Mark Walton, CAR magazine editor-at-large
‘I’m a big fan of the Land Rover Discovery 3: it was all upright and strong and had black bumpers and wheelarches. So it’s a shame with the new Discovery Sport that it’s moved closer to the Range Rover side of the family, stylistically at least. I said to the Land Rover guys that I hoped they would still have a more rugged type of Land Rover. I think their plan is that the new Defender will fulfil that need. Still, the Disco Sport is exactly the sort of car I could see myself running around in. And I love the MX-5, too. It looks like it should be a blast to drive.’
Gavin Green, CAR magazine contributor-in-chief
‘One of the themes of the show is the rise and rise of the crossover. It’s not something I approve of, generally. These cars are often based on more humdrum hatchbacks, but made taller and heavier – qualities at odds with the environmental pressures of our times. There are so many of them at the Paris motor show this year. I’ve also spotted a number of non-German premium cars which stand a good chance of winning. Cars like the Volvo XC90, the Jaguar XE and even the VW Passat, which is German but not an established premium brand. A fascinating show…’
Ian Adcock, CAR magazine technical correspondent
‘The Renault Eolab really caught my eye. It’s stuffed with the technology that car makers will need to meet the 2025 emissions standards. The key learnings I took away are the two areas of lightweight technology and aerodynamics. These are the next tech battlegrounds for all car makers, whether you’re making big or small cars.’
Guy Bird, CAR magazine design correspondent
‘The VW XL Sport is very neat. They’ve done a really good job on this car. And the Toyota C-HR is interesting from a design perspective, too. Toyota can do interesting cars and there’s much more to come from them.’
Tim Pollard, CAR magazine executive editor
‘I agree with Gavin – the Paris motor show 2014 will be remembered for its crossovers. But will this SUV obsession bubble burst one day? Won’t consumers eventually tire of pumped-up family-friendly 4x4s? I’m beginning to wonder what’ll come next… Elsewhere, my show highlights were mostly production cars. The more I see the Mazda MX-5, the more I like it. The Smart Fortwo is one to watch, as well – it’s a big step forward in quality. And the Renault Espace reflects the growing confidence of the French brands. Such a shame it’s not being engineered in right-hand drive this time…’