2015 Frankfurt Motor Show preview

The 66th Frankfurt motor show, which opens on September 15, is shaping up as the biggest ever with a number of crucial new models from major brands. All tastes will be catered for, from an all-new Renault Megane to an awesome Lamborghini Huracan Spyder, and everything in between. Here's what we know so far…

2015 BMW M2

ONE of the most anticipated reveals of Frankfurt is shaping up to be BMW’s rear-drive rival to the Audi RS3 sedan. The 240kW-ish output of its in-line six is not yet confirmed, but it will mate to either a six-speed manual or a seven-speed dual-clutch auto.

2016 Alfa Romeo Giulia

WE’VE seen it wearing its track gear, but now we get to assess Alfa Romeo’s sweet-looking BMW 3 Series rival wearing its street clothes. It won’t be anywhere near as lairy as the stove-hot twin turbo V6 QV-badged version, but a mix of four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines should still send drive to the rear wheels.

2016 Audi A4

ONCE the German luxury brand’s best-seller here, the Audi A4 sedan has since been eclipsed by Australian luxury buyers’ taste for jacked-up SUVs such as the Audi Q5. The new Audi A4 wears a watered-down face pulled off the more sharply styled Audi TT, and backs it up with a rather bland rear end.

2017 Audi Q6 e-tron

AUDi is expected to test the waters with an all-electric SUV mangled into a coupe form as it fights off rivals including the BMW X6, Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe and even the upcoming falcon-doored Tesla Model X. Production models are expected to use a range of conventional and plug-in hybrid drivetrains, and maybe even a hydrogen fuel cell.

2016 Audi SQ7

THE era of electric turbochargers is on us, and Audi is lining up to become the first to strap a pair of them to a car – in this case, the tighter, sharper second-generation Audi Q7. The twin-forced induction SUV is expected to wear the Audi SQ7 badge, although it will use a V8 diesel rather than a conventional petrol one.

2016 Audi TT RS

AUDI’S oddball turbo 2.5-litre five-cylinder engine is expected to return for another showing in the freshly styled four-seat Audi TT coupe. Driveline tweaks are expected to turn the dial up to nudge 300kW which, combined with an aggressive aero package, should turn the Audi TT into something of a mini-Audi R8 fighter.

2016 Bentley Bentayga

ONCE it was Range Rover left alone to play in the luxury off-road sandpit. Now everyone else wants in on the segment, including Bentley with the oddly named Bentley Bentayga. It is expected to loosely stick to the Crewe formula, featuring quad headlights framing a cheese grater grille up front, but in another first for the brand, should feature a twin-electric turbo diesel V8 under the bonnet.

2015 BMW 7 Series

THE pinnacle of BMW’s showroom has also been the means by which the carmaker has tested new technology on buyers who demand, and can afford to pay for it. This time around, expect a gesture-controlled multimedia interface, a smart key that can tell the owner remotely what the driving range is, and even a self-parking function.

2015 Ferrari 488 Spider

MARANELLO’S engineers rip the roof off the Ferrari 488 GTB to create a wind-in-your-hair replacement for the 458 Spider. It’s expected to use the same turbo V8 as the current coupe, pushing drive to the rear wheels, and will still clock the 0-100km/h in 3.0secs despite a 50kg weight penalty.

2015 Ford Galaxy

FORKING over $55K for a Ford Everest seven-seater will be beyond the means of many families, so don’t rule out the Ford Mondeo-snouted Ford Galaxy people-mover as a potential starter for the Australian market once the Territory signs off.

2015 Infiniti Q30

NISSAN’S luxury arm is breaking into the small five-door hatchback segment with a restyled Mercedes-Benz A-Class that will wear an Infiniti Q30 badge. Aimed at entry-level buyers, the Infiniti Q30 will use a mix of Benz four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines.

2016 Jaguar F-Pace

JAGUAR is keen to hedge its bets on the future of the traditional passenger car with its first-ever SUV, oddly named the Jaguar F-Pace. Based on the 2013 Jaguar C-X17 concept, the almost production-ready Jaguar F-Pace has already had a brief public outing supporting Team Sky at this year’s Tour de France.

