#Daily Round-Up - Press Day 2
Welcome back to Geneva where Press Day 2 has just finished. The weather has been gorgeous today, and that’s certainly lifted everyone’s spirits and made todays releases all the more better. We saw a clash of superminis and a new era begin for one company, plus much more.
Let’s get into the nit and gritty of today’s action!
Today’s musical acompinament is Step On by the Happy Mondays
A large group of journalists were gathered around the AL Autos booth in readiness for the morning’s first release, only to be slightly let down as it turned out they were just announcing their line-up for the show. Still, 12 cars are expected to be displayed by the company, as well as whole host of 'R’s…
Then came one of the most hotly anticipate releases of the show so far; Iurlaro debuted the new Teodora to excellent appraisal. The luxury Italian maker has been quiet for a while, but this is most certainly a return to form for the company. At first, we were a little split on the looks - chrome looks great, as does the muscular shape of the body, but the fixtures seemed a little lacking in flair. In saying that, they’ve grown on me throughout the day, seemingly conveying a subconcious aura of ‘presence’ which is exactly what you want from a car like this.
The real talking point, however, comes from the comfort. Oh my, the comfort. Iurlaro took us out on some test drives, insisting that we be the passenger, and I’m very glad I didn’t argue otherwise. The level of comfort this car exults is phenemonal, seemingly beyond belief. The suspension just absorbs bumps without you even noticing in the slightest. I had to look out of the window to confirm that we really were driving down a cobbled street as I thought the driver must be lying. This is an entirely new level of refinement that other companies will struggle to match.
Engine wise, a typical range of big luxury power units will be on offer, the 3.8l i6 in our test car certainly pulling this 2.5 ton giant with no issue whatsoever. The 7.2l V12 sounds particularly interesting, and we look forward to seeing how it stacks up against rivals like the sportier trims of the Zavir Squalo and Dimension Assyemtry 7.0 SSP.
EADC revealed the list of what to expect at their display, including the Weasel KIT which we’re excited about and a new SUV called the Sojourner. OAM followed suit, announcing improved versions of the Chevalier II and Traveler II that have been updated since we last saw them at Detroit. We can expect details of European trims of these cars too.
Galt gave us a glimpse at the new Riviera today, leaving the automotive press divided on what is a very new look indeed for the car. The family run-about now looks like its come straight out of Blade Runner, though it doesn’t get away from the odd retro-future styling that we aren’t too convinced by. In saying that, the pricing looks good, and for a car as advanced as this, $14k is very good indeed.
Miller followed up yesterday’s announcements with an exciting glimpse into the motorsporting side of the company. A new endurance racer called the MS R55 (we’re digging the name by the way) was debuted, powered by an 816hp 5.5l V8, built out of carbon fibre and decked in the latest in motorsport advancement. However, weirdly enough, they’ve yet to decide whether it will actually compete in anything, which seems like a hell of a lot of development for a one-off vehicle.
The upcoming Espada was teased by Zair as they joined the Taillights Bandwagon. More to follow.
At last, a little after lunchtime today, the new Hodan Rizun was revealed, having been previously teased in a couple of images. The cute looking mid-engined sports car concept is aiming to compete with the entry-level market, more likely the upper end of this segment thanks to its dinky little 220hp i3 that sits in the middle. All-round push rod suspension was a particularly neat feature to hear about; it’ll likely compromise on practicality, but this is 930kg insect of a car - that really isn’t the point. We’ll have a test drive for your very soon.
Saminda made their first announcment of the show in the form of the new Type R, their mid-range hot-hatch. This 310hp machine looks absolutely brilliant, and we can’t decide which angle we like best. 0-60 in 5.4 seconds puts it right into competition with the Baltazar Quasar 325, a comparison we’d love to see. As as we know, this car will sit just below the eagerly awaited C2000R on the Saminda range.
The facelifted Devina was revealed by Maesima today to wide acclaim. The smart supermini has been styled brilliantly, certainly adding a really unique looking car into this sector of the market, now sharper and more angular than its predecessor. Test drives will be coming soon, and we’ll be looking to see how this revised model does up against the current supermini crop.
Airborne revealed their brand new Alpha Clubman today, beginning a new era for the performance car maker. The abstract sports coupe is a lightweight, agility focused machine that just about manages to make its big rear wing look tasteful. It’s powered by the same 3.4l V6 from the S430 concept earlier this year. Shortly after, the base model Alpha was revealed, carrying the same abstract looks and apparently retaining a lot of the sportiness of its Clubman superior. Great economy, great comfort and slightly unnerving drivability, the Alpha is a sweet compact to drive, though we aren’t sure how it’ll stand up against more established rivals like the Saminda S3 and Maesima Prova.
Also on display was a company classic: the S4. The Porsche-derived sports car still looks just as great as it did back in 1981, and as you’ll see later, it’s still just as scary.
Then, a real stunner came in - Evgenis launched the new Nemean almost seemingly in response to Maesima earlier, proclaiming to be setting a new standard of premium compact motoring. There’s no denying it looks great; the small and detailed fixtures meld well with the subtle roundness of the body, and it has a great stance to it. A great choice of engines including a 1.5l turbo-diesel i3 are on offer, with an incredible 8 speed ZF Auto 'box as an option too - we’ll be keen to see how that goes on such a small car.
Excellent economy and a whole host of technology mean you’ll be certainly getting your money’s worth. They even offer adaptive suspension as an option. Prices look to be very much alongside that of the Devina, which quickly drew comparison from various journalists, and we’ll certainly be reporting back on how these cars stack up when we test drive them both.
The day ended with a release from Baltazar in the form of an RS tuned trim of the new Killimanjaro crossover. The handsome semi-off roader has been tuned well, packing the same 325hp 2.0l i4 turbo from the Quasar RS. It even manages to keep pace with it, with 0-60 dealt with in 5.3 seconds.
On the road, it retains the same good posture as the base model, dealing with its higher centre of gravity well, and is seriously comfortable. Handling is nice, though not as sharp as the Quasar RS, though that’s a tough comparison anyhow. For those wanting comfort and performance at this price range, though, it seems to be the perfect package. Yes, we’re actually praising a cross over. And no, the world isn’t ending.
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As part of the release of their new Alpha Clubman, Airborne organised a secret test-drive even for Gavin that saw him get just a little bit scared…
And here’s a little soundtrack to go with it!
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That’s that for Press Day 2. We’re already seeing some great competition and some stunning new cars, and the show hasn’t even got fully underway yet! That all starts tomorrow when the doors open to the public. We’ll see you then, I’m off to search for a cheese and wine night I got tipped off about at lunchtime today. Ta-ta for now!
-Gavin Anderson