Frankfurt Motor Show Unfolds

With the 66th edition of the Frankfurt International Motor Show (IAA) opening its doors to the public today after several ‘press days’, here’s what you can expect will be occupying the halls of the Fairground of Messe Frankfurt:

Electric, electric, electric

Electric vehicles are still high-cost for mass-market adoption, however, manufactures seemed oblivious to this fact and really brought their electric A game to this year’s Show. Porsche revealed the Porsche Mission E concept car, which may inspire a production model within the next three years and Audi brought out the Audi e-tron quattro concept car, which suggests the brand is getting ready to come out with a luxury crossover to compete with Tesla’s Model X, which is being released this month. Reports also indicate that Mercedes Benz is also planning a new electric car in response to Silicon Valley’s Tesla Motors’ luxury electric vehicles.

Pampering Luxury

The days of the economy car seem to be over, opening up space to the “premium compact”. Luxury is no longer exclusive to the realm of upscale brands, but even mainstream brands now offer add-ons such as soft surfaces, effective soundproofing and attractive trimmings. The Infiniti Q30 and the Mini Clubman are aiming at attracting the wealthy city dwellers and the F-Pace crossover, the new Audi A4, the Mercedes C Class Coupe and the Alfa Romeo Giulia are all aiming at the high-end of mainstream buyers. Even the flagship BMW 7 Series and Mercedes S Class Cabriolet got plenty of pampering material. And of course, how can we talk about luxury without talking about the super upscale, borderline-extravagant Bentley Bentayga?

As the Frankfurt Motor Show unfolds, stay tuned for more news on what the car industry unveils.