2015 Jaguar XJ facelift

LOOKING only subtly different, Jaguar’s refresh for its flagship saloon also adds an Autobiography model wearing most of the bits formerly reserved for the options list. A new R-Sport trim level will feature a more aggressive aero package.

2016 Kia Sportage

A FOURTH-GENERATION Kia Sportage is expected to surface at Frankfurt, featuring fresh looks and a new 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch auto. Expect design to not stray far from the previous gen’s formula.

2016 Lamborghini Huracan Spyder

ONE of the big mysteries of tearing the roof off the Lamborghini Huracan is where the folded-up part will stow. That big 449kW V10 sitting behind the front passenger seats presents a few packaging challenges, so will it be folding metal, carbonfibre, or fabric?

2016 Maserati Levante

STYLING a Quattroporte front end on a jacked-up, Porsche Cayenne-style SUV could be polarising, but we get to judge how well the Italian sports car brand blends it all in at Frankfurt. A choice of twin-turbo V6 or atmo V8 is expected to provide the growl under the bonnet.

2016 Mazda 3 MPS

IT’S A BIT of a wildcard for a Frankfurt showing, but all the rumours point to Mazda’s turbo-four Volkswagen Golf GTI rival arriving on the Japanese carmaker’s show stand. Going the other way, the MPS badge could instead appear on the bigger Mazda 6...

2016 Mini Clubman

A BLOODLESS coup has cleaned out Mini’s slower selling models so it can concentrate on five core body shapes. One is the six-door Clubman, which will go head-to-head with the Audi A3 and the Mercedes-Benz A-Class.

2015 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupe

SHRINKING the Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe’s styling to produce a two-door Mercedes-Benz C-Class version is Stuttgart’s answer to the BMW 4 Series. The more stylish shape is also expected to tap into Benz’s diesel-electric hybrid development skunk works.

2016 Mercedes-Benz GLS

OUT goes the GL badge for the largest SUV in the Mercedes-Benz line-up, and in its place comes the Mercedes-Benz GLS. This will be our first close-up look at the production version of the facelifted model, due to go on sale some time next year.

2015 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Cabriolet

THE sixth spin-off of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class family once again features a folding fabric roof, with a Mercedes-AMG model expected to use the 5.5-litre twin-turbo V8 shared with the other S63-badged cars.

2015 Opel Astra widebody

NOTHING builds a bit of excitement like a road car reimagined as a track warrior. Opel’s engineers are believed to have created a special wide bodied version of the German-engineered hatchback to add some wow factor to the show stand.

2015 Peugeot 308 R HYbrid

HIGH-STRUNG hybrids are a Le Mans staple, so why not a production car? This will be our first look at Peugeot’s most hardcore Peugeot 308 model, featuring a turbo 1.6-litre engine mated with an electric motor on each axle.

2015 Porsche 911

IS THIS it? The moment that the Porsche 911 finally eschews atmo induction for turbo power? Expect your serve of entry-level sports coupe to potentially feature a 3.0-litre flat six producing something close to 300kW, lightly tweaked looks and a heavily revised multimedia system.

2016 Porsche Pajun

A BMW 5-Series rival known as the Porsche Pajun has been rumoured for some time, with a Frankfurt reveal almost certain. Surprisingly, though, the Porsche Pajun concept is expected to use an electric drivetrain hinting at the carmaker’s alternative fuel future.

2016 Renault Megane

A FOURTH generation of Renault’s small city hatch and sedan will appear, with the Megane gaining a complete makeover to take on the Volkswagen Golf and Peugeot 308. Underneath, it will share the same platform as the European-market Nissan Pulsar.

2015 Tesla Model X

TESLA doesn’t really do motor shows, and the last time we officially saw the Californian electric vehicle maker’s falcon-winged Model X SUV at Geneva in 2013 it wasn’t quite in production trim. It’s due to go on sale in the US later this year.

2016 Volkswagen Tiguan

THE eight-year-old Volkswagen Tiguan SUV is finally pensioned off, this all-new version swapping to the slick MQB architecture underpinning the Golf hatchback range. Rumours hint at three Tiguan spin-off; conventional hatch, extended-wheelbase seven seater and a fastback-styled CrossBlue design study.