2019 Frankfurt motor show - round up of the show stars
All the latest news and cars from the 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show...
It's day two of the Frankfurt motor show, and after the hustle and bustle of premiers the show is gearing up for the public days. True to form, Frankfurt 2019 has been dominated by the German marques. Notably, we have Volkswagen presenting not just a new model but the first of a new generation of electric cars in the shape of its ID 3, while Porsche is showing-off the Taycan, a new entry into the world of purpose-built pure EVs.
Audi has shown off its new RS6 and RS7 models to remind us that it still cares about the driving enthusiast and to provide a bit of contrast to those squeaky clean EV models. Meanwhile, Mercedes is focusing on electric cars in the shape of the EQS, an S-Class sized luxury EV model.
If there is one car ready to divert attention away from the locals, it will be Land Rover's new Defender, destined to be available in a mixture of sizes early in 2020. Lamborghini’s 808bhp Sian hybrid hypercar will also set some pulses racing as the most powerful car the brand has yet produced.
Scroll down for a full round-up of all the key Frankfurt motor show cars...
Frankfurt 2019: the cars to look out for
Frankfurt motor show A to Z
The Frankfurt motor show has plenty of important and influential cars on show, so take a look at our current A-Z line-up of what we’ve seen on the stands.
Audi
VW is showing off its electric chops, but Audi’s 2019 Frankfurt show is a more performance orientated affair, thankfully. A consistent evo favourite, the recently unveiled RS6 starts off with a fairly standard twin-turbo V8 petrol powertrain, but should eventually pick up an electrified version of the same engine, with closer to 700bhp. The RS7 Sportback will share much of its underpinnings with the RS6, but in a lower, sleeker body.
The Audi S8 has already been revealed, but will have its first public showing at Frankfurt. Unlike the vast majority of its ‘S’ car siblings, the S8 has stuck to its petrol-powered V8, rather than adopting a mild-hybrid diesel as seen in the S4/5/6/7.
BMW
BMW brought a surprise guest to its 2019 Frankfurt motor show, with a preview of the next-generation BMW 4-series in the form of the 4-series Concept. Featuring a rather bold new front look, it's certainly causing a stir on the show floor. Elsewhere, BMW's M Vision Concept and X6 are other show debuts, both of which look positively subtle compared to the new 4.
Hyundai
Hyundai has given a debut to its hardcore i30 N Project C, a rival for the Renaultsport Megane Trophy-R, and treated us to a first glimpse of the Veloster N ETCR electric touring car. In a bust show for the Korean marque, it also revealed the '45', an electric SUV concept
Lamborghini
Though the Sant’Agata marque isn’t set to have much at this year’s show, what it will have is bound to make quite the impression. Its new limited-run, supercapacitor-equipped Sian supercar will make its public debut, giving us a peek into the future of the brand.
Land Rover
As unlikely as it seems, Land Rover might actually be the car manufacturer to steal the limelight away from the locals, with its all-new and much-anticipated Defender. Thanks to prodigious leaks, we already know much about the new Defender, including its engines, specs and trim lines, but we’re still yet to see it in the flesh. There appears to be plenty to look forward to as well, with Land Rover very aware of the importance of this single model to the success of the company.
Mercedes
Mercedes will have a somewhat quieter show, with various plug-in hybrid variants of existing models likely to be revealed. The blocky GLB will be a show debut, with its new AMG 35 model likely making an appearance – a 416bhp 45 model is expected in time, but hasn’t been confirmed for the show. The new GLE Coupe should also make its debut, a model currently topped with the mild-hybrid 53 variant.
Porsche
Porsche will follow Volkswagen’s lead in presenting its future at this year’s Frankfurt motor show, with the all-new, all-electric Taycan on display in the metal. Promising to combine a genuine Porsche ‘feel’ with its bespoke electric powertrain, the new Taycan has considerable pressure on its heavily sculpted haunches, but then if a manufacturer was not going to screw it up, it’d be Porsche. The new Macan Turbo and Cayenne Turbo S E-hybrid models will also be on display.
Vauxhall
Vauxhall’s all-new Corsa will feature in both I.C and EV forms, representing the first all-new model since its sale to PSA from General Motors. It shares much of its underpinnings with the new Peugeot 208, but where that supermini dresses it up in a techy, interesting and expensive looking frock, the Corsa’s more demure styling doesn’t quite form the same confidence.
VW
And so the list ends with perhaps the biggest car of VW’s calendar, if not its decade. Designed from the outset to bring reliable and effective electric car ownership to the masses, the ID 3 will follow in the footsteps of the Beetle and Golf in being a real people’s car. Speaking of the Golf, the all-new eighth-generation Golf will step to one side, with a later debut date towards the end of the year. It’ll be the first time VW’s MQB platform will have run through a full model cycle, so we expect a variety of substantial upgrades to the underlying platform, ones that will quickly follow in the whole Volkswagen Group’s range.
