By Reino Gevers, DPA
Frankfurt : Carmakers are presenting a flurry of new drive concepts at the 62nd International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt Sep 13-23 aimed at making cars of the future cleaner and safer.
Japanese, European and American car engineers are in a fierce competition on the best drive solution of the future as oil resources dwindle and the global number of vehicles are estimated to increase from 850 million to 1.2 billion in the next 15 years.
“The IAA will showcase ideas on how fuel efficiency can be improved in new cars thus reducing carbon dioxide emissions,” the chairman of the German automobile association (VDA) Matthias Wissmann said in the run-up to the show.
All the big manufacturers are showcasing special fuel-saving models in Frankfurt. Even manufacturers of fuel-guzzling Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) are looking at ways of polishing up their image and improving consumption.
Porsche is fitting the Cayenne with a hybrid, which it alleges will cut consumption by at least a third from 12.9 litres to under nine litres. The current Porsche Cayenne is one of the dirtiest on the road spewing some 358 g/km of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
Porsche is thus following the concept already implemented in Toyota’s Lexus RX 400h hybrid. Hybrid cars have an additional electric motor fed by a battery that recycles braking energy and is especially frugal in stop-and-go urban traffic situations.
Contrary to earlier expectations, Audi will present its new small car, the Audi A1, with hybrid drive at the Tokyo Motor Show later this year.
Meanwhile Audi is hyping “the world’s cleanest diesel engines” with the new TDI power trains fitted with piezoelectric common-rail-systems in the new A4 V6 and Q7 models. But an Audi spokesman said the manufacturer was also looking at natural gas and bioethanol engines for the future.
French carmaker Peugeot is presenting a diesel hybrid concept of the 308 series that cuts consumption by 30 percent to 3.4 litres per 100 km. The 80 kW/109 hp diesel engine is supported by a 16 kW/22 hp electric motor with the car emitting only 90 g/km of C02. The five-door sedan is expected to become available to buyers from 2010.
Mazda has announced that it will reveal the second generation of the Mazda6 featuring a “muscular-shaped” bonnet with sharp-edged headlights. The model series for 2008 would be fitted with higher performance engines that have lower fuel consumption at the same time.
Two Chinese manufacturers are having another go at the European market by showcasing the CEO and UFO utility vehicles. The CEO, which will be priced at only 25,000 euros ($34, 037) in Germany, can also be ordered in a liquid petroleum gas (LPG) version.
Mercedes-Benz meanwhile is banking on improving existing engine concepts with Bluetec diesel technology and a new concept vehicle with a powertrain combining what it says is the best of both petrol and diesel drive technology.
BMW has announced that it will extend the Efficient Dynamics fuel-saving concept that includes stop-and-go automatic to most of its model segments including the new MINI station wagon. The MINI CooperD has a consumption of only 3.9 litres with a C02 emission of 104g/km.
Volkswagen says it will present the “most fuel-efficient” Golf ever at the Frankfurt show featuring a modernised engine management and flow-optimised underbody. For the first time it will also reveal a new small car with a rear engine but VW is keeping mum on the drive concept, saying only that alternatives to petrol and diesel drive concepts were possible.
Part of the special programme on show are driver assistance systems such as ESP (Electronic Stability Programme) and Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC). Engineers are increasingly looking at interlinking such systems with GPS navigation and engine management systems to save fuel.