- Title: In high demand, SUVs flood the Paris auto show
- Date: 30th September 2016
- Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (SEPTEMBER 29, 2016) (REUTERS) RENAULT STAND WITH "KOLEOS" SUV PEOPLE LOOKING AT RENAULT "KOLEOS" SUV VARIOUS OF NEW PEUGEOT 3008 PEUGEOT LOGO DETAILS OF PEUGEOT SUV (SOUNDBITE) (English) SENIOR EDITOR AT CARFECTION.COM AND THEROADSHOW.COM, ALEX GOY, SAYING: "The days of the saloon are over. Well not over, but they're going away slowly because now you can have something that's bigger, it's chunkier, it feels safer, it looks good and it can contain a whole lot more stuff." VARIOUS OF GERMAN CAR MAKER BMW'S "X2" SUV CONCEPT VARIOUS OF LAND ROVER'S NEW "DISCOVERY" SUV MODEL VARIOUS INTERIOR OF NEW "DISCOVERY" WITH SEATS FOLDING AUTOMATICALLY JAGUAR'S NEW SUV "F-PACE" JAGUAR LOGO FRONT OF "F-PACE" SUV OLD SUZUKI CAR NEXT TO NEW CITY SUV "IGNIS" MAN INSIDE "IGNIS" MODEL WHITE "IGNIS" MODEL ON DISPLAY (SOUNDBITE) (English) SENIOR EDITOR AT CARFECTION.COM AND THEROADSHOW.COM, ALEX GOY, SAYING: "That variation in price and look and feel it means that if you want one there will be one for you. So if you want a cutesy one, there's a Mini one for you. If you want something a bit more serious there's Jeep or there's Land Rover. Even Jaguar is getting in on the game with the F-Pace. You know, the reason all these people are going in for these is because they want to buy them, you know, there is a huge customer base waiting to buy these cars." SKODA STAND WITH NEW "KODIAQ" SUV VARIOUS OF "KODIAQ" SUV VARIOUS OF TOYOTA'S NEW SUV "CH-R" (SOUNDBITE) (English) SENIOR EDITOR AT CARFECTION.COM AND THEROADSHOW.COM, ALEX GOY, SAYING: "What started as something that was a tool - army Jeeps and things like that - that then evolved, the Landrover came out in 1948 and it became this huge thing all over the world and businesses became based around the SUV and around big things that can go off-road with lots of space and then they emerged into this comfortable and luxurious thing and, yeah, it's an exciting time to be into cars in general because with everything that's going on, autonomy is on its way, electrification of cars, cars are just getting faster and faster and more efficient and cleaner, so it's really difficult to say exactly what is going to happen and I can't just pluck something out of the air and hope for the best but I'm looking forward to seeing what's going to become of them. I'm looking forward to seeing what's going to become of the automotive industry in general, really." VARIOUS OF MERCEDES' ELECTRIC SUV "EQ" VARIOUS OF "EQ" INTERIOR VARIOUS OF INFINITI'S "QX SPORT INSPIRATION" SUV
- Embargoed: 15th October 2016 14:27
- Keywords: SUV car vehicle Paris France motor show carmaker automaker Sport Utility Vehicles
- Location: PARIS, FRANCE
- City: PARIS, FRANCE
- Country: France
- Topics: Economic Events
- Reuters ID: LVA00151RDSG7
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Automakers at Paris' Motor Show boasted their respective Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) models that aim to meet high demand and buyers' soaring expectations.
No top brand shied away from putting their concepts on the scene on Friday (September 30).
The trend toward SUVs and trucks, as buyers turn away from sedans and hatchbacks, has continued. Autodata figures show passenger car sales fell 12.6 percent while SUV and truck sales rose 2.4 percent.
French carmaker Renault presented its new large SUV, dubbed the Koleos. Peugeot presented its direct rival the 5008 and a smaller version the 3008.
SUVs represent a quarter of cars sold in Europe and are quickly replacing segments which were once successful, with buyers switching from traditional saloons.
"The days of the saloon are over. Well not over, but they're going away slowly because now you can have something that's bigger, it's chunkier, it feels safer, it looks good and it can contain a whole lot more stuff," said Alex Goy, a senior editor at Carfection.com and Theroadshow.com.
BMW presented their concept SUV, the "X2", stating their vision of what the future of the car will look like: large exterior forms, a high sitting position and off-road action ready.
In turn, Landrover put forth a new version of its classic Discovery model with luxury features, including seats which fold away at the touch on a tablet.
Even race car enthusiast, Jaguar, presented its first SUV dubbed the F-Pace.
Media reports have indicated that Jaguar Land Rover is preparing to launch a compact electric sports utility vehicle (SUV), with photographs emerging of camouflaged and silent cars in testing.
Varying the sizes and starting prices, carmakers have been quick to invest in SUV production which does not necessarily cost more than traditional cars.
As the selection gets bigger, so does demand, with buyers ready to pay.
"That variation in price and look and feel it means that if you want one there will be one for you. So if you want a cutesy one, there's a Mini one for you. If you want something a bit more serious there's Jeep or there's Land Rover. Even Jaguar is getting in on the game with the F-Pace. You know, the reason all these people are going in for these is because they want to buy them, you know, there is a huge customer base waiting to buy these cars," Goy said.
Skoda unveiled their seven-seat Kodiaq SUV in Paris zero-emission technology and connected services.
According to Skoda's chief executive, Bernhard Maier, the brand has a five-digit number of pre-orders for the Kodiaq and aims to double its Chinese sales to about 600,000 cars by 2020-21 from over 300,000 this year due to SUV deliveries.
Toyota also presented their new model, a Hyrbid SUV dubbed the C-HR, which was unveiled in Geneva this year.
SUVs are descendants of the four-wheel drive cars of the past but are not considered just to be heavy-duty climbing vehicles. They also offer modern technology perks and the comfort buyers are looking for.
Mercedes included all these modern elements in their fully electric SUV, the EQ.
The Paris Motor Show runs from October 1 to 16. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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