Paris Motor Show Set to Steal Many Hearts

 The first automobile show in the world was held in Paris in 1898 at the Tuilleries Gardens by industry pioneer Albert de Dion. Only a handful of the new-fangled "automobiles" were exhibited at the outdoor location.

To showcase the validity of this new mode of transportation, exhibitors had to drive their vehicles from Versailles to Paris. Although he opened this first Paris Motor Show, the President of France was openly skeptical about the automobile and punctuated his opinion by leaving the auto show in a horse-drawn carriage. Thus began the Paris Motor show.

The 2010 edition of Paris Motor Show is gearing up for a big show case of vehicles ranging from Concept cars, green cars, electric cars--new cars. The event organizers are promising premiers of more than 100 vehicles. The show will open on Sept 30 for two days of press previews and for the public acess from Oct 2 - Oct 17.

Paris Auto Expo comes at a very crucial pahse, as automakers world over are slowly coming out of a great depression. This Auto expo will set the trend for the other expos all over the world. More than 140,000 people visited the Paris Show in 2008.

There's so much yet to come, before the doors of the Paris Expo even open. Here is a glimpse at major brands on display in the show:

There's so much yet to come, before the doors of the Paris Expo even open. Here is a glimpse at major brands on display in the show:
AUDI S7:  Audi

AUDI S7

is targeting a new market segment with the A7 Sportback. The five-door coupe from Audi combines supreme, long-distance comfort with a sporty character. The interior noise level is very low even at fast highway speeds, with the V6 engines providing refined acoustic feedback as their power unfolds. The body is comprised primarily of aluminum and high-tech steels, making it extremely lightweight and safe. The large rear hatch opens wide to reveal a large, extremely usable luggage compartment that is very easy to load.

2012 BENTLEY CONTINENTAL GT:  Bentley will add a 4.0-liter V8 model to the Continental GT range after it retools its coupe for the 2011 model year. The sportier-looking GT will offer a W12 engine.

2012 BENTLEY CONTINENTAL GT

The V8 hits the market as a '12 model in about 18 months. "The V8 is our hedge against fuel-price spikes, carbon-dioxide-related legislation and uncertainty in the global supercar market," says Uli Eichhorn, Bentley's technical director. Eichhorn says the 4.0-liter V8 is an all-new engine co-developed with Audi and is yet to appear in a production model. Bentley promises that the new V8 will be built in Britain, like the W12.




CHEVROLET CRUZE HATCHBACK:  Chevrolet Europe head Wayne Brannon

CHEVROLET CRUZE HATCHBACK

said hatchbacks account for 65 percent of compact sales in Europe and the Cruze hatchback will help the brand be "taken seriously" as a mainstream player in the region, adding that the five-door Cruze hatchback will have the value-for-money positioning typical of the brand. Sales of the Cruze hatchback, which debuts as a concept in Paris, start next summer with prices announced nearer the launch date. The Cruze sedan went on sale in the spring.



2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS: The centerpiece of the Mercedes-Benz stand in Paris is a new CLS. The CLS gets a new look that points the way forward for the future styling of the

2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS

luxury brand's cars. The elegant CLS is based on the E class but is longer, with the new generation getting a wheelbase 8 inches longer than the current model. The sedan created a new segment for four-door coupe-styled sedans when it was launched in 2004. The CLS will go on sale in Europe in November. U.S. sales begin in mid-2011.

LAND ROVER EVOQUE

LAND ROVER EVOQUE: Land Rover aims to attract more women buyers with its new small SUV, the Range Rover Evoque, which will be the smallest, lightest and most fuel-efficient vehicle in the SUV brand's lineup. The company would like 50 percent of Evoque buyers to be female.The Evoque uses the Land Rover Freelander platform as its starting point, but is significantly re-engineered. It will have two- and four-wheel drive versions when it goes on sale in Europe next summer and in the U.S. in late 2011. Land Rover says the most fuel efficient version will have CO2 emissions of less than 130g/km.


Peugeot 508: The Peugeot 508 will replace two slow-selling Peugeot cars -- the 407 mid

Peugeot 508

-sized car and the 607 large sedan. Peugeot has big ambitions for the 508, which the company believes will be able to compete against premium cars such as the Audi A4, BMW 3 series and Mercedes-Benz C class. The 508 will be offered in two body styles: a four-door sedan and a station wagon. Both models will go on sale at the beginning of 2011. Underpinned by the PSA's platform 3, the 508 will be produced in Rennes, France, for the European market and in China for the Chinese market.

KIA POP: The Kia Pop is a concept for a three-seat electric city car. Kia says the Pop aims to brin

KIA POP

g
"innovative design chic and dramatic styling to the city car segment." The car is just 3000mm long, the same length as the four-seat Toyota iQ city car and 300mm longer than the two-seat Smart ForTwo.





Toyota Verso-S: Seems like Paris Motor Show 2010 will be the place where Toyota will celebrate its

TOYOTA VERS-S

returning to the mini-MPV class with the debut of the all-new 2011 Toyota Verso-S. Set for market launch in the UK in early 2011, the new B-MPV Toyota ride represents a fundamental lesson in the space management as it boasts small exterior dimensions and exclusively smart and spacious interior. The 2011 Toyota Verso-S is less than four meters long. Styled with great attention to detail and practicality, smart vehicle is set to amaze the customers with its incredibly flexible interior design with maximized usable space, comfort and perceived quality.

Renault DeZir: Renault has revealed its latest concept in the form of the DeZir, a project lead by new design boss Laurens van den Acker - the man respon

Renault DeZir

sible for Mazda's soon-to-be-retired 'Nagare' design language. he DeZir is powered by Renault's Z.E. zero-emissions drivetrain that includes a mid-mounted electric motor and a 24kWh lithium-ion battery behind the seats.Together, the battery and electric motor give the DeZir 110kW and 225Nm of torque, with a driving range of around 160km and an eight-hour recharge.Designed to offer a drag coefficient of just 0.25 (identical to the 2010 Toyota Prius), Renault says the DeZir will make its way to 100km/h in just five seconds.