Paris Auto Show
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It's hard to miss a Mercedes-Benz compact hatchback when it's wrapped in a shiny blue-chrome finish. That was the attention-grabbing color the luxury German maker used at the recent Paris Auto Show to distinguish its two electric models, the 2014 SLS AMG Electric Drive all-electric supercar and the new B Class Electric Drive concept. The all-electric compact hatchback comes with a powertrain designed and built by Tesla Motors [NSDQ:TSLA], and the version shown in Paris is very close to the production car that'll go on sale in Europe next year, probably as a 2014 model. It'll be offered in the...
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Green Car Concepts & Models: Paris Auto Show Overview
The 2012 Paris Auto Show is currently underway, but with press days now done and dusted, it's time to take a look at the green vehicles which made the headlines. Between concepts and production vehicles, several manufacturers offered something fuel efficient--and many previewed vehicles that didn't...
Antony Ingram -
2013 Renault Zoe Electric Car: Paris Auto Show Live Photos
Could Renault's Zoe be a game-changer in the electric car market? It might only be going on sale in Europe, but several signs are pointing towards it being significantly more popular than cars like the Nissan Leaf. The first is its size. Subcompacts are very popular in Europe, with cars like the...
Antony Ingram -
Infiniti Emerg-E Plug-In Hybrid Supercar Won't Be Built, Company Says
Infiniti is clearly proud of its Emerg-E plug-in hybrid supercar, wheeling it out at several auto shows and even driving it up the hill at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Sadly though, for anyone hoping the concept would eventually be produced, Infiniti has confirmed it has no plans to make a...
Antony Ingram -
2013 Honda CR-Z: Paris Auto Show Live Photos
Honda's updated CR-Z hybrid hatchback may not have been one of the stars of the Paris Auto Show, but with a power boost and some styling tweaks it's welcome all the same. With a boost in power from 122 to 135 horspower, the new model knocks over half a second from the old car's 0-62 mph time, now...
Antony Ingram -
Lexus LF-CC Concept: Paris Auto Show Live Photos
Lexus revealed its LF-CC hybrid coupe concept shortly before the 2012 Paris Auto Show, and now we can bring you a live image gallery from the show itself. The dramatic-looking coupe is the boldest expression of the marque's 'L-finesse' design language and one of the most distinctive cars of the...
Antony Ingram -
Smart might be struggling to sell its ageing ForTwo at the moment but its design department is certainly keeping busy. The 2012 Paris Auto Show, which got underway last Thursday for members of the press, allowed Smart to unveil yet another concept car previewing the next Fortwo, expected to be unveiled next year. The Forstars concept is a small electric fastback coupe, with styling that could only come from Smart, but longer and sportier than the current ForTwo production car. A distinctive shade of red metallic paintwork shows off some of the aggressive details, such as 'rhombic' headlamps...
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Toyota iQ EV: The Electric Car You'll Never See (Live Photos)
When a major automaker introduces a new electric car, you'd expect a major event with plenty of hoopla. But at last week's Paris Auto Show, the Toyota iQ EV--a battery electric conversion of the minicar it sells in the States as the Scion iQ--was pretty much ignored by Toyota executives. Instead...
John Voelcker -
2013 Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid Sold Out Before European Launch
Yesterday, at the 2012 Paris Auto Show, Volvo quietly announced that it had sold out of its first-year allocation of V60 diesel plug-in hybrid wagons, well before the model’s official showroom launch. While it won’t be making the trip to the U.S., the oil-burning plug-in hybrid wagon...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
2013 Honda CR-Z Hybrid Gets Better Acceleration, Boost Mode
The Honda CR-Z mild-hybrid sports coupe will get some evolutionary, not revolutionary, changes for the 2013 model year, the automaker has announced at the 2012 Paris Auto Show. From a distance, the 2013 CR-Z looks very similar to the 2012 model, but on closer inspection the redesigned fascia...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
2013 Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-in Hybrid Gallery: 2012 Paris Auto Show
As far as plug-in cars go, the 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV) has to be one of the most important vehicles making its debut this year at the Paris Auto Show. The first vehicle to launch under Mitsubishi’s ambitious goals to offer plug-in hybrid or all-electric versions of...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
2012 Paris Auto Show: BMW Concept Active Tourer Gallery
For as long as we can remember, BMW has ignored the pull of front-wheel drive cars, preferring to stick with the performance-oriented rear-wheel drive setup that has served it well for decades. But at this year’s Paris Auto Show, the German automaker has unveiled a car that we once described...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
As today marks the start of the 2012 Paris Auto Show, we’re likely to see lots of interesting green cars over the next few days that we’ll never see in the U.S. Among them, the all-new 2014 Volkswagen Golf BlueMotion diesel, capable of a claimed 88.3 mpg imperial, or 73.5 mpg U.S. Powered by an all-new 1.6-liter, four-cylinder engine capable of producing 184 foot-pounds of torque, the 2014 Golf BlueMotion emits 15 percent less carbon dioxide than its predecessor. Volkswagen says its engineers have worked on a variety of improvements to the engine design to ensure maximum...
