Paris Motor Show Preview

General Guides 

It's motor show time again and this time it's the turn of Paris to provide the backdrop to the endless array of polished metal on display.

October 4th to the 14th will see thousands wandering around the displays wondering what to drive next and if they will ever be able to afford that beautiful Ferrari. Given that this is the 2nd largest car show in Europe that's a lot of people looking at a lot cars.

Despite the fact that Alfa Romeo, Fiat, VW, Ford, Nissan, and Volvo among others won't be in attendance there is an astonishing range of new cars and updated models waiting to be unveiled. If you lined up all the cars that will be on show, nose to tail, the line would be incredibly long. We don't know how long because we haven't done the maths, but you get the point.

There's a stack of new SUVs heading this way. Saloons, hatchbacks, estates, supercars, the lot. Far too many to list so we've picked out a few that are likely to prove popular amongst lease customers.

As far as SUVs are concerned the offerings from Skoda and SEAT stand out amongst the 7-seaters. The DS3 Crossback could offer something a little different too.





The Skoda Kodiaq itself isn't new but Paris will see the new 240bhp vRS version appear. The Kodiaq vRS comes with specific design features, including new bumpers and gloss-black elements, as well as full-LED headlights. Standard equipment includes all-wheel drive, adaptive Dynamic Chassis Control (DCC) and progressive steering so it should be effective off-road as well as powerful.

The SEAT Tarraco is another 7-seater, the first in the SEAT line-up. The Tarraco is the big brother to both the Ateca and Arona, and mixes state-of-the-art technology, dynamic and agile handling, practicality and functionality with elegant, progressive design. So SEAT tell us anyway. As far as we're concerned it's a great looking SUV with a good range of petrol and diesel engines and decent specification.





If you fancy something a bit smaller you can always opt for the new DS3 Crossback. The DS3 is the smaller version of the recent DS7 Crossback, and if it's half as comfy and half as nice a place to sit the DS3 will be very good indeed. The DS3 is all about the luxurious interior and the huge variety of personalisation available. If you want a taste of luxury without blowing the budget then the DS3 Crossback could be worth a look. There's even a 100% electric version on show.





If an SUV isn't your first choice there a few other interesting reveals.

The big one is likely to be the unveiling of the new BMW 3 Series. It's a huge seller and for obvious, and well deserved reason. BMW has fallen a bit behind recently with the latest Mercedes C-Class proving to be a hit. All we've had so far are some teasing shots of the new 3 Series draped in a sheet but that's enough to get most people interested. We don't expect the new version to be anything less than excellent, but you don't need us to tell you that.





Another interesting option is the new Kia ProCeed. Kia don't do sporty cars, or at least they didn't until the Stinger came along and impressed everyone so much. The new ProCeed is based on the Ceed hatchback but that's where the similarity ends. It's an elegant estate - sorry, shooting brake - and will be available as ‘GT-Line' or high-performance GT model. It's low, lean, and looks fantastic. Kia are showing some big ambitions and with the ProCeed and the Stinger they seem to heading in a very good direction.





Not everything on display in Paris is on a large scale, as Mercedes seems keen to prove with the versatile A-Class. We say versatile because Mercedes appears to be intent on proving they can do extremes as well as anyone.

First there's the new Mercedes A-Class saloon, a longer version of the popular hatchback that opens up the range to a whole new market. You get all the luxury and fantastic interior normally found within the A-Class but this time you get a boot too. The A-Class Saloon adopts the same high-quality dashboard and advanced infotainment functions as its hatchback sibling, including Mercedes' new MBUX operating system with touchscreen control, conversational speech recognition and the ability for two users to connect simultaneously. A choice of petrol and diesel engines should give drivers plenty of choice when it comes to power and efficiency too.





Speaking of power that brings us to the other end of the extreme, the new Mercedes-AMG A35. The latest A-Class hatchback is already impressive in terms of looks and equipment but this 300bhp version offers tuned up performance without the delightful AMG lunacy that is the A45. A bit less power - yes, really - makes the A35 more usable, and affordable, without taking away all of the fun. Costing around £35k it won't be cheap but it will offer lease customers some seriously desirable performance without the earth shattering bills that usually tag along for the ride.

Of course there is always the chance that none of the above take your fancy. Don't worry if that's the case, there is plenty more coming out of Paris that should suit your needs, whatever they may be. Watch this space, and be sure to let us know when you see something you like so we can arrange your lease and get you on the road in your new car.

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