2005 Geneva Show Preview, Part II

2005 Geneva Motor Show Index by TCC Team (2/13/2005)

 

Mercedes-Benz B-Class

U.S. customers will have to wait for the new Mercedes B-Class until the dollar gets any stronger, but this summer the car will hit the market in Europe and Canada as planned. With the B-Class Mercedes-Benz will compete in the midi-MPV segment with models such as the highly successful Renault Scénic and the Opel Zafira.

The Compact Sports Tourer, as Mercedes also calls the B-Class, has a flexible interior. The second row can be folded down or removed and the front passenger seat can be folded down as well. In that case you can take goods with you with a length of 116 inches. The floor of the luggage compartment can be adjusted in height. The capacity is 19.2 cu. ft and can be extended to 79.2 cu. ft.

The B-Class has a wheelbase 8.2 inches longer than the A-Class and has the same sandwich concept with the positioning of the powertrain partly in front of and beneath the cabin. The five door version has a length of 168.1 inches, width of 69.3 inches, and height of 62.6 inches.

The Compact Sports Tourer will be available with six engines, of which two are diesels with power in the range from 96 hp to 193 hp the latter in the B200 Turbo. This version accelerates from 0-60 in just 7.4 seconds. The B200 Turbo and both CDI diesel versions will be equipped with a six-speed gearbox. A new Autotronic Continuous variable transmission is available for all versions.

An evolution of the ESP system (Electronic Stability Program) incorporates an extra function that is called Steer Control. This adjusts the power steering under critical conditions to stabilize the car. Furthermore, the B-Class has a new selective damping system.

 

Opel Zafira

Opel, General Motor’s European division, will unveil the completely new Zafira. The successor model has seven seats, just like before. The Flex7-system has been redesigned so that it will be easier to reconfigure the seating arrangement in the Zafira. The model has grown nearly six inches to 176 inches long. GM expects a lot of the new Zafira in the highly competitive segment.

 

 

 

Opel Astra OPC

Another Opel to debut in Geneva is the Astra OPC, the production version of the HPC concept car. The OPC is a version from the OpelPerformanceCenter and has a 2.0-liter turbo engine with 240 hp and 236 lb-ft of torque. The fast Astra should accelerate from 0-60 mph in less than seven seconds. The car will also feature IDS (Intelligent Driving System) with electronic damper adjustment, 18-inch wheels, and a body kit with bumper spoiler, foglamps, and side skirts.

 

 

BMW 7-Series

BMW facelifted the 7-Series and updated the engine range at the same time, except for the V-12 in the 760i. With redesigned kidneys on the grille, new headlights and a new bumper, the front of the 7-Series is subtly changed. Also at the rear there have been changes, of which the most significant is the softening of the rear decklid, the part that was most criticized by the public. The car also has a more luxurious interior and the iDrive controller has been refined.

 

 

Mitsubishi Colt Coupé-cabriolet

With new versions of the Colt, which came to the market as a five-door model and was joined by a three-door version in the beginning of this year, Mitsubishi hopes to get some market share in the popular segment in Europe. The coupe-convertible is the open version of the new Colt and although it is still a concept car, we may expect — if Mitsubishi is still with us — to see the coupe-convertible in 2006. The version, which is based on the five-door Colt, has been developed together with Pininfarina and will be built by the Italian coachbuilders in their Turin facilities.