When it comes to this
year’s Frankfurt Motor Show, UP! is down. Downsized that is, in the form of
Volkswagen’s pint-sized prototype car. Dubbed the UP!, it makes the automaker’s
original Beetle look positively huge. For the moment, the UP! is little more
than a concept vehicle, but you likely won’t have to wait very long to see it –
or one of several variants the German maker will reveal later this year – go
into production.
The same is true for a trio of
minicar concepts revealed by General Motors, during its time in the
Frankfurt spotlight. The American giant hopes
to gauge reaction at this and several other major world auto shows to see if
there’s enough demand to justify production.
Dubbed the “triplets,” but more
formally known as the Groove, Beat and Trax, the three are even smaller than the
new Agila being introduced by GM’s European Opel division during the Frankfurt show. But anyone who wanders through the nearly
dozen different display halls at the Frankfurt Messe will likely come away
convinced that in an era of record-high fuel costs and mounting worries about
global warming, small is the big theme for automakers around the
world.
Of course, small cars aren’t all
that new. The Beetle has been an on-and-off best-seller for more than half a
century, and Fiat models, like the Cinquecento, helped build the brand. But
there’s a big difference in today’s small cars. The MINI Cooper, now in its
second incarnation under the guidance of the British brand’s German owner, BMW,
has demonstrated that today’s buyers will spend large sums of money for the
right package of features, performance, and, of course, efficiency.
That’s what has drawn normally
high-line makers like BMW – with the newly-updated 1-Series on display in
Frankfurt – and Mercedes-Benz, which recently
introduced a second-generation of its ultra-compact smart fortwo. Even with
models like the UP! that are being positioned as basic transportation – a
production version would likely start at around $13,000 – look for a range of
creatures features not traditionally seen in yesteryear’s econoboxes, like CD
audio systems, with steering wheel-mounted controls, and safety packages once
the exclusive property of the luxury market, such as side-impact airbags and
electronic stability control.
What’s behind the big move to small
products? There is, of course, the need for “affordable mobility,” especially in
emerging markets, notes VWAG Chairman Martin Winterkorn. But even in affluent
Europe, congested streets and tight parking are
big motivators. So are concerns are fuel costs and global
warming.
Size matters, of course. It’s hard
to obviate the basic laws of physics, so the more mass you move, the more fuel
you burn. And that’s driving the move to smaller and lighter products. Even
makers not normally known for their fuel efficiency are rethinking strategies.
Early next year, revealed Bentley CEO Franz-Josef Paefgen, the luxury maker will
complete a study that could shift its future product development strategy from
big, heavy cars, with massive engines, to something a bit lighter and more
efficient. “If customers don’t accept the (traditional) approach,” he
acknowledged, “we’re in big trouble.”
Don’t expect to see Bentley leading
the charge into alternative fuels and powertrains, but some luxury makers, such
as BMW and Mercedes-Benz are moving aggressively into these worlds, as they are
demonstrating at the Frankfurt show. The latter
automaker’s futuristic F700 concept combines a dizzying array of advanced
features, including a system it dubs DiesOtto. Also known as Homogeneous Charge
Compression Ignition, it combines advantages of both diesel and gasoline engines
in one powertrain. The turbocharged, 1.8-liter package pumps out a surprising
238 horsepower. It’s mated to a hybrid-electric system that kicks in another 20
hp.
Hybrid systems are all the rage, at
least with manufacturers who hope to catch up with Toyota, with its popular
Prius gasoline-electric hatchback. GM CEO Rick Wagoner noted that his company
will have eight different hybrids on sale in the U.S.
market this year, and European motorists can expect to see some here, as well.
GM’s offerings will include the first of a new generation, dubbed Two-Mode
hybrids. Where early hybrid such as the Prius work best in stop-and-go city
traffic, Two-Mode technology – jointly developed by GM, Daimler, Chrysler and
BMW -- promises to boost fuel economy on the open highway, as
well.
But the real breakthrough could come
in the form of plug-in hybrids, suggested Carl-Peter Forster, president of GM
Europe, as he unveiled the Opel Flextreme concept. With its oversized
lithium-ion battery pack, the prototype could go 30 miles on electric power
alone, charging up either from a wall outlet or by running its small diesel
motor as a generator. Similar to the Chevrolet Volt, shown at last January’s
Detroit auto
show, a version of Flextreme could hit showrooms early in the next
decade.
Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, ethanol
flex-fuel cars, virtually every alternative possible is on display in Frankfurt, reflecting a growing industry consensus
summarized by GM’s Wagoner. “Sustained growth and profitability,” is going to
depend on the recognition that it is “neither feasible nor optimal for our
industry to rely only on oil.”
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2007 Frankfurt Auto Show Coverage by TCC Team
(9/10/2007)
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