have at least 180PS.
TOYOTA AURIS
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The new Auris was parked just over the way from the Golf. The
nose of the car is strong and overall it’s much more striking than the old
model, but to my short-sighted eyes the Golf is the more cohesive design.
SKODA RAPID
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New small hatches are ten-a-penny at the Paris show. The
Skoda Rapid may be as plain as M&S slacks, but you can bet it will be
cheaper to buy than the Golf with prices starting from £12,900 (Golf prices
haven’t been confirmed). However, the basic S model doesn’t even get air
conditioning so it’s not quite the bargain it first
appears. Kerbweights are very low, ranging from 1140kg to 1254kg (including 75kg
for the driver). Braked towing limits range from 750kg for the 75PS 1.2 petrol
to 1200kg for the 105PS 1.6 TDI.
DACIA DUSTER
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I’ve got a lot of time for honest-to-goodness cheap cars.
With the Korean brands pushing themselves upmarket, there’s room for a company
like Dacia to establish itself with a range of unpretentious, do-the-job
vehicles. The Duster SUV is one of the cars I’m most looking forward to driving
over the next few months.
MITSUBISHI OUTLANDER
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The Mitsubishi Outlander’s UK launch has been delayed until
April next year while the company sells off remaining stock of the old model.
Just three or four months later it will launch the Outlander PHEV, an
innovative plug-in hybrid. Unlike some hybrids, it will be homologated for
towing. One of the Japanese company’s execs told me the legal towing limit will be
1500kg.
PEUGEOT 2008 CONCEPT
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You might want to turn down the brightness on your computer
screen to look at the Peugeot 2008 Concept. Get past the concept car’s
retina-detaching paint finish and you’re looking at Peugeot’s new small
crossover, arriving in showrooms in autumn 2013.
JAGUAR F-TYPE
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The new Jaguar F-type. I know none of us are ever going to
tow with one, but who cares? It’s beautiful and I want one so much if I could
get a decent price for my gran, she’d be on eBay right now.
