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Brussels Motor Show 2015 – what’s there?

Image of John Simpson
Author: | Updated: 15 Jan 2015 12:16

You have to feel sorry for Belgium’s flagship motor show.

The dust has barely begun to settle following major announcements from Jaguar and Bentley on their respective SUVs in Detroit, yet here we are three days on with Brussels’ Auto Salon tugging at your trousers for attention.

what does Brussels have to wow the world?

Maybe we should admire Belgian organisers’ devil-may-care attitude rather than pity the show’s unfortunate timing. While Detroit ripped the wraps off tomorrow’s mammoth SUVs, Brussels has the bragging rights to breaking the Mitsubishi Attrage…

It’s some drop-off but there’s some truth to the old adage that ‘there’s always someone worse off than you’, and in this case, that someone is the Washington DC Auto Show.

Staging ten days after Detroit’s fanfare, you’d be forgiven for thinking the US capital’s car show would be a near carbon copy of Detroit’s; with 519 miles separating the two – the same distance between Dundee and Portsmouth - it’d make sense.

However, you’d be wrong. There’s no Honda, sorry, Acura NSX, no Volvo S60 Cross Country, no Mini JCW, no VW of any kind (so no Cross Coupe Concept plug-in), no Porsches (no Cayenne S Turbo), and no Mercedes (no GLE Coupe).

Instead, there’s the Nissan Sentra with celebrity appearances from Spongebob and the Angry Birds. ‘Hottest ticket in town’ reads the website. If you say so…

We’re not here to bash Washington though, what does Brussels have to wow the world?

Clockwise from top left: Seat Leon ST Cupra, Mini JCW, Audi Q3, BMW 6 Series Convertible

Audi A1 – a facelift for Audi’s entry model brings improved spec and efficiency, as well as the addition of a new three-pot 1L petrol TFSI unit with 99g/km CO2.

Audi Q3 – Audi’s smallest SUV (at least until the Q1 arrives in 2016) is refreshed with new xenon headlights, Cylinder On Demand technology, unlocking improved CO2 emissions.

BMW 6 Series – the revised grand tourer gets a “more purposeful and powerful stance” helped by new full LED headlights while new premium materials give the interior a more luxurious feel.

BMW X5 M / X6 M – BMW pump up the power for its mightiest SUVs, each with 575hp and a 4.2second 0-62mph sprint. On sale from April 11, priced at £90,170 and £93,070 respectively.

Citroen C4 – nowhere near as exciting as its bubbly Cactus sibling, the updated family hatchback gets new LED headlights, improved comfort, and new PureTech and BlueHDi engines for up to 25% better fuel economy.

Fiat Doblo – the boxy fourth-gen five-seater van get a new front end and a class-leading 3,200 litres of load space. Entry price is down by £1,000 too.

Hyundai i30 Turbo – this warm hatch may not have enough to rival the Golf GTI but its 8 second 0-62mph sprint is a step in the right direction.

Mazda2 – it’s pricier and less efficient than the Fiesta and Corsa but the 2 will “bring new levels of technological sophistication, driving pleasure and active safety to the B-segment”, Mazda says.

Mini John Cooper Works – this 231bhp nipper is the most powerful production Mini ever.

Seat Leon ST Cupra – Seat’s C-segment estate gets a 280PS 2.0 TSI engine and a 6 second 0-62mph sprint in the process.

Brussels’ 93rd annual motor show is open between 16-25 January 2015.

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