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2013 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Electric Drive: Sexy, But Expensive
A few years ago, Mercedes-Benz teased us with the possibility that it would be building an all-electric version of its iconic gullwing supercar, the SLS AMG. Today, on the opening day of the 2012 Paris Auto Show, Mercedes-Benz gave us the news we’d all been waiting for: the 2013 SLS AMG...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
Audi Crosslane Coupe Concept Heralds New Q2 Crossover
Audi is previewing the future of the compact crossover with a Paris Auto Show concept it calls the Crosslane Coupe. The Crosslane Coupe features lightweight construction and a fuel-saving, dual-mode hybrid drivetrain, which could potentially make it into the production version, reportedly called...
Kurt Ernst -
VW, Audi, Porsche Lay Out Plug-In Hybrid Plans: Paris Auto Show
After a brisk run-through of new models from all of its many brands, Volkswagen Group closed last night's preview event before the Paris Auto Show with a few words on its plans for plug-in hybrids. "Many companies are reducing their plans for electric vehicles," said VW Group chief Martin...
John Voelcker -
Hyundai Announces Hydrogen Fuel Cell Tucson: 2012 Paris Auto Show
This morning at the 2012 Paris Auto Show, South Korean automaker Hyundai has announced its intentions to begin series production of a hydrogen fuel-cell electric car. Based on the i35 compact crossover SUV, sold in the U.S. as the Hyundai Tucson, the ix35 Fuel Cell will be built from December this...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
2013 Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-in Hybrid Makes World Premiere In Paris
We’ve known about it for many months, but Mitsubishi has finally unveiled the production version of the 2013 Outlander Plug-in Hybrid at the 2012 Paris Auto Show. Referred to by Mitsubishi as being a ‘no-compromise’ vehicle, the Outlander PHEV is a series-parallel, full hybrid...
Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield -
MINI has chosen the 2012 Paris Auto Show to mark the world premiere of its Paceman 'Sports Activity Coupe'. Based on the slightly larger, five-door Countryman, the Paceman extends the MINI brand into yet another niche market, competing with fun-to-drive mini crossovers like the Nissan Juke. With its large headlights and grille, and contrasting roof, it's unmistakably a car from the MINI stable. You'll either love or hate it depending on whether you're already partial to the brand or not, but it certainly stands out. Despite its pseudo-SUV pretentions, MINI boasts lowered suspension on every...
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Mercedes-Benz B Class Electric Drive: Paris Auto Show Preview
Mercedes-Benz has dropped its 'E-Cell' designation for electric cars, and adopted the Electric Drive moniker previously seen on the electric Smart Fortwo, with a new electric B Class. Set to be unveiled at the Paris Auto Show next week, the B Class Electric Drive is the latest in a line of...
Antony Ingram -
Citroen DS3 Electrum: Paris Auto Show Preview
Citroens haven't been sold in North America since 1974, but in many ways their 'forbidden fruit' status makes them even more desirable. The French maker's current DS range doubly so--inspired by the elegant and beautiful DS that ran from the 1950s until the 1970s, each current DS exhibits typical...
Antony Ingram -
BMW Plug-In Vehicles: Paris Auto Show Preview
BMW might have a reputation for producing performance cars and sport sedans, but there's no denying that the company is also taking electric and plug-in vehicles seriously too. First came the electric MINI E, followed by the ActiveE, and the i3 and i8 plug-ins have been wowing auto show crowds for...
Antony Ingram -
Lexus LF-CC Hybrid Coupe Concept: Paris Auto Show Preview
Lexus has unveiled its first images of a new hybrid coupe concept, set to be unveiled at the impending 2012 Paris Auto Show. Called the Lexus LF-CC, the concept is the latest in a line of conceptual vehicles shown by the brand at recent auto shows, many of which have used hybrid and electric...
Antony Ingram -
Smart Forstars Concept: Paris Auto Show Preview
Is this the most aggressive-looking Smart concept car yet? With a longer wheelbase, coupe-like roofline and frowning eyebrows over the headlights, it's certainly a step up from the usual squat city cars, and it gives us yet another indication of what the next generation ForTwo might look like...
Antony Ingram