New car debuts galore

There’s no shortage of new cars and techno­logies on display at this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show. And while ‘green’ motoring has finally become a mainstream discussion topic, there is more to the show than just fuel economy and CO2 figures.

World debuts are the staple diet of shows like Frankfurt, and one such debut with strong ties to the UK was Honda’s Civic. This latest generation family hatch will be built in the Japanese firm’s Swindon facility. Honda has had a presence in the UK for some time and the Civic is synonymous with the West Country plant.

The previous generation car’s change in design direction to something a little more radical than in the past did much to raise awareness with younger potential buyers.

It’s a policy that’s continued with this latest version, which retains a similar profile and boasts more muscular wheelarches and a bold new nose complete with sporty-looking bumper, grille and lights.

During the car’s four-year development cycle, Honda engineers concentrated on improving the car’s ride and handling, boosting interior cabin quality and overall quality ambience and, crucially, focusing on lowering fuel consumption and emissions - the 2.2-litre diesel is now rated at 110g/km CO2 for example. Petrol fans are well served with 1.4 and 1.8-litre units, while all engines gain a stop-start feature to further help the car’s economy drive.

Alongside the all-new Civic, Honda unveiled a revised Insight. Of note is the car’s CO2 performance, which is now below the all-important 100g/km mark - on 15-inch wheels it’s a respectable 96g/km. Quality-boosting interior and exterior changes round off the improvement programme.

Aside from the Civic, another hotly anticipated new model is Porsche’s latest generation 911. It would be easy to say that it is the same again from the German firm. Certainly, it looks very familiar. However, over the years Porsche has worked hard to deliver a consistent and familiar ‘look’ while constantly evolving the car’s mechanicals.

And that approach is true for today as it was when the car was first launched. With the ability to achieve the impossible – lower consumption and emissions yet more power – Porsche new 911 is a considerable step forward for driving enthusiasts. Slightly increased dimensions, a seven-speed manual gearbox to match the car’s seven-speed PDK auto, a Panamera-inspired cabin and the promise of harder core , faster models in the years to come are the main highlights.

Staying on a performance theme, the appearance of Toyota’s long-awaited new affordable sports car, the FT86, should silence all those impatient critics. It’s fair to say it’s been a long time coming but, like the LFA from sister company Lexus, it should be worth the wait.

And in partnership with Toyota, Subaru will also be releasing a car from the same platform complete with its trademark Boxer engine and, unusually, rear not all-wheel drive.

If you think waiting just a few years for a sporty new Toyota is frustrating, you’re going to need the patience of a saint if you plan on hanging around for the next generation Land Rover Defender. Although the company might be streaking ahead in the style stakes with its recently launched Evoque, the venerable Defender has soldiered on for numerous decades thanks to a modest rolling progamme of updates.

In a bid to test the public’s reaction to an all-new model, Land Rover has wheeled out a concept car that’s a radical departure from the current boxy, workmanlike vehicle. The company hasn’t got long before it has to commit to a new Defender thanks to the current car’s aging construction and increasingly tough crash performance legislation.

And you won’t have to wait long to see Skoda’s new design direction on cars you can buy. Sales success is one thing - and there’s been no shortage of that at Skoda - but management want to move the game to a new level, and what better way than a new family ‘look’ for forthcoming models.

Dubbed ‘Mission L’ the design language points to a bolder and more upmarket appearance.

Last but not least, Jaguar wowed the assembled media with its daring new C-X16.

Okay, so it might only be a concept car for now, but the company is on record saying that it wants to produce a compact sports coupe to rival the likes of Porsche’s 911. And with it being visually that bit smaller than the current XK coupe, it has every chance of being a genuine driver’s car.

Ian Dooley is a Press Association Senior Motoring Writer.