What's New
   by Jon Winding-Sørensen

2004 Mitsubishi Grandis

The mid-sized Misubishi Grandis MPV went on sale in Japan in the middle of May. Planned domestic sales volume is 3000 cars per month. But it seems production will be higher - the new model will have it’s European debut at this autumn’s Frankfurt Motor Show.

It is very probable that it will be named Space Wagon when it arrives there, all the Grandis have been named Space Wagon since the first appeared 4 generations ago in 1983. Specifications are standard Japanese MPV, 2.4 litre petrol engine, front- or four-wheel drive, 6 or 7 seat configuration with three seat rows. Three different equipment levels are available in Japan.

Specifications will definitely be changed for Europe, but hopefully the design will not. From the front with the split grille, the dihedral central element with the prominent Mitsubishi diamond, the flush optical elements (or may we still call them headlamps?) which continue backwards to the wedged beltline - in photos this looks like one of the sleekest full size MPVs around. The family likeness with the latest Colt is obvious and shows that Olivier Boulay has developed a clear definition of the new Mitsubishi personality.

Toyota Raum

10 years ago we all wondered who was responsible for inventing model names for Toyotas. Raum, German for Room, seemed pretty daft for a concept car at Frankurt in 1993. But Toyota were serious, the concept was refined for Tokyo 2 months later, and the it matured until it debuted in production form four years later, sin 1997.

Not long after, they presented another concept called Opa, meaning Grandpa in German, and they have launched other production cars in the same midi-van segment as the Raum, with stupid names like Succeed, Probox or Ist.

But Raum is a serious car and is recently launched in its second generation. Still midi sized, just over 4 metres long and with a 1,5 litre engine driving through the front, or all four wheels. Unremarkable exterior, 250 cm wheel-base, and the new model has retained the sliding rear doors from the predecessor. There is no reason why the new one should become more international that the outgoing model.

2003 Citroen C2

Citroën and Peugeot continues to use their very rigid platform policy. On a shortened C3/206 platform we now have the first view of Citroën’s smallest, the C2, which will be followed by the Peugeot 107 whose in-house code name is A6. (These cars must not be confused with the future common Toyota/Peugeot-Citroën project: in PSA parlance that is project A0 and will be ready for 2005).

Citroën has been in an unusual hurry to show this micro-car. First we got it in a rally car camouflage at the Geneve Motor Show, then pre-production models were presented during the Pluriel launch. The car will be commercialised just after this autumn’s Frankfurt show. They will be Twingo/Ka competitors, but seem to be superior on interior space (sliding, individual rear seats that can also be folded forwards) and the horizontally divided tail gate is a very nice touch.

Excellent, lively and colourful interior conveys the happy theme Citroën seems to communicate these days. Not a word about the responsible designers yet, but this car obviously shows the new Jean-Pierre Ploué direction. Just look at the rear windows – Citroëns will not be boringly predictable any more.

2003 Citroen Pluriel

This is the ultimate fun-car, based on the small B-segment Citroën C3, and an excellent commuter car that is. But in the Pluriel version it is the wildest concept car that has suddenly come alive.

It was originally presented at the dry, very German and serious 1999 Frankfurt Motor Show as a fresh approach to laid-back transportation style, where everyone fell in love with it. Designed in Coco Donato’s department by Vladimir Pirokov (interior) and Gilles Taylor (exterior), this is a coupé, drop head, speedster, pick up - all rolled up in one vehicle, and all versions eminently usable.

The fact that the concept originated in the Research and Architecture department, and not in the Advanced Design, can mean that it was intended for production all the time. Which was fairly courageous – but Citroën may have created a new niche here. 2CV with style. If that is the case this may have been the last production model signed off by Art Blakeslee before his retirement.

1.4 or 1.6 engines, different transmission options, electric soft top, removable side rails, not much space for the rear passengers, really funky interior, cool summer colours, it will prove to be a hit, even if it’s usefulness is limited. Bags of charm and personality compared to, say, Street Ka or New Beetle Cabrio.

2003 Fiat Punto

Fiat’s Punto debuted 10 years ago. July 1999 saw an all-new design, and now we have a fairly extensive face lift again. The revised model, which supposedly will last until the 2006 model year, has recieved a Stilo-inspired front and a new rear, otherwise the changes are mostly mechanical, even if there are some new touches in the interior too. Hardly enough to reclaim the title as the best selling car in Europe, which it was up to 2000.

But it is worth remembering that the first, 1993, Punto was a completely in-house design at a time when such animals hardly existed at Fiat. Pininfarina and Italdesign submitted their proposals, but the Ermanno Cressoni/Nevio di Giusti/Claudio Mottino (interior) design was selected. And when work started on Opus II (code named Project 188) in 1996 (for a 1999 launch), Fioravanti, Italdesign and Idea were invited to compete for the project, but again the Fiat team won. Alessandro Cavazza was named chief designer with Peter Fassbender responsible for the exterior. He had Ernest Salvi del Pero do the 3 door, and Cyril Pietton the 5 door. Giuseppe Bertolusso did the interior. Definitely one of the more distinctive compact cars in Europe

2004 Mercedes-Benz Viano

For many Mercedes-Benz employees, for instance the sales personnel at the dealers and importers it was a surprise that DaimlerChrysler was to rename the V-Klasse. And the name Viano was totally unknown for most of them, when the company sprang the news recently. Fact is that this name, and many others, have been filed since July 2001, so for those who follow those records the name, at least, was fairly old news.

But the car is new. Even bigger than the current V-Klasse, it will be even more Multi Purpose, as in MPV, than the old one. Bodies of three different lengths (up to 5220mm) and the possibility to chose between two different wheel bases (3200 and 3400mm) will be on offer. Flexibility will be the interior’s first name, innumerable different configurations will be available.

Unusually in this class, the cars will have rear wheel drive. The reason is maximum traction, the company says. All kinds of electronic driver’s assistance are of course in place. When the car is launched there will be four and six cylinder engines available, rated between 88 and 218 hp, gas or diesel. But the selection will increase. There will be two equipment levels, Trend and Ambiente. You can do the most incredible things with the seats, and a rail system in the floor will make fast changes of the plan solution very easy. The Spanish-produced (Vitoria) car will debut – of all places – at the Caravan show in Düsseldorf this summer, before a much larger public will see it at Frankfurt in September.