By Marc-Olivier Drouin | Staff Writer|
Los Angeles Auto Show will debut Nov. 30. Before visiting California, automakers are all at the 2012 Paris Motor Show in France to unveil their latest models to the public.
Every two years, automakers bring their latest production and concept cars to Paris to show them to the public and to car journalists from all over the world.
Like in America back in 2009, the European auto industry is going downhill. However, despite the crisis, many new models have been revealed for the European market.
Since the Paris Motor Show is an international show, the curtain has unveiled a couple of models that will make their debut on our side of the globe next year.
Ford presented an updated version of its popular subcompact, the Fiesta. The 2014 version adopts the blue oval new global design language – borrowing front-end design cues from the latest Ford Fusion.
Fuel economy being an important thing for Ford, the Fiesta will get an all-new fuel-efficient 1.0-liter three-cylinder EcoBoost engine of 99 horsepower. This small engine is supposed to get the best fuel economy in its category.
Japanese automotive manufacturer Mazda revealed the all-new Mazda6 family – a sedan and a wagon. Both models are packing a fluid and sexy look, inspired by the 2011 Takeri concept car.
For 2014, the Mazda6 gets the latest fuel-efficient Skyactiv engines. A diesel engine is also on the map, but speculation is still up in the air if either or not an oil-burning option will be offered in the States.
The new Mazda6 will be a strong competitor in the mid-size segment among the Toyota Camry, Honda Accord and Ford Fusion.
Another major unveiling of the show was the seventh-generation Volkswagen Golf, which is 220 pounds lighter than its predecessor – thanks to the new Modularer Querbaukasten (MQB) platform.
As an iconic car, the Golf keeps is traditional design, but with subtle changes that make it more aggressive and sportier than the outgoing model.
The new Volkswagen is also longer, lower and wider. It also has shown a prototype of the Golf GTI, which is supposed to have more power than the current generation while being more fuel-efficient.
One of the stars of the Paris Motor Show was the much anticipated Jaguar F-Type, a stunning sports car from every angle.
Without being a retro-retread, the F-Type truly shows Jaguar unique sports car DNA. We can feel the heritage of the legendary E-Type just by looking at the proportions of the car.
It’s been a while since Jaguar has built a new sports car, but the F-Type is a masterpiece with is three power trains: two supercharged V6 and a supercharged V8 with nearly 500 horsepower.
The Paris Motor Show will end Oct. 14. By then, be sure not to miss out on the Los Angeles Auto Show, where there are more than 40 new models which will make their debut.