Frankfurt Auto Show Update: Concept Cars Plus World Premieres from Ford, Jaguar, Land Rover, Volvo and Aston Martin

September 2003 (Newstream) -- The 2003 Frankfurt Motor Show is set to be a show of concept cars and world premieres - with many new designs and models ready to be revealed. Ford of Europe's sporty concept car 'the Visos' will have its public debut, as well as Jaguar's vision of the future the R-D6. The covers will also be lifted for the first time on Land Rover's new 2004 Freelander, Volvo's S40, Aston Martin's DB9 and Jaguar's new X-TYPE estate.

Press 'reveals' in order of appearance:

At Frankfurt, the covers will lift for the first time on Ford of Europe's concept car 'the Visos' - a luxury four-seat sports car features innovative technologies and design-wise gives a clear indication of the direction in which Ford of Europe is going.

Ford of Europe is also announcing significant new additions and technologies to many of its vehicle lines at the 2003 Frankfurt Motor Show:

another fuel efficient petrol engine is revealed for the all-new Ford Focus C-MAX Ford's flagship Mondeo range gets freshly crafted exteriors and interiors, plus the first direct-injection petrol engine, and climate-controlled seats the Fiesta, Fusion and Galaxy models upgrades for 2004 are unveiled. Also, interest in the limited production Ford GT supercar from European customers exceeds the confirmed allocation as vehicle development continues on target.

Volvo Car Corporation will reveal to the public its all new sedan in the compact segment - the Volvo S40. With a revolutionary interior design, class-leading safety plus powertrains that encompass both five-cylinder engines and four-wheel drive, this car is the first entirely new model following the success of the Volvo XC90.

The all new Volvo S40 replaces the current S40 and is designed to appeal to younger buyers. From the outside the Volvo S40 is unmistakeably a Volvo but from the inside a modern evolution of the traditional design. The interior is a revolution, with a slim free-floating centre console - the first of its kind in the automotive world. It will be built in the Volvo Cars factory in Ghent, Belgium. Production gets underway this Autumn and in 2003 it will only be sold in Sweden, reaching markets in the rest of the world in early 2004.

Land Rover comes to the Frankfurt Motor Show celebrating the debut of a comprehensively revised Freelander range, including a brand new model - the Sport. The New 2004 Freelander takes pride of place on the Land Rover stand showing its refreshed frontal appearance and the major makeover inside. The brand new Freelander model for Europe - the Sport - also makes its public debut as the sharpest handling and sportiest Land Rover production model ever.

Discovery, which was substantially revised late last year, receives further improvements to refinement for 2004.

New Range Rover, the highly acclaimed flagship of the Land Rover range, will also be prominent at Frankfurt. Making its debut into the German market is the Range Rover Autobiography. With a comprehensive menu of colours, options and trim combinations, a customer can tailor-make their own Range Rover to meet their needs.

New to the X-TYPE range is Jaguar's first ever production estate car which continues the British marque's expansion into important market segments where previously it has not been represented. The X-TYPE Estate is designed to meet the needs of a new younger generation of estate car buyers: style now being a key consideration.

There are three versions of the X-TYPE Estate: Classic which provides a younger exterior look, the luxury-focused SE which features a more traditional, chrome-enhanced appearance, and sport models, which have larger wheels and lower-profile tyres. Petrol and diesel engines, manual or automatic transmissions and all-wheel drive are all available within the new range.

On sale in Spring 2004, the X-TYPE Estate will add a further dimension to a model range that has been instrumental in driving Jaguar's sales growth in recent years. Since its introduction in May 2001, more than 140,000 X-TYPEs have been sold in almost 70 markets worldwide.

At Frankfurt, Jaguar will also be revealing their vision of the future with the concept car R-D6. This showcases the latest technology in lightweight vehicle structures - it weighs just 1500kg - and the potent new bi-turbo, common-rail V6 diesel engine.

The all-new DB9 begins a new chapter in Aston Martin's history. It is the first car to be hand-made at the new state-of-the art facility in Warwickshire, UK, where all future Aston Martin models will be developed and built.

The future of Aston Martin is epitomised by the DB9, a 2+2 seater sports car that sets new standards in its class due to its combination of agility, V12 power, smoothness, beautiful design and craftsmanship. Using a radical new aluminium-bonded body frame, the DB9 is one of the most sophisticated and technically advanced sports cars in the world. Powered by the latest version of Aston Martin's 6.0litre V12, it produces 450bhp and a top speed of 186mph.

Sales of the model will start in Spring 2004, replacing the DB7 - the most successful Aston Martin in history.