Parkers sent a team of reporters over to Switzerland to cover one of the most important events in the automotive calendar – the Geneva Motor Show.
We supplied live, up-to-the-minute coverage of the show as it unfolded. In this article we guide you through the top five unveilings company car drivers need to know about.
You can see our full coverage of the show by clicking here.
What’s new? The BMW 3 Series is a common sight on our roads, but for those that don’t fancy following the crowd BMW has the answer – the 3 Series Gran Turismo. Based on the 3 Series Saloon and Touring this hatchback/estate crossover adds an extra 110mm to its wheelbase boosting rear passenger room and increasing the loadspace by 25 litres over the Touring. Best of all it’s available with a range of efficient TwinPower turbo engines, including two diesels benefitting from the firm’s Efficient Dynamics technologies including ECO Pro which actively seeks to reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. |
What’s new? Another car to sway your admiration away from the mainstay BMW 3 Series is the new Lexus IS300h which, in SE spec, emits less than 100g/km of CO2 thanks to the new Hybrid Drive System. A 178bhp 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine sits alongside a 141bhp electric motor, giving a combined output of 220hp. So even though it’s chock full of green credentials, and lower costs because of it, the IS can still sprint from 0-62mph in 8.3 seconds and return over 65mpg. And unlike some rivals the Lexus’ hybrid batteries are under the boot floor, ensuring the boot is almost as large as the conventionally powered IS 250. |
What’s new? The seventh generation of Golf has been around for a number of months now, but Geneva saw the range bolstered by the GTi and estate models too, and for the first time you can order the latter in full-blown BlueMotion guise. This makes it one of the most appealing company cars – full stop. A 1.6-litre 108bhp diesel gives combined fuel economy is 85.6mpg (versus 88.3mpg for the hatch) and CO2 emissions are only 87g/km (versus 85g/km). With its 50-litre fuel tank you should be able to travel over 900 miles between fuel stops too. |
What’s new? It’s not the change in naming nomenclature from M to Q that has got us all excited about the new Infiniti Q50 but the promise of CO2 emissions as low as 115g/km. A tie-up with Daimler and the new 2.2-litre four-cylinder diesel engine are responsible for the lion’s share of the Q50’s improvements. With 168bhp, 400Nm of torque and Direct Adaptive Steering technology it seems the distinctive-looking saloon should be able to walk as well as talk the talk on the road too. |
What’s new? There’s not much choice in the way of plug-in hybrid vehicles suitable for company users, but that’s set to change with the new Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV. Able to travel at over 75mph on electricity alone the SUV can return around 148mpg, while the range when using both power sources is pegged at 550miles. Best of all, the ultra low 44g/km CO2 emissions mean the BIK rate is an incredibly palatable five per cent. It won’t arrive here until later in the year, but when it does we have a feeling this is one Mitsubishi that will be worth the wait. |
