2006 Frankfurt Auto Show Goes Green

FRANKFURT, Germany - The Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung (IAA), known more commonly stateside as the Frankfurt Auto Show, is held every other year in Germany's financial center of Frankfurt. Its distinction as the largest auto show in the world makes this year's dominant theme of environmental awareness all the more significant: Here, nearly every major automaker used its presence first and foremost to tout fuel-saving and emissions-reducing technologies. The following is a quick overview of some of Frankfurt's bigger debuts, gleaned from Green Car's observations from the show floor. Look for more in-depth coverage of some of these cars in the weeks ahead.

Given the home turf nature of the Frankfurt show, it's no surprise that German automakers dominated IAA, with Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and VW situated in the most prominent locations featuring the most floor space within Frankfurt's giant trade fairgrounds. Mercedes-Benz, with its presentation that came off more like a fashion show than a press conference, introduced the F 700 concept car to preview a whole array of up-and-coming technologies. The most relevant of these is a new gasoline combustion scheme that Mercedes is calling DIESOTTO that, along with a hybrid system, helps this futuristic luxury sedan achieve an average of 44 mpg. Also unveiled amid the plethora of hybrid cars in Frankfurt was the ML 450 Hybrid, Mercedes' first production application of the two-mode hybrid system it's developing with BMW and General Motors. We can expect the hybrid SUV to hit new car showrooms in 2009.

BMW X6 Hybrid

BMW, housed in its own specially built hall, introduced the brand new X6 in both conventional and hybrid form. While both versions are officially considered concepts, we don't expect much to change by the time these vehicles reach production. Never fond of the SUV moniker, BMW calls the new X6 a sports- activity coupe, referring to its radical sloping rear profile. The so-called ActiveHybrid variant of the X6 uses BMW's take on the aforementioned two-mode hybrid system, creating a hybrid car that's expected to reduce fuel consumption by about 20 percent over a comparable gasoline-powered model. BMW also made a push for its EfficientDynamics package of fuel-saving technologies. These advanced technologies, which include automatic stop-start and regenerative braking to supplement a vehicle's auxiliary electrical power, are slated to be implemented across most of its lineup over time.

Volvo ReCharge

Volvo also took an environmental stance with two particularly green versions of its new C30 hatchback. The most innovative is the ReCharge concept, a plug-in hybrid with four in-wheel electric drive motors. This concept will drive like an electric car for about 38 miles on electric power only, after which point a 1.6-liter Flexifuel engine fires up to charge the batteries. The aptly named C30 Efficiency increases fuel economy over the current 1.6-liter turbodiesel model from 48 mpg to 52 mpg, thanks to improvements in aerodynamics, rolling resistance, gearing, and powertrain refinements.

Opel Flextreme

General Motors' German nameplate Opel took the wraps off the Flextreme concept. Like the Chevrolet Volt before it, the Flextreme is powered by GM's E-Flex plug-in hybrid system-- - essentially a battery-driven propulsion system with an auxiliary power source as a range extender. In the Flextreme that range extender is a 1.3-liter diesel engine, which GM says kicks in after about 34 miles of pure-electric driving.

Toyota iQ

Small cars had a big presence at this year's Frankfurt Auto Show as well. The big news from Volkswagen, - Europe's largest automaker, - was the Up!, a tiny new rear-engine concept car that foreshadows a return to the company's "people's car" roots. Toyota showed the iQ, which it claims is the world's smallest four-seater. Ford also showed a small car concept called the Verve, which many expect will inspire the styling of the company's next Fiesta replacement.

Hyundai iBlue

Other green highlights from the show include an edgy concept electric car from Nissan called the Mixim, propelled by an electric motor at each axle for all-wheel-drive, and a concept from Hyundai called the i-Blue that shows off that company's latest advancements in fuel cell technology.

Of course, like any major auto show, Frankfurt 2007 was not without its fair share of introductions from the realms of high-performance and ultra-luxury, in some cases creating something of a mixed message that was not lost on attendees. Nevertheless, the emphasis on environmental awareness, and in particular electric drive and hybrid cars, suggests that automakers are increasingly feeling the pressure to appear "green" in their public portrayals, and that's all right with us.

Mercedes-Benz F 700