Practicality Rules

Paris may be the city of fine dining, glamour and exotic sports cars, but this year's Paris Mondial de l'Automobile was about practicality.

Yes, Ferrari SpA showed its new F430 and Aston Martin Lagonda Ltd. its new Vanquish S, but even those unveilings took a backseat to a glut of product that appealed to decidedly pedestrian sensibilities.

Call it the result of weak economies across Western Europe, but small, affordable cars remain king of the hill in the world's second largest automotive market.

Not convinced? BMW AG moves down-market with its new 1-Series compact car, which will price well below the coveted 3-Series. The car arrives with four engine variants — including diesel and gasoline offerings, and a 4-door sedan version will sell in the U.S. beginning in 2007.

“This car is a major milestone in the expansion of the BMW Group,” says company Chairman Helmut Panke. “So it is fair to say that the BMW 1-Series marks the re-entry of the BMW brand into the compact class. We are back.”

Panke says the compact class is now the largest single market segment for cars worldwide, amounting to some 12 million units a year.

And the Smart brand, which was struggling for survival not long ago, is expanding its offerings as the minicar achieves a cult-like following.

The brand uses the Paris show to unveil the Smart Forfour CDI and Brabus Sportstyle limited edition.

With only 500 models scheduled to be produced, the limited edition will be launched in early 2005. The Brabus Sportstyle features a 1.5L 122-hp engine, a sport suspension, a striking front spoiler and a panoramic glass roof.

The Forfour offers 1.5L 3-cyl. diesel engines rated at 68 hp and 95 hp, paired with an automatic 6-speed transmission.

Ford unveils its second-generation bread-and-butter Focus on the company's C1 platform, which underpins Volvo's new S40, the Mazda3 and the C-MAX. The '05 Focus is designed to better pursue C-segment heavy hitters Volkswagen and Renualt. Bigger than its predecessor and boasting higher-end standard and optional features, it stays nearly spot-on with '04 pricing of €14,000-€20,000 ($17,000-$24,500).

Toyota Motor Corp. pins its European hopes on the Aygo (pronounced I-go), the new small car the Japanese auto maker will produce at a joint-venture plant with PSA Peugeot Citroen in the Czech Republic.

Toyota sold nearly 630,000 vehicles in the first eight months of this year, propelling it to a 5% share of the European market. The affordable little Aygo figures prominently in Toyota's goal to sell 1.2 million units annually by 2010 in Europe.

Likewise, Honda Motor Co. Ltd. is attempting to capitalize on European infatuation with new-generation, fuel-sipping diesels.

Honda is expanding diesel availability of two cross/utility vehicles, the CR-V and the freshly introduced FR-V for the '05 model year. Honda expects to sell 70,000 diesel vehicles (powered by its turbocharged 2.2L i-CTDi) in Europe next year.

Meanwhile, General Motors Corp. moves forward with several products derived from South Korea-based GM Daewoo Auto & Technology Co. architectures. GM announced earlier this month it will phase out use of the Daewoo nameplate in Europe and replace it with Chevrolet.

GM also debuts a new 3-door Astra that will launch in early 2005 and come with a choice of five gasoline and three common-rail diesel engines, with power outputs from 90-200 hp.

The Chevrolet S3X cross/utility vehicle concept, which was designed, engineered and built in South Korea, will go into production in 2006. Featuring a hybrid powertrain, the S3X will be the first diesel-powered Chevrolet in Europe.

Chevrolet's M3X show car offers a glimpse at the next generation of the popular Matiz minicar, which will be on the market in Europe in spring 2005.

Fiat Auto SpA hopes to jump-start interest in its ailing Stilo product range by adding two new variants to the lineup in 2005: the more rugged Multi Wagon Uproad and the Stilo “M. Schumacher.”

The latter is a limited-edition car named after famous Ferrari driver and Formula 1 champ Michael Schumacher.

For the well-heeled minority, the Paris show did not disappoint.

Ferrari's newest 2-seat performance beauty, the '05 F430, will replace the volume-leading 360 Modena. Designed by Carrozzeria Pininfarina SpA, the F430 features Ferrari's 4.3L V-8, producing 490 hp and a top speed in excess of 196 mph (315 km/h).

Aston Martin rolls out its fastest model yet: the 520-hp Vanquish S as a mid-cycle upgrade to its flagship Vanquish 2+2 coupe. The Vanquish S comes with a hefty $255,000 price tag.

As Jaguar Cars Ltd. struggles with a painful restructuring, parent Ford Motor Co. is taking steps to shore up the brand. The auto maker's first step is to tack two more diesel engines onto Jaguar's European option list by the second half of 2005.

The XJ sedan will get a premium diesel mill in order to compete with similar powertrain options in the BMW 7-Series and the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, while the X-Type will adopt a performance-oriented diesel.

Mercedes-Benz offers a glimpse of its upcoming line of CUVs, with the Grand Sports Tourer Vision R and the Compact Sports Tourer Vision B.