Each year the Geneva Motor Show is one of the biggest motoring events on the calendar. It happens once a year and this years show is almost upon us coming your way next month. More and more cars are being revealed by some of the worlds biggest manufacturers and as of the past few weeks we have seen some announcements of both revised and new models set to go on display from this years event.
Today here at Shortfall we are taking a look into some of the biggest and best vehicles that will go on display from this years event and in our preview today we have a look at some information which has been revealed for the cars so far. On our list today is range of six manufacturers with some showcasing revised models and some debuting some brand new ideas aswell as concept machines. Big name car brands such as Renault,Skoda,Lexus and Kia aswell as others all hold a strong place in the success of the big event this year and today we get underway with one of the biggest names in sports car engineering..Ferrari.
The Ferrari 458 Italia receives new features and a name change
This is one of the latest stories which was revealed earlier today by Italian sports car designers Ferrari. They have announced that their successful 458 Italia model which has been on sale since 2010 is all set to undergo some changes this year starting with a name change. The car will no longer be referred to as the 458 Italia but will now be known as the 488 GTB. The name isn't the only thing that has been changed about the car. The firm have also announced a range of new visual and technical features beginning with the engine which now comes turbocharged packing a 3.9 litre V8 under the bonnet. Given the new engine fitting, power for this already speedy car sees a climb by 99bhp now producing 661 horse power.
Body changes include the dropping of one of the three exhaust pipes meaning there are now just two and the rear diffuser has also been raised. Both front and rear bumpers see adjustments made and new body creases have also been added to the bonnet to make it more agile and aero dynamic. The cost of the car and other specifics are not set to be revealed until later this year closer to the time of the cars on sale date but we do know that Geneva will play host to the debut of the vehicle next month.
Kia to bring their new Picanto to Geneva
Kia are another manufacturer that will be represented at this years event as today they have announced that they will be bringing along their revised Picanto model for the 2015 year with them to the big event. The news of the motor receiving a make over was revealed a number of weeks ago along with the news of the Optima,Rio and Ceed also receiving much of the same treatment. Along with the confirmation that the car will debut next month, the Korean company also revealed some of the new specifications that will find their place inside of the vehicle.
The new car will also go on sale shortly after the vehicles big reveal but no date has been confirmed as of yet. Both of the bumpers will be some of the items located outside of the car to receive some adjustments as will the new 'tiger nose' grille as Kia refer to it as. The alloy wheels on the car will also be receiving different design setups compared to that of the current Picanto on the road which was released in 2004. The centre console inside of the car has been resized and new chrome surroundings now find a place inside the Picanto and will be located around different areas of the cabin including the air vents. Kia have confirmed that the same 1.0 litre 'MPI' petrol engine will carry over to the newer model. Expect a price tag of around the same £7,895 or even a little higher for the newer model when it goes on sale this year.
The Hyundai Tucson is to return in Geneva
Hyundai have stated that they are going to replace the old ix35 model with a brand new SUV vehicle which will be shown to the world for the first time from the Geneva Motor Show next month. Today the news has been confirmed that the vehicle will receive the returning name of the Tucson which has not been used on a vehicle for six years. The firm have not directly shown the car as of yet but they have however revealed a sketched image of just how the car will look when it does go on sale. As for this moment in time, information on the returning Tucson is being kept quiet but there is some expectation that engine wise, a turbocharged unit will find its place of pride inside of the car. One thing is for sure though, the image of the car shows that it has a much more aggressive look to it and is set to bring more of a sporty feel to the vehicle. A set of large five spoke alloy wheels are a visual we can make out from the picture aswell as wrap around headlights and large hexagonal shaped air intakes at the front of the vehicle just above the bumper. The car will receive its full reveal in exactly one months time.
Skoda reveal brand new information on their new Superb model
Skoda this week revealed the interior setup of their new Superb model before it arrived in Geneva. Within the past hour however, the company have revealed more information. How does a full range of specifications suit you?. Well that is where this section of our Geneva preview will come in handy. One of the first things to be revealed today was that the new Superb is to be offered with a total of eight engines altogether. Five of these are petrol units with the other three of course being your diesel options. The news has been confirmed that the diesels will make their way to dealers here in Britain but there is still no confirmation that the petrol models will come along too. Power will range from 123 to 187 brake horse power from the entry level petrol right the way up to the range topping diesel.
The new screenshots revealed yesterday revealing the interior show a brown leather setup for both the seats and the lower part of the dashboard aswell as electric windows and a built in satellite navigation system. Today though a sketch of the exterior design was revealed showing wrap round headlights,chrome inserts around the windows,added body creases and a wide front grille. The news has also been revealed that plug in hybrid technology will also find a place with the new Superb but this variant is not set to go on sale until next year. It will adopt the same platform that is used on the new Passat from Volkswagen. Keep an eye out for the new Superb which is being hoped to be a 'superb' part of the Geneva Motor Show.
Lexus confirm a new concept is on its way
Lexus have today confirmed that they will be revealing an all new concept vehicle they have been working on from Geneva but refuse to say anymore than that on the new vehicle. The brand confirmed that the curtain will be pulled off of the car in a months time but at the moment no information is available. This will not be the only vehicle making its presence felt in Geneva from Lexus though. A brand new GS-F model for the European market will also go on display for the first time and the recently revealed LF C2 convertible model which was shown last year will also return to give the fans in Switzerland a look at the new car. The new model is surrounded in mystery as nothing on what kind of vehicle it would be, performance rates or even designs were announced so we are looking forward to seeing what Lexus have up their sleeve next month.
Renault to reveal the new Kadjar for the first time
We have heard of the new Sports Utility Vehicle from Renault the Kadjar for quite some time. There was much speculation as to when we could expect to see the car revealed for the first time and we now that Geneva will play host to the official revealing of the car next month. On top of that exciting news however,the French firm also today revealed new photos of just how the car will look when it lands on our roads. Over forty brand new images of the car were posted online today by the manufacturer which also details some of the specifications to come along with the vehicle. Unfortunately one of the big features, the engines have not been revealed as of yet but we do expect that both petrol and diesel variants will be up for grabs at launch. All wheel drive and front wheel drive platforms will be offered with the new Kadjar and Renault have confirmed that stop/start technology will also be offered with the car. The car adopts a very similar body height to that of the Nissan Juke and looks to offer around the same amount of interior space. Five spoke alloy wheels with a unique design not often seen on other SUV models is also to come along with the car.
We can also see slim fitting headlights and chrome surroundings around both front and back windows also come into play. Renault also report that a new touch screen measuring seven inches will also allow the driver to use voice recognition to access their smartphone when linked up and will also allow the driver to change radio stations. The vehicle will be put on sale later this year but for now, we are still awaiting a price tag to be confirmed for the all new Kadjar.