Frankfurt motor show 2019: all the star cars
Volkswagen's all-electric hatchback, Hyundai's third-generation city car and an all-new Land Rover Defender. These are the star cars on display at the Frankfurt motor show...
The bi-annual Frankfurt motor show is one of the biggest motoring events around – and that's because it gives us a first look at some of the exciting new cars you'll be able to buy soon.
Like the events in Paris and Geneva, Frankfurt puts an emphasis on European car makers, meaning many of the cars on display there will (eventually) find their way into showrooms.
As has been the trend in recent years, many of Frankfurt's new cars are both electric and autonomous. Among them is the Volkswagen ID 3, the Golf-sized electric hatchback that's due to go on sale early next year, and the Mercedes-Benz EQV electric people carrier. Below and over the next few pages, you'll find details on all of star cars on display in Frankfurt
Frankfurt motor show 2019 star cars
Audi AI:Trail
Like the other concept cars in Audi’s ‘AI’ series, the AI:Trail is designed to be shared – the idea being that a driver might ‘subscribe’ to Audi as a brand, and have multiple vehicles to choose from. It joins the AI:Race sports car, the AIcon executive saloon and the AI:Me hatchback revealed earlier this year. The AI:Trail is about as wide as the current Q7 luxury SUV, and has more space between its front and rear wheels than a Q3. Four electric motors – one for each wheel – produce a combined 429bhp and offer a range of up to 249 miles on the road, or 155 miles off it. Conceptual features include a drone which can light the way ahead or scout out difficult terrain, and tyre pressures which can be altered at the touch of a button.
Audi RS6 Avant
Audi's A6 Avant estate and A7 Sportback five-door coupé are both luxurious cars, but for buyers who also want prodigious pace, the new RS6 Avant and RS7 headed to Frankfurt will be worth paying attention to. In the case of the RS6 Avant, power comes from a 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 petrol engine producing 592bhp – more than you get in a Porsche 911 Carrera – and can accelerate up to 62mph in just 3.6sec. Prices should start at around £85,000.
Find out more about the new RS6 Avant, or find a great A6 Avant deal
Audi RS7
Like the RS6 Avant above, the new Rs7 is powered by a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 engine producing a heady 592bhp. Don't think the RS7 can't also be a civilised commuter car, though, because it can shut down half of its cylinders when you're cruising to save fuel, while a mild hybrid system allows it to coast for up to 40sec at a time. Notable design highlights include a nose inspired by the R8 supercar, and massive (and optional) 22in alloy wheels.
Find out more about the new RS7, or find a great A7 deal
BMW Vision M Next
We're used to seeing BMW's M Performance division turning out tuned versions of existing BMW products, but this Vision M Next concept car is intended to show how a modern successor to the original M1 sports car of 1978 might look. As is fitting of the times, it's a plug-in hybrid, and it has 591bhp on tap from what's expected to be multiple electric motors. Top speed is 186mph. It's tentatively planned for production as a strictly limited-run model, arriving shortly before the second-generation BMW i8.
BMW Concept 4 Series
An all-new BMW 4 Series is due to arrive late in 2020, and it’s being previewed by this conceptual version. Intended to offer a ‘more emotional and dynamic design’ than today’s car, the Audi A5 rival sports a large grille with a new 3D effect – a move designed to differentiate the car from its 3 Series sibling. When it goes on sale, the 4 Series is expected to use engines borrowed from the 3 Series, including 2.0 and 3.0-litre diesels and a plug-in hybrid version. A convertible and four-door Gran Coupé model are in the works, too.
Read our full BMW 4 Series review, or find a great 4 Series deal
