The 2013 Geneva motor show demonstrated once again why it is the unmissable event on the automotive exhibitions calendar. Where else can you see mega-cars from Ferrari, Lamborghini, McLaren and Rolls-Royce revealed within hours of each other on the same day that a futuristic hybrid which sets a new benchmark in fuel efficiency is given not so much as a fanfare? Volkswagen’s 313mpg, 21g/km XL-1, appearing for the first time in ‘production’ guise – a run of 50 units will be built at Osnabrueck – didn’t even rate a sentence during the company’s presentation.
Switzerland is and always has been neutral ground, with none of the patriotic chestbeating you find at Paris or Frankfurt. Every OEM makes an effort, and senior industry executives stand almost shoulder to shoulder. Yet it is still a reasonably compact show. The only problem is that there is so much going on that the organisers have to double-up the press conferences to give everybody their 15 or 20 minutes of fame.
Volkswagen’s 313mpg, 21g/km XL-1, appearing for the first time in ‘production’ guise – a run of 50 units will be built at Osnabrueck – didn’t even rate a sentence during the company’s presentation
Much of the real work goes on behind the scenes. Daimler and the VW Group are the two most prominent companies to have established a tradition of revealing their show exhibits to invitation-only gatherings the night before press day. And every stand has hidden meeting rooms where executives are prepared to talk about the real issues they face, usually sketching a picture somewhat different from the state-of-the-nation addresses prepared by their speech writers.
No prizes for guessing what these are in 2013. For the volume OEMs, the European economy and over-capacity continue to disturb the sleep patterns of their leaders, though in a few cases glaring gaps in the product range add an extra tier of anxiety. Not even the premium OEMs are immune, though at least they can afford to keep investing to lure buyers into their showrooms.
The appearance of Qoros, the new Chinese luxury-car brand making its global show debut, naturally attracted considerable attention. It now remains to be seen if the brave promises can be translated into action.
For the volume OEMs, the European economy and over-capacity continue to disturb the sleep patterns of their leaders, though in a few cases glaring gaps in the product range add an extra tier of anxiety
No show is complete without a bit of controversy, provided this at this year’s Geneva by Kia’s nicely executed but unfortunately named provo concept, which drew uncomfortable comparisons to the name applied to the Provisional IRA during Northern Ireland’s ‘Troubles’ in the 1970s, ’80s and ’90s. No connection intended, Kia executives were at pains to explain. Nonetheless, it generated considerable publicity in the face of some pretty stellar opposition.
Anyone looking for trends from the show would be sadly disappointed, other than that by common consent, the compact SUV segment will offer the best potential for significant growth for many OEMs in Europe over the next few years. Ford (EcoSport), Renault (Captur) and Peugeot (2008) were the three most prominent OEMs looking to muscle in on territory currently being prowled alone by the Nissan Juke.
Elsewhere, there was something for everyone. It made the show seem a bit like Harrod’s, London’s upmarket store which claims it is able to supply anything – for a price. That’s Geneva.
Roger Stansfield
