As ever, the SUV sector sees more me-toos piling in. Jaguar’s I-Pace looks like a handsome newcomer and being electric, it signals another attempt by key makers to catch up with the likes of Tesla. It’ll be jostling with Lexus though, which has revealed its new UX as a head-on rival. Prices from £50,000, for what you’ll get, look competitive.
Family hatchbacks still sell though, so Mercedes Benz will have high hopes for the new A-Class, which features more room than ever and a widescreen ents system. It’ll start at £24,000, which makers like Kia won’t lose sleep over. Kia’s next Ceed, in fact, might be an interesting candidate for performance enhancement. It’s certainly more seductive than before, now being lower and wider. Skoda’s Fabia, meanwhile, has also been under the knife and is looking good, though best in hatchback/family car debuts most probably goes to Toyota for its next Auris. It’ll be built in Derbyshire and enjoys eating Golfs, allegedly, for breakfast. It certainly looks ravenous.
What’s that, you want exotic fantasy? Mercedes-AMG GT landed in Geneva in four-door form, sizing up the customer base of Porsche’s Panamera. Engine options will include a V8 with more than 800bhp. Volvo’s performance sub-brand Polestar also breaks free at this show with its first ever model: Polestar 1. In hybrid form, it’ll produce 592bhp and travel 93 miles on a charge. And while Porsche readies the Mission E coupe, its stand also reveals the E-Cross Turismo estate, which travels for 310 miles on a zap – and zaps to 62mph in 3.5 seconds.
Finally then, what’s the Avon Tuning Best in Show? It looks edible, has a turbo 3.0-litre engine, eight-speed auto box and rear drive… it oozes both retro romance and modern edge… and it blows the dust off a badge we’ve all drooled over for years. Yes, the Supra is back. And for that, Toyota, we salute you.
