Frankfurt 2009: Bentley Continental GTC Series 51

That well-known thought was: it's not so garish in person. Substitute "hideous," "bad," and "ugly" for "garish" and you've recreated our experiences with a number of vehicles lately, and not just in Frankfurt. From the outside it's just a good looking Continental with a new set of wheels and Bentley's always-upright center caps. Inside, the car simply feels blue with white trim, and tastefully so, which was not the impression given in the preview photos. We still look forward to the Series 51's future offerings, but this first one is a.o.k.

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Frankfurt 2009: Seat IBZ concept

Seat loves to present its concepts in a lapis-like blue with deep cream interior coloring. It's usually a very good start, and the IBZ concept adds an Alfa-worthy beauty to what might otherwise be an ordinary wagon. Number three in the Ibiza lineup, the concept takes the Ibiza hatch platform and adds more interior room while keeping the virtually the same exterior dimensions.

The IBZ will be put into production as soon as January of next year. Of course the more wily elements, like the headlights, will go the way of the moa. Yet based on the preview and Seat's impressive record of translating concepts to reality,

PRESS RELEASE

FAMILY-SIZED SEAT IBIZA CONCEPT IBZ WOWS FRANKFURT

• Family-friendly shape points to forthcoming third member of the Ibiza range
• Sharp, dynamic exterior is combined with functional, stylish interior
• Sporty Spanish brand continues ambitious design innovation

SEAT is showcasing the stunning IBZ Concept at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show. The star of the SEAT stand in Germany previews a new, family-sized version of the Ibiza that will make its debut in showrooms across Europe towards the middle of next year.

Boasting a modern, tensioned silhouette, the concept car making its world debut at the IAA includes numerous distinctive exterior and interior design features, and benefits from cutting-edge technology for a gripping driving experience.

Once again, SEAT Design Director Luc Donckerwolke has applied his pragmatic vision to create an attractive yet functional car where comfort and roominess complement the traditional sports philosophy common to all SEATs.

The world debut of the bold IBZ Concept is another significant step on the company's path to extending its range line-up. The challenge it meets is to combine a larger, family-sized chassis featuring greater load capacity with the distinct, feisty personality of the Ibiza.

Imposing front view

The nose of the concept car shows an elegant evolution of SEAT's now trademark Arrow Design. The bonnet features a new 'running edge', splitting the car through its longitudinal axis, adding precision and sharpness to the familiar Ibiza face. Taut 'eyebrows' accentuate the headlights, whose diamond-shaped interior combines LED technology with light guides.

The new centre grille, with honeycomb slats and aluminium surround, is underlined by the same purist, rectangular air vents found on the Ibiza Cupra. Another development at the front sees the usual arrow shape enhanced by a set of lines parallel to the headlights, finishing at the broad opening beneath the bumper. Two aluminium mouldings in this area round off the front end design.

Very clearly styled to stand out, the IBZ Concept boasts an attractive sweep created by the newly-designed headlights, complete with LED technology. Their pointed tips provide continuity to the Dynamic Line that brushes over the wings and the middle of the front doors, while their novel interior structure mimics the facets of a diamond. One set generates the main beam, while the smaller LEDs generate the dipped beam. At the same time, a portion of the smaller facets at the top of the cluster serve as daytime driving lights, with the indicator LEDs at the bottom.

The exterior design of SEAT's prototype is enhanced by its high gloss, eye-catching blue paint colour while a broad panoramic sunroof floods the interior with light.

The LED indicator lights literally stand out, as they are built into the new streamlined door mirrors – each one mounted onto its door with a pair of arms. The exterior arm which supports the mirror, and the mirror's outer casing are both aluminium to match the other trim elements found on the car.

A side view reveals low profile 235/35 tyres on attractive, five double-spoke 19-inch alloy wheels, each with an embossed 'S' at the hub. Another tell-tale SEAT feature of the IBZ Concept are the Leon-inspired rear passenger door handles, which are neatly integrated into the third side windows.

The attention-grabbing new hatch naturally bears the SEAT logo and when the rear hatch is open, its structure has a very low load floor that sits flush with the number plate. Meanwhile, the broad rear window provides great visibility. An elegant, high-mount roof spoiler houses the third brake light – underlining the car's sporting intent.

