For a little while, it looked like the pandemic was going to spell the end of the trad motor show in Europe, and certainly, that was the case for the biggest one of all, Geneva. As it turns out, though, the motor show still has life in it yet, with this year’s IAA Mobility – better known by literally everyone as the Munich Motor Show – set to be the biggest post-Covid event of its kind in Europe yet.
Plenty of major European manufacturers are planning big new car reveals, some of which we’ve been waiting months and even years for. Here’s everything to look out for at the show, taking place between 9 and 14 September.
Audi
Audi’s had a sports car-free lineup since both the TT and R8 died last year, but at Munich, it’s slated to unveil a coupe concept that sits somewhere in between the two in size and positioning – the inevitable twist being that it’ll be electric.
It won’t be a show pony, either – Audi’s CEO, Gernot Döllner, has already outlined plans to put the car into production within the next few years.
BMW
BMW iX3 prototype
One of the biggest production car reveals of the show will be the new BMW iX3, an electric crossover and the first of BMW’s long-awaited ‘Neue Klasse’ SUVs. We saw it previewed last year by the Vision Neue Klasse X concept, and spotted a prototype testing in the Arctic earlier this year, which hinted that it should retain much of the concept’s styling – a welcome break from some of BMW’s recent efforts.
More importantly, though, it’s the first car on a platform that’ll underpin BMW’s all-important next-gen EVs, and will be followed in due course by a roughly 3 Series-sized saloon that’ll spawn its own massive-power M version.
Cupra
Cupra Raval concept
Seat’s sporty offshoot – which looks increasingly like it’s going to swallow the older Spanish brand altogether – will reveal the camouflaged production version of the Raval, its smallest EV yet. Roughly Ibiza-sized, it should essentially look like a toned-down version of the concept above, and will share its platform with the upcoming VW ID2. If not at launch, then we can pretty quickly expect a hot version to take on the likes of the Alpine A290 and Peugeot e-208 GTI.
Cupra concept teaser
We’ll also see a new concept car from Cupra, and while we don’t expect it to preview any particular production car, it should double down on the brand’s sporting intent. The one teaser image we’ve seen so far shows what appears to be a beefy bucket seat and yoke-like racing steering wheel.
Hyundai
Hyundai’s Ioniq EVs are some of our favourite electric cars on sale, and most rumours point to the smallest, most affordable member of the range yet arriving at Munich: the Ioniq 2. Think along the lines of the reborn Renault 4; a small, sensible family crossover but with an added dash of funky styling.
Mercedes
Mercedes GLC EV teaser
The big reveal at Mercedes will be a new electric GLC SUV, to replace the ageing EQC. Set to go toe-to-toe with the BMW iX3 set to arrive at the same show, it’s undoubtedly an important model for the Stuttgart brand. It’s also going to have A Grille. A really, really big, light-up one.
Mercedes-AMG Concept AMG GT Track Sport teaser
Of more interest to us, though, and a welcome break among what’s set to be a very EV-heavy show, is the clunkily-named AMG Concept GT Track Sport. Previewed by some teasers showing off some very angry-looking aero, it’s said to be “a preview of a possible expansion of the GT series with a V8 engine.” Whether or not it’s a tease of a second-gen GT Black Series, Merc has our attention with this one.
Polestar
Polestar 5 prototype
Munich is expected to be the place where sporty electric Volvo offshoot Polestar will reveal the production version of its fifth model, the, erm, 5. We already know what it’ll look like, as we got pictures of a basically production-ready car in 2023, itself near-identical to 2020’s Precept concept. Set to take on the likes of the Porsche Taycan and Audi E-Tron GT, it should be the brand’s most sporting model yet.
Porsche
Porsche Cayenne EV prototype
Porsche’s been teasing its electric Cayenne for some time now, a campaign that’s included turning up unannounced with a prototype at a random British hillclimb meet and smashing the SUV course record. Set to be based on the same platform as the new Macan EV, it’s highly rumoured we’ll see the finished product at Munich.
It shouldn’t bring many surprises – it’ll basically be a Cayenne, but electric, likely complete with a mega-power range-topper. It won’t outright replace the current Cayenne, though – Porsche has confirmed that, to stay abreast of shifting market trends, the combustion-powered model will stay on sale alongside the EV well into the 2030s.
Renault
So adored have Renault’s retro EVs been of late that it’s easy to forget the company still sells other cars too. One of those is the long-running Clio, and an all-new sixth-gen version is set to debut in Munich. It’ll see Renault keep the faith in the B-segment supermini class, and will likely feature a hybrid powertrain.
Skoda
Skoda Epiq concept
Munich will see the debut of the Skoda Epiq crossover, the smallest of Skoda’s EVs yet. We don’t expect it to look radically different from the concept unveiled last year, and it’ll share lots of oily bits (or in this case, volty bits) with the VW group’s other incoming small EVs, like the Cupra Raval and VW ID2.
Skoda Vision O concept teaser
We’ll also see the Vision O, an EV estate concept that gives us a glimpse at the next generation of Octavia, set to arrive later in the decade.
Volkswagen
VW ID2all concept
One of the big stories at Munich is set to be the VW ID2, which we’re expecting to see in near-production guise – either the final car or perhaps a camouflaged version. The Polo-sized EV, previewed by the ID2all in 2023, is a big deal for VW, and it’s also set to spawn a hot GTI model, itself teased with the ID GTI concept. That version could get up to 282bhp and a limited-slip diff, taking aim at the upcoming Peugeot e-208 GTi, although we’re not expecting to see it at Munich.
VW ID2X concept teaser
Elsewhere on the VW stand, there should be a concept version of the ID2X, set to be a jacked-up crossover equivalent of the ID2 to capitalise on the popularity of such cars. And speaking of crossovers, we’ll also see a second-gen T-Roc, likely with a new hybrid powertrain. Thrilling stuff, we know.
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