2017 Geneva Motor Show: What we can expect, part one

The 87th Geneva Motor Show kicks off in Switzerland in early March, and it’s already gearing up to be an exciting one. Along with Paris, it’s the biggest show on the European circuit, with carmakers keen to earn the most bragging rights on their home turf.

We’re likely to see a number of exciting global reveals unveiled, ranging from small hatchbacks to SUVs, and right up to jaw-dropping concepts and stunning supercars.

Here’s part one of our two-part series looking at what we’re expecting to see unveiled.

Alpine

Renault’s newest performance sub-brand introduces its sports coupe, the reborn A120 (pictured top). The production version of the car’s lightweight aluminium shell is expected to closely follow the lines of the 2016 Alpine Vision Concept, giving Renault a direct mid-engined competitor to the composite-bodied Alfa Romeo 4C. The French carmaker recently teased the A120’s flat rally-inspired underbody that sucks the car down to the road surface – which means it doesn’t need a big, fuel-sapping rear wing to create downforce.

Dendrobium electric hypercar

The long, low and angular Singapore-made coupe we saw unveiled at last year’s Geneva motor show is back for another showing. What’s different about this showing of the aluminium and carbonfibre two-door? Well, we can’t really tell, although the car’s performance figures – a Bugatti Chiron-rivalling 1120kW and a Mack truck-like 4000Nm – are still being bandied about as a possiblility.

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Ferrari F12 M

The Prancing Horse’s F12 Berlinetta undergoes a mid-life tweak via the introduction of the “M” badge. The F12 M’s atmo 6.5-litre V12 should boast almost 600kW and 720Nm when official numbers are revealed, giving it enough straight-line poke to hit 100km/h in substantially less than three seconds. Also expect a revised electronic steering system that twists all four wheels rather than just the fronts.

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Holden Grandland X

Okay, so it will wear an Opel badge when it is unveiled at Geneva, but a SUV-styled seven-seat people mover is expected to have Holden knocking at its German sibling’s door asking about availability. That “SUV-styled” tag is important; we’re unlikely to see the Grandland X adapt all-wheel-drive underpinnings, and instead stick to front-wheel drive. When it does come here, it will likely be positioned against the likes of the Nissan X-Trail and Mitsubishi Outlander that also offer seven seats.

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Jaguar XF Sportbrake

The Jaguar F-Pace SUV has launched, so it’s now time for Jaguar to turn its attention to luxury car buyers that don’t want the heft of a high-riding soft-roader, and prefer a traditional wagon. It’s the second crack at the mid-size fastback wagon – the XF Sportbrake’s first-generation car never sold here in Australia. This one, though, is highly likely to come here.

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Lamborghini Huracan Performante

The Bulls may have been largely invisible for most of the Bathurst 12 Hour – the best-performing Lamborghini finished sixth and two laps off the pace – but Geneva is expected to usher in the fastest version yet of its entry-level road car, the V10-engined Huracan Performate. Rumour has it the low-slung two-door has knocked off the Nurburgring lap record via a hardcore weight-shedding diet and improved aerodynamics.

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McLaren P14

The as-yet unnamed McLaren 650S replacement – the “P14” relates to the British supercar maker’s internal name for its development program – marks the official start of the next Super Series program. Few details of the radically restyled mid-engined sportscar have been leaked ahead of the car’s Geneva reveal, but we can share that McLaren says the P14 will have “outstanding breadth of handling balance, grip and ride comfort”. The only official image we’ve seen of it is at the new car’s best: sideways and smokin’.

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Mitsubishi Eclipse

The Eclipse name was once associated with a small Mitsubishi-badged sports coupe. In a telling sign of how much buyers’ tastes have moved, it is now expected to be the badge worn by a new compact SUV in Mitsubishi’s future showroom. The Eclipse follows Toyota’s bold move with the Toyota CH-R compact SUV, pushing design to the edgy, urban fringe. This is also our first look at how Mitsubishi plans on overhauling its entire SUV range.

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There's plenty more expected to be shown at Geneva, including the following:

Porsche 911 GT3 facelift
Porsche Panamera Shooting Brake
Range Rover coupe
Skoda Octavia RS245
Subaru XV
Suzuki Swift
Toyota Yaris Gazoo Racing
Volkswagen Arteon
Volkswagen T-Roc
Volvo XC60