As usual, the SEAT logo doubles as the boot handle mechanism and the prototype is easily identified by the 'IBZ' initials beneath the logo in the centre of the hatch.

The crisp rear section of the IBZ Concept is further enhanced by the addition of defined 'shoulders' that house the light clusters. As with the striking headlights, they feature LED technology on a raised surface. From bottom to top, the LEDs create the sidelights, brake, reverse and indicator lights.

The final highlights rounding off the view of the rear are a new bumper, which has a built-in number plate, a number plate light at the bottom of the hatch and split twin tailpipes, which each boast a stylish aluminium bezel.

Where space and style combine

The passenger compartment of the SEAT Ibiza IBZ Concept offers space and style in equal measure, with fine detailing and functional innovations throughout.

The interior is structured by 'light guide' strips that run through the dashboard and the doors, integrating the radio/iPhone interface screen and providing atmospheric lighting at the same time.

The light, airy tones of the cream coloured 'Magnolia' interior heighten the feeling of space inside this SEAT. The dashboard features the same colour, and a different texture is provided via the suede-clad soft pads. The instrument binnacle hood, door panels, pillars and ceiling are also finished in suede.

The newly-designed seats and integrated headrests are upholstered with a combination of leather and suede in the same colour as the dashboard, with blue stitching to match the body colour.

In trademark sporty SEAT style, the steering wheel on the IBZ Concept is slightly flattened at the base. It is wrapped in leather and suede and has a four-spoke structure with dipped side grips, the SEAT 'S' in the centre and the letters 'IBZ' on the lower spoke, and a set of newly designed multi-functional controls on either side.

Naturally, the sporty design of the instrument panel is faithful to the brand's identity. The large dial on the left is the rev counter, with a screen taking up the rest of the space. On the right is an analogue and digital speed display, with the navigation information, trip computer and remaining vehicle controls shown in the middle.

There are four circular air vents on the dashboard encased in aluminium. A special interior design concept features a striking combination of aluminium layered with a glossy black material that make up a line with recessed lighting extending across the dashboard and continuing onto the door panels. The centre houses a screen displaying radio and iPhone functions, and the centre console has a purpose-built iPhone slot.

The centre console also features a stylish climate control system with all the usual functions; the gear stick with a leather gaiter and a panel with buttons to activate the hazard lights, door locks and seat heaters, as well as several storage compartments. Close by is an electronic hand-brake and the central armrest, which is cloth upholstered with a handy storage compartment that can also be removed from the vehicle.

The newly designed door panels on the IBZ Concept echo the style of the dashboard, with the soft pad in suede and an aluminium insert beneath the armrest. The aluminium door handles and speaker frames are also new – the latter with a unique arrangement of square slats.

Predictably perhaps, beneath the rear hatch of the new SEAT Ibiza IBZ Concept lies a spacious boot. Measuring an impressive 410 litres, it can be significantly extended when the rear seats are folded to leave a completely flat cargo space that stretches right to the back of the front seats.

The boot's low load height makes it easy to access, allowing heavy or bulky items to be loaded more simply. It also provides several solutions for keeping objects securely in place such as side hooks or storage nets on either side of the wheel arches.

There's also a supplementary storage compartment beneath the folding boot floor. A cover leads to the spare wheel and tool box.

The detailing in the boot once again shows SEAT's quality workmanship in practice. The edges of the floor covering are finished with leather, and the soft pads on the side are in cream-coloured suede.

Third member of the Ibiza family

With the unveiling of the stylish Ibiza Concept IBZ at Frankfurt Motor Show, SEAT is offering a preview of the future family-sized version of its most popular model. The production version is expected to arrive in showrooms across Europe next year as the company continues its new product offensive which is making the Spanish brand's range the youngest on the market.

In the year of the Ibiza's 25th anniversary, the newest addition to the range underlines the car's segment-leading quality, design and workmanship.

The chassis of the new IBZ Concept has the same compact dimensions as an Ibiza hatch, with a total length of 4.22 metres and the same height and width. However, access to the rear seats is improved still further via broader rear doors.

As with the rest of the SEAT range the sporty, design-driven youthful style of the new Ibiza IBZ Concept make it perfect for those who value space, practicality, comfort and driving enjoyment.

