Frankfurt Motor Show 2017- Review 2

Audi A8 L

Think about the luxury limo space and any associated first-mover advantage and it’s likely that the S-Class comes to mind. But now, Audi’s new A8 changes the equation, by bringing with it some state-of-the-art features that we should be seeing in its younger siblings like the A6 and A5 soon.

With design inspiration from the Prologue concept, it looks very distinct and more importantly, futuristic. It’s not just a future-first look -- the new gen car is also the first production model to offer “Level 3” autonomous driving as standard. This means the car can run by itself with no human intervention on free highways, at speeds of up to 60kmph. If Audi is the first to get this tech to India still remains to be seen. the car functions on a mild-hybrid drive system, which means it is powered by a water-cooled 48-volt belt alternator starter (BAS) and a lithium-ion battery with 10 Ah electrical capacity.

The stock motor for UK buyers will be an updated version of Audi’s 3.0-litre V6 TDI unit, producing 286PS, but there will also be a V8 diesel with 435PS soon after launch. The first weapon of choice for India, of course, will be the prior.

Audi also plans on bringing the A8 L e-tron quattro into production soon, which mixes a 3.0-litre turbocharged V6 petrol engine with an electric motor to offer a combined output of 449PS and 700Nm of torque. The e-tron’s boot space takes a small hit to accommodate batteries that allow the car to drive up to 48km without firing up the combustion engine.

BMW X7 Concept

BMW’s lineup has lacked one thing the entire time: a large SUV. We've known for a while the automaker plans to remedy that with a new three-row X7, and it used the Frankfurt Motor Show as the stage to unveil a concept that previews the upcoming SUV, though hopefully not too closely.

The BMW Concept X7 iPerformance incorporates cues from the brand's other SUVs, but extra measures were taken to accentuate this model's size. Take the profile, for example. The vehicle rides on very showy 23-inch wheels and has high ground clearance to ensure it "rises prominently over the road," according to BMW. To further emphasize the X7's height, the front and rear ends have been made unusually upright and vertical. In front, BMW's signature dual-kidney grille has been enlarged to comical extremes, to the point where it takes up a majority of the real estate on the front fascia. The massive grille is made from a single, solid piece, however, which is an interesting touch. 

Similarly tall inlets at the outer edges of the lower front fascia appear to route "air-curtain" flow across the tires and back out the even taller air extractor elements just aft of the front wheel openings. Like everything else on the concept, those openings are very upright and make the prominent side accents look less like a "hockey stick" than they do on the 7 Series.

Because it's a show car making its debut in 2017, the X7 concept of course features an electrified powertrain. BMW doesn't give specifics, but the concept packs a plug-in hybrid drivetrain featuring a gasoline engine using BMW's TwinPower turbocharger tech———perhaps similar to the 2.0-liter turbo I-4 hybrid setup available in the X5 and 3 Series. It's unclear if that will make it to production, but you can definitely expect BMW's line of turbo-sixes and twin-turbo V-8s to be offered when the X7 arrives. You can also expect to see the general shape of this concept reflected in the production version, though show car touches like the laser lighting in the headliner, wispy door frames, and Swarovski glass accents in the center console and steering wheel aren't as likely to make the cut. As big as this concept is, the third row looks tight. We expect the production vehicle to more equitably divvy up the legroom between the second and third rows.

The X7 will ride on the same CLAR platform underpinning the 7 Series and will be built at BMW's U.S. plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina. We'll have to wait until the production X7 makes its debut sometime during the coming auto show season to see how close it is to this polarizing concept. However it ends up looking, we'll see the X7 on sale next year as a 2019 model.

Lamborghini Aventador S Roadster

Here’s the Aventador S Roadster. It’s been unveiled at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show and simultaneously launched in India too, at just Rs 5.79 crore (ex-showroom).

It’s not a brand new car, of course, but much like the coupe that was introduced here in March, it’s a facelift. Under the bonnet is, some storage space. The mid-rear-mounted 6.5-litre V12 makes 740PS and 690Nm of torque, same as the coupe, as is the 350kmph top speed. It’s put on 50kg but the 0-100kmph sprint takes a massive hit – 3 seconds instead of the coupe’s 2.9. How could you, Lamborghini!

Over to the whole point of this car: its roof. It’s a two-panel hardtop setup with each panel weighing less than 6kg, finished in matte carbon fibre. A cool touch is the electrically operated rear window that can be lowered when you want to listen to the V12 in all its glory and kept up when the roof’s down to control cabin noise and airflow.

You get revised bumpers for improved cooling and aerodynamics, the new four-wheel steering system, new active suspension and the newly added Ego (individual) driving mode, apart from the standard Strada, Sport and Corsa.

Volkswagen T-ROC

The theme for this year’s Frankfurt motor show is electric and autonomous vehicle concepts, but make no mistake, the car you see here is the real deal and the Volkswagen T-ROC is hitting a lot of the right notes. Based on the MQB platform, the T-ROC is VW’s baby SUV and while there are hints of Tiguan in the design, there’s enough to make it look distinct. The car sits on large low profile tyres under the bulging wheel arches, giving the car a muscular look. Overall, it’s more crossover than pure SUV, much like the Renault Captur or Nissan Juke.

The T-ROC will be offered with both petrol and diesel engine options, both featuring front-wheel drive and 6-speed manual gearboxes as standard. All-wheel drive and 6/7-speed DSG automatics will be available too.

It will hit the European markets in November and its arrival in the Indian market is expected to be announced in 2018.