The best cars at the Munich auto show - Automotive News ...

The best cars at the Munich auto show. The event hosts new models from Mercedes, BMW and VW among others. BLOOMBERG. Skiptomaincontent Breadcrumb Home Commentary September09,202109:29AM ThebestcarsattheMunichautoshow TheeventhostsnewmodelsfromMercedes,BMWandVWamongothers BLOOMBERG Tweet Share Share Email More Print DAIMLER TheMercedes-AMGEQS534Matic+isoneofthestarsoftheshow. MUNICH--MunichishostingIAAMobility,areinventionoftheautoshowthatforsevendecadesoccurredannuallyinFrankfurt,untiltheCOVID-19pandemicforceditscancelationin2020. SetamidenvironmentalproteststhatshutdownroadsandthebuilduptoaSept.26electionthatwillseeGermanChancellorAngelaMerkelreplacedafter16years,theshowhasbeenrebrandedtoa"mobility"showcaseofelectricscootersande-bikes,electricbusesandtrams,transportationpods,andcarstoo. ItwasthefirstmajorautomotiveshowtobeheldsincepandemiccancelationsbroughtGermany'stradeshowindustrya$47billionloss,accordingtotheAssociationoftheGermanTradeFairIndustry. Automakerswerealreadyquestioningtherelevanceofautoshowsbeforethenovelcoronavirusarrived.Ferrari,AstonMartin,McLaren,andBentleyoptedtoskipthisone,too.Butseveralmajormanufacturersthoughtitworththeirwhiletobeapartoftheshow,whichwasstagedatMunich'sgargantuanconventionhallandsomeofthecity'smostsignificantandbeautifulhistoricalsites,includingtheBayerischeStaatsoperoperahouse. MerkelandFormulaOneChampionNicoRosbergwereamongtheattendees. Mercedes-Benzunveiledfivebattery-poweredvehicles(plusahybrid),kickingoffa$47billionefforttopushitselectricmodelstoconsumers. ForemostamongthemistheEQE,thefollow-uptothestatelyEQSsedanthatMercedesstartedsellinglastmonth.TheEQS'ssmaller,less-expensivesiblingisexpectedtobolsterthecompany'ssalesvolume,revenueandmargins. ToggleFullscreen Share PICTUREGALLERY:MercedesEQE ToggleFullscreen Share ToggleFullscreen Share ToggleFullscreen Share ToggleFullscreen Share ToggleFullscreen Share ToggleFullscreen Share ToggleFullscreen Share MercedesalsounveiledtheEQGelectricSUVconceptonSundaybeforetheshow'sofficialopening.AsthelatesttakeonMercedes'siconic"Gelaendewagen,"theelectricG-Wagenlosesthegrilleofthegasoline-poweredG-Classforablackpanelwithanilluminatedthree-pointedstarandbrilliant,roundLEDheadlights. Protectivestripsrunthelengthofitsbody,andasquared-offrearboxwillholdthesparetireandchargingcord.ThecompanyhasnotyetconfirmeditwillmaketheEQGbuthassaidthisdesignisa"near-productionstudy." ToggleFullscreen Share PICTUREGALLERY:MercedesEQGconcept ToggleFullscreen Share ToggleFullscreen Share ToggleFullscreen Share ToggleFullscreen Share TheAMGEQSandAMGGT4-DoorCoupealsojoinedthegroup,whichwashighlightedbytheMercedes-MaybachSUVdesignconcept,arounded,two-tonevehiclewithMaybachlogosrepeatedacrossitsbodylikethestampingoftheLouisVuitton"LV"onahandbag. Duringaroundtablewithreporters,Mercedes-MaybachheadPhilippSchiemersaidsuchanexpensivevehicleiscrucialtoMercedes-Benz'slong-termgoals. "Newtechnologyfortheluxurycustomerisalwaysinteresting,"Schiemertoldthereporters."Therewillbemoreconfidence[inelectricpower]aswemoveintothenewera,soit'sabsolutelylogicalforustoputoureffortstowardelectrification." ToggleFullscreen Share PICTUREGALLERY:Mercedes-MaybachConceptEQS ToggleFullscreen Share TheConceptMercedes-MaybachEQShasablanked-outfrontgrille,LEDheadlightsandlotsofchromedetailngincludingthedeeplydishedwheels. ToggleFullscreen Share ToggleFullscreen Share ToggleFullscreen Share ToggleFullscreen Share Meanwhile,localbrandBMWannounceditwoulditsdoubleordersforbatterycellsasitunveiledtheproductionversionsofitsiXandi4electriccars,aswellasanumberofelectricmotorcycles.  "Rethink,reduce,reuse,andrecycle,"BMW'stopexecutiveOliverZipserepeatedduringhispresentationatthegroup'sbigevent. ChiefamongtheBMWproposalswastheiVisionCircularpodmadefromrecycled,unpaintedaluminum,steel,andotherreusedmaterials.TheconceptualhatchbackwasintendedtoshowwhataBMWcouldbelikeintheyear2040. Itmostnotablyelongatedtheshapeofthesignaturekidneygrillsonthefrontandgaineddigitalsurfacesalongitswindowtrimsandundulatinglightsalongtherear. ToggleFullscreen Share PICTUREGALLERY:BMWiVisionCircular ToggleFullscreen Share ToggleFullscreen Share ToggleFullscreen Share ToggleFullscreen Share ToggleFullscreen Share ToggleFullscreen Share ToggleFullscreen Share ToggleFullscreen Share ToggleFullscreen Share Porscheshowedanelectricvehiclethatisdecidedlynotaboutrecyclingandmoreaboutdrivingfast.ThePorscheMissionRconceptisthecompany'shypotheticaltakeonwhatacustomer"cupcar"racerwouldbelikeifpoweredbyelectricbatteries. RoughlythesizeofaPorscheCayman,withasingleseatandarollcageintegrateddirectlyintoitsroof,theMissionRisneitherroad-legalnorclearedforFIA-sanctionedracing.Ifgiventhego-ahead,thecarislikelytobeproducedin2024andwouldcomplywithwhateverregulationsareinplace,PorscheCEOOliverBlumetoldBloomberg. Alongwithe-fuels,fast-chargingnetworks,hybrids,andthesuccessfulelectricTaycansedan,thecarispartofPorsche'sgoaltobecomecarbon-neutralby2030."Weseeourselvesaspioneersininvestinganddevelopingthistechnology,"Blumesaid. ToggleFullscreen Share PICTUREGALLERY:PorscheMissionR ToggleFullscreen Share ToggleFullscreen Share ToggleFullscreen Share ToggleFullscreen Share ToggleFullscreen Share ToggleFullscreen Share ToggleFullscreen Share ToggleFullscreen Share ToggleFullscreen Share ToggleFullscreen Share ToggleFullscreen Share ToggleFullscreen Share ToggleFullscreen Share AsforAudi,theVolkswagenGroupbrandunveiledthesecondinitsseriesofthree"sphere"conceptualcars,theGrandsphere,justweeksafteritshowedtheSkyspherecoupeconceptinLosAngeles. Theelectricprecursortoasedansetforproductionin2025,Grandspherehasanautonomousmodethattucksawaythesteeringwheelandpedals. Ithasatotaldrivingrangeof466milesandcanchargefor186milesofdrivingin10minuteswhenneeded,usingaspecialcharger. Audi'stopexecutiveshavepromisedtomakeallnewvehicleselectricfrom2026onward.AnnualdeliveriesofAudicarswilldoubleto3millionby2030,theysaid. ToggleFullscreen Share PICTUREGALLERY:AudiGrandsphere ToggleFullscreen Share ToggleFullscreen Share ToggleFullscreen Share ToggleFullscreen Share ToggleFullscreen Share ToggleFullscreen Share ToggleFullscreen Share ToggleFullscreen Share ToggleFullscreen Share ToggleFullscreen Share ToggleFullscreen Share ToggleFullscreen Share ToggleFullscreen Share ToggleFullscreen Share ToggleFullscreen Share ToggleFullscreen Share JudgingfromtheweekinMunich,theGermanautomakersmayfarewellwiththeirfast-approachinggambleonelectricmobility--atleastinEurope. Germansalesofelectriccarsareexpectedtoreach3.4millionannuallyin2040,accordingtoBloombergNEF'slong-termelectricvehicleoutlook.Thefigurewouldamounttomorethan90percentofthecountry'sentirenew-carsales.  WhilemanyelectriccarsunveiledattheMunichshowfallintotheluxurysegment,theVolkswagenIDLifegivesaglimpseofwhatentry-levelelectriccarsmightlooklikeinthenextfewyears. "TheconceptprovidesapreviewofanIDmodelinthesmall-carsegmentthatwewillbelaunchingin2025,pricedataround20,000euros[$23,600].Thismeanswearemakingelectricmobilityaccessibletoevenmorepeople,"saidRalfBrandstaetter,CEOoftheVWbrand. Thesmall,boxySUVisdesignedfordrivingontightcitystreets.ItisbasedonasmallervariantofVW'smodularelectricdrivematrix(MEB)thatwasdevelopedspecificallyforthesmall-carsegment.ThisisthefirsttimeavehiclebasedontheMEBwillfeaturefront-wheeldrive. Withits172-kWelectricmotor,theIDLifecangetfromzeroto62mphin6.9seconds,whileits57-kWhbatteryenablesarangeof248miles. ToggleFullscreen Share PICTUREGALLERY:VWIDLife ToggleFullscreen Share ToggleFullscreen Share ToggleFullscreen Share ToggleFullscreen Share VOLKSWAGEN ToggleFullscreen Share ToggleFullscreen Share ToggleFullscreen Share ToggleFullscreen Share ToggleFullscreen Share ToggleFullscreen Share RECOMMENDEDFORYOU HowelectrificationisshapingRenault'sdesigndirection RecommendedforYou HowelectrificationisshapingRenault'sdesigndirection DaciaCEO:Whywearemorethanjusta'low-cost'brand HyundaimayexpandIoniqEVrangetosmallcars SponsoredContent:VIDEO:ToyotaEurope'sworktoleadthewayondiversity,equityandinclusion Signupforfreenewsletters EuropeBreakingNewsAlerts (asneeded) EuropeDailySummary (weekdays) TheLongRead (monthly) InterviewoftheMonth (monthly) FocusonTechnology (monthly) FocusonElectrification (monthly) SupplierSpotlight (monthly) Cars&Concepts (monthly) SegmentAnalysis (monthly) EuropeByTheNumbers (monthly) EMAILADDRESS Pleaseenteravalidemailaddress. Pleaseenteryouremailaddress. 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