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Frankfurt 2009: 2010 Volvo C70

There are some good points, like those aforementioned headlamps. And we really dig the new grill. The mirrors, wheels and rear end treatment (check those LED lights) all pass the smell test, too. But what's up with those cheapo fog light surrounds? And you simply have to check out the thick rubber antennae to understand how awkwardly it's placed. And again, speaking of awkward, with the top up the C70's proportions are bizarre. We're talking Volkswagen Eos bizzare. Make of it what you will, but we're left with the impression that Volvo took a styling step backwards this time out.

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Frankfurt 2009: 2010 Volkswagen Phaeton

When it comes to the Phaeton, we really don't care what anyone else thinks. The only justification we'll offer is that back in the early 2000s, VW's ubermensch Ferdinand Piech took off the calf-skin gloves and dropped the mother of all gauntlets. He told commanded engineers to build A) the very best high performance hypercar the world had ever seen, and, B) an equally superb luxury sedan. The results, as you may have guessed, were the Veyron and the Phaeton. A little bit of this high high-falutin' zeitgeist rubbed off on the Touareg as well -- especially the twin-turbo TDI V10 monster.

The whole Phaeton can'o'worms is quite messy in the States. To put it bluntly, the grand sedan completely failed. Still, anyone that's spent so much as thirty seconds in the back seat knows that the Phaeton's failure in WalMart country had nothing to do with the Phaeton. Proof? Volkswagen, who by year's end is projected to be the largest automaker in the world and therefor knows a thing or two about cars, is bringing the Phaeton back to our red, white und blue shores. This particular Phaeton Exclusive (featuring the universe's glossiest, deepest and darkest black paint) is actually sporting the 2007 facelift. But you can rest easy, secure in the knowledge we'll be getting the new Phaeton when it returns to the US in 2011.

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Frankfurt 2009: Hyundai Tucson ix35

The new Hyundai Tucson ix35 may look good with a Britney Spears soundtrack playing in the background. It may even look good out on the road. But under the bright lights here at the Frankfurt Messe, it looks pretty much like every other compact import crossover on the market. Which is to say, attractive, but rather cookie-cutter.

The new Tucson is being offered overseas with 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engines burning either gasoline or diesel (with 166 and 184 horsepower, respectively) and driving either the front wheels or all four through a six-speed automatic slushbox. Among the latest features, Hyundai included are Downhill Brake Control and Hill-Start Assist Control, which almost makes us mistake this for a real sport-utility vehicle.

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Frankfurt 2009: Porsche 911 Sport Classic

The seriously limited edition Porsche 911 Sport Classic -- for Porsche, at least -- makes our nostalgic tails wag, even though the gray exterior color is difficult to pin down and we couldn't get over the feeling when we checked out the Espresso-hued internals that we were looking at an entirely different car.

Even after all that, though, we weren't put off: what could have been a regrettable voyage to schmaltzy contrivances actually shapes up with modern purpose. Buyers can expect to be enchanted by vented tail, booming exhaust pipes, and Fuchs wheels, and more than adequately propelled by the 403 hp out back. The appreciation on its €169,300 ($240,702 USD) purchase price began yesterday.

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Frankfurt 2009: Fiat Punto Evo

Ah, the Fiat Punto: never quite what it pretends to be. Supposedly designed to look like a Maserati in hatchback form, the existing model was called the Grande Punto when it was anything but. And now the Italian automaker has launched an updated version and dropped the Grande tag for the vaunted name Evo... for a budget hatchback. Set aside the aspirational naming scheme, though, and what you have is a strong-selling vehicle that's put Fiat back on the map.

Visually, the updated Punto Evo gets new bumpers and lights front and rear, a new grille, and a handful of modern touches. Under the hood, Fiat Powertrain Technologies has slotted in its latest MultiAir engine range (showcased in the MiTo Quadrifoglio Verde), while the interior has been extensively updated to the inclusion of a new Blue&Me infotainment system developed with Microsoft and Tom Tom.

While the new Punto Evo hardly ranks among the myriad of European hatchbacks which – Chrysler or no Chrysler – we wish would make the journey across the Atlantic, it's sure to flood the streets abroad in no time. We stopped by to have a look and snap some photos of the new model and the models adorning it at Fiat's comically childish show stand here in Frankfurt

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