Anticipation is already building ahead of the 2017 Geneva Motor Show – one of the biggest fixtures on the European motor industry’s calendar and always a hotbed of activity for new car launches and big scoops.
The Geneva Motor Show began in 1905 and currently takes place every year at the Geneva’s Palexpo exposition centre, with this year’s edition – the 87th overall – kicking off on 7 March 2017.
Though we’re still weeks away from the show doors swinging open, some manufacturers have already confirmed their plans, and we’ve also got a good unofficial inkling of what else to expect.
• 2016 Geneva Motor Show round-up
Once Geneva 2017 is underway we’ll have a team on the show floor, bringing you exclusive pictures, interviews and all top stories. Below is our preview of what to expect at the 2017 Geneva Motor Show, and we’ll be updating this page regularly with fresh information between now the show getting underway.
Geneva 2017: the key cars
The major new car launches coming at this year's Geneva Motor Show...
- • Alpine sports car/A120 - Renault's sports car sub-brand to be reborn with homage to legendary Alpine A110.
- • Vauxhall Insignia Grand Sport - Vauxhall to go push further upmarket with plush four-door coupe.
- • Volkswagen Arteon - New VW saloon to replace Passat CC will take on BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe.
- • SEAT Ibiza - New SEAT supermini to get fresh looks ahead of all-new Arona crossover.
Geneva Motor Show: the cars in detail
Our A to Z run through of the cars we know will eb on show at Geneva 2017...
Alpine sports car
Renault has been brewing a rebirth of the Alpine brand for some time now, and it’s expected that this year’s Geneva show will see either a reveal of the marque's new sports car – rumoured to be called A120 - or at least fresh details. Alpine recently revealed that its Porsche Cayman rival will make use of a lightweight aluminium construction and will be mid-engined, and a price tag around £50,000.
Italdesign supercar
Design house Italdesign has revealed that it will bring a new and exclusive production supercar to the show, limited to just five examples. So far we’ve only seen a couple of murky teaser shots, but should the car be anything like Italdesign’s stunning GTZero from 2016, we should be in for a treat.
Kia Picanto
The next generation version Kia Picanto is coming to Geneva before going on sale in the UK this spring, and Kia has already revealed pictures of its new city car in racy GT line trim. The new Picanto gets a 15mm longer wheelbase for a little extra space in the new cabin, but it’s no longer than the outgoing car. Engines should be shared with the latest Hyundai i10, meaning a 65bhp 1.0-litre three cylinder, and an 85bhp 1.25-litre four pot.
New McLaren supercar/650S replacement
McLaren has introduced a new car at Geneva for the last four years, and will continue its streak this year with a new Super Series model to replace the 650S. The Woking based company has revealed a little information ahead of the car’s reveal such as its new all-carbon Monocage II chassis and active rear wing, but most details remain under wraps. It should arrive with more power, and our spy shots suggest McLaren has plenty to hide in the design stakes.
Pagani Huayra Roadster
Another new supercar at the show will be the Pagani Huayra Roadster – a drop top version of Pagani’s bedroom poster Huayra which should be one of the fastest open top cars on the planet. Pagani has confirmed the Roadster’s arrival on social media, and with the same 720bhp twin-turbocharged Mercedes V12 under the rear clamshell a top speed of over 220mph isn’t out of the question.
Porsche 911 GT3 facelift
The current 991 generation 911 GT3 made its debut at the Geneva show in 2013, and this year Auto Express understands that a facelifted model to be offered with a six-speed manual gearbox and a new engine is likely to appear. Engine capacity should rise to 4.0-litres, with power above the 500bhp of the 911 R.
SEAT Ibiza
SEAT intends to make a splash at this year’s show with the introduction of an all-new fifth generation Ibiza supermini, ushering a new look closely following the angular new facelifted Leon in design. SEAT busied itself in 2016 with the launch of its first SUV – the Ateca – and the new Ibiza will form the basis of a smaller SUV, known as the Arona, later in the year.
Toyota Yaris Hot Hatch
Toyota has confirmed that the next Yaris will get a hot hatch variant to mark the company’s return to the World Rally Championship, and we’ll get a full reveal of the new Ford Fiesta ST rival at Geneva. Details are still scant, but we’ve got official pictures showing off the new Yaris wearing a lively bodykit and Toyota promises that it’ll develop more than 210bhp.
Vauxhall Insignia Grand Sport
Vauxhall intends to push the Insignia further upmarket in 2017 with the introduction of the new Insignia Grand Sport – a classier, more hi-tech take on its saloon with the BMW 3 Series in its sights. Inspired by 2013’s Monza concept, the Grand Sport ushers in a four-door coupe look, mated to a longer wheelbase. A plush new cabin loaded with tech and a revised engine line-up signal Vauxhall’s new aspirational ambition.
Volkswagen Arteon
The Insignia Grand Sport won’t be the only new aspirational four-door coupe at the show though – VW will debut the Arteon, a replacement for the Passat CC and new rival for the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe. The totally new model will be a step up in quality compared to the CC it replaces, with a sleek new design, new technology and a starting price of around £30,000 when it goes on sale this autumn. We've driven an early prototype, and you can read our impressions so far here.
What are you looking forward to at the Geneva Motor Show? Let us know in the comments below!