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2004 Paris Auto
Show by TCC Team
(9/20/2004)
The well-loved lights of the City of Light take the
stage.
Peugeot 907

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The stunning 907 concept has few antecedents,
according to the loosely translated French dialogue we heard on the floor of the
Paris Expo. In fact Peugeot says this concept is only the second vehicle to wear
the number 9 —
the racing 905 of the early 1990s being the other. The concept,
according to execs, is the “concentrate of brand values,” which apparently
include a whomping 500-horsepower 6.0-liter V-12 coupled to a six-speed
sequential gearbox. The big, handsome grand tourer is outfitted with a luxuriant
interioer, including Alcantara trim and a wooden steering wheel.
Peugeot Quark

2004 Peugeot Quark concept
The Quark concept looks like something
that “escaped a science-fiction” film, Peugeot says, but the Quark also shows
plenty of influence from ATVs and motorcycles although its futuristic powertrain
doesn’t. The Quark sports a combination of a fuel cell and electric motors —
four of them, to provide torque to each wheel. The concept in theory has a range
of 80 miles, and measures only 93.7 inches and is 59 inches wide, making it an
ideal city ute —
for Metropolis, maybe.
Peugeot 1007

2005 Peugeot 1007
Peugeot’s new compact two-door has features that could get
you thinking minivan. At 147 inches long and just under 64 inches high, the 1007
is a full four-seater, with two rear seats that are mounted independently and
can be adjusted to provide maximum carrying space, seats for two passengers, or
the ability to carry long loads. But the most unusual and minivan-like feature
of the new car is its electrically-operated sliding doors, which offer easy
access to the interior as they do on MPVs. Not only is the cabin easy to clamber
in, it’s easy to customize as well. Peugeot will offer twelve different trim
kits that can be interchanged to restyle the seats, doors, rear
side panels, air vents and fascia at will. Three engines will be offered: 1.4- and
1.6-liter gasoline and a 1.4-liter diesel, and the car will be available with
an electronically-controlled four-speed gearbox that can be used as an automatic or sequential
manual according to choice and driving conditions.
Citroën C5

2005 Citroen C5
The big Citroen sedan for 2005 is laden with safety
equipment and diesel options, two things that make French consumers snap to
attention. The C5’s safety gear includes a lane-departure system, which alerts
drivers with a mild vibration in the seat frames if they drift out of their
traffic lane above 80 km/h; a second-generation stability control system and a
new kneebag for the driver. Front park assist, a speed limiter and xenon
directional headlights make the C5 as fault-free as possible. When it comes to
engines, the big C gets a lot of them: a pair of four-cylinders, 1.8 and 2.0
liters; a 210-hp 3.0-liter V-6; and three common-rail diesels with up to 138 hp.
Six-speed automatic and manual gearboxes are offered as well.
Citroën
C4

2005 Citroen C4
The mid-size C4 is geared to appeal to
a wider range of drivers —
those who want more than four doors and those who want fewer than four. Like the
C5, the C4 gets a lane-departure warning system, xenon lamps, a speed limiter
and tire-pressure monitors —
but it also gets a scented air freshener, something
we’d like to see standard on the
New York
subway and the Paris Metro alike. Five gas engines
are offered, from 90 hp to 180 hp in output, and three diesels are available as
well, identical to those offered by Peugeot.
Honda FR-V

2005 Honda FR-V
Honda’s new compact MPV (that’s minivan in Euro-speak)
has an unconventional seating arrangement that may never come to the States, but
is an intriguing solution to the ever-changing needs of these vehicles. The 3+3
seating arrangement in the MPV, which replaces the outgoing Stream, staggers the
middle seats in both rows and puts them on tracks to allow them to move
independently. They can be moved rearward respectively 10.6 and 6.7 inches. The
luggage compartment of 5.5 cu ft can be extended to 37 cu ft, or with the second
row completely flat to 56.5 cu ft. The FR-V is built on the stretched platform
(105.5 inches) of the Civic, which allows the FR-V to have a flat load floor. On
sale in the fall, the FR-V will come with either a 125-hp 1.7-liter SOHC VTEC
from the Civic or the 156-hp 2.0-liter DOHC i-VTEC from the Accord. A diesel
engine will follow in the spring of 2005.
Kia Sportage

2005 Kia Sportage
The new Sportage SUV will have the
same name around the world —
a first for Kia as it would be for
Prince, we’re sure. The new Sportage is built on the same platform as the
Hyundai Tucson, and sits 171 inches long, 71 inches wide, and 67 inches high. In
Europe, there will be a choice of three
engines: a 2.0-liter four-cylinder with 140 hp, a 2.7-liter V-6 with 175 hp and
a 2.0-liter CRDi common-rail diesel with a power output of 100 hp. The Sportage
seats five and will be available with 2WD or 4WD and a five-speed stick shift or
a four-speed automatic transmission. For
North America, Kia expects to begin sales early next year
and hopes to sell 60,000 units a year, split between the 140-hp four and the
175-hp V-6.
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