FRANKFURT, 9.9. Reuters) - German car manufacturer expand supplement industry in so-called "Crossover" premium vehicles, seeking to tap demand for models the functionality and cachet of sport utility vehicles (SUVS) to combine with the comfort and performance of the luxury cars.
BMW AG and Daimler AG, the leader of the global luxury car, want to expand their crossover portfolio with seven vehicles by 2020 to European provider sources with new entries in various sizes and price ranges.
Volkswagen AG (VW) upscale Audi subsidiary on its heels, with a future lineup of six crossovers, these sources added to nipping will be.
Almost all four premium last year in Europe a crossed or sports-utility model, and the category was sold vehicles continued to grow, despite concerns about size and consumption by United Kingdom-based consultancy LMC automotive.
Why the boom? According to "to give BMW development Chief Herbert Diess frequency switch large appeal and a sense for lifestyle. People want to be apart from the mainstream set."
Peter foot, a senior partner and automotive specialist in German practice Ernst & Youngs added: "consumers want more premium quality... And crossovers have a more modern design. "
The rise of the new German models is part of a broader trend, as VW, BMW and Daimler will benefit from the investment over a six-year European auto stock market slumps.
But this month Frankfurt auto show signaled that they are not alone in trying to take a piece of the premium crossover market.
Britain's Jaguar, now owned by India's Tata Group, studied then scrapped plans to develop a luxury utility vehicle more than a decade ago. Now it is a future crossover - his first ever - in Frankfurt am Main with the C - X 17 concept tease.
The station wagon-like petrol engine a forerunner of Jaguar Q-type, developed together with a new compact sedan, which offers Jaguar, to pitch to the BMW is to 3.
The Q-type-crossover also XQ can be accessed in the year 2015 on the BMW X 3 and Audi Q3 frequency switch would be aligned, said suppliers.
Japanese brands Lexus and Infiniti, Toyota Motor Corp. of possession of and Nissan Motor Co., try muscle deeper into the segment - to Lexus with its LF-NX "Concept" a small preview on the brand first compact crossover and Nissan's Q30 concept, a small gasoline engine, which expected a crossover derivatives into.
The LF-NX production reach late 2014 or early 2015 should, and will he be offered expected with an optional hybrid powertrain similar in the concept of Frankfurt.
GERMAN DRIVE
The Q30 concept shares basics with an another new addition to the range of Mercedes-Benz GLA, which goes on sale in Europe next spring, and shortly thereafter delivered to North America and China.
The production version of the Q30 goes into production in the year 2015 at Nissan's Sunderland plant in the UK should and can be finally built next to the GLA in the Nissan Aguascalientes plant in Mexico.
The arrival of the GLA signaled an escalation of Daimler crossover expansion. These efforts will be to two platforms, a known internally as a MFA (modular front-wheel drive architecture), the other MRA (modular rear-wheel drive architecture) built.
The smaller MFA platform, which supports the GLA and the Q30 can be used as the basis for an even smaller, lighter and less expensive Mercedes-crossover in the year 2017, within the company just as the baby-G. It is known
The larger MRA platform could serve as the ML said sources in the year 2017 and the RL in the year 2018, supplier base for more than five future crossovers, including replacement for the current GLK in 2015. Are also in the pipeline two Coupé-like variants, the MLC in the year 2015 and 2016 GLC.
"We have a goal to launch 13 new models, including the transitions between now and 2020," said Mercedes spokeswoman Bettina Singhartinger Reuters, declining be more accurate.
BMW has similar aspirations for his crossover portfolio. His next newcomer is the X-4, which was form this year the fair of Shanghai is planned, preview, and that in the concept in the year 2014 in the sale. The X 4 X 1 connects the existing X 3, X 5 and X 6, that in the next five years redesigned are.
BMW is also on two additional crossover models - a compact two-door x 2 ultra-premium in the year 2016 and long wheelbase, 4-door synchronized X 7, arriving as a companion to the new Rolls Royce crossover in 2018-2019 could by the BMWs.
Audi, has reduced its ambitious growth plans in crossovers in the meantime, suppliers said that proposals for the Coupé-like Q2 and Q4 ad acta set.
Its three existing crossovers are outdated will, starting with the big Q7 in 2014. It is in the year 2016 by the next generation Q5 follow, in Audi's new $1.3 billion-plant in Mexico and the redesigned Q3 is composed in the year 2018.
Still in planning are two larger models, Q6 and a Coupé-like companion of the next Q5, which could also be built into Mexico in 2016-2017, the Q8, a sportier sibling to the redesigned Q7, which is expected in 2015.
"We plan further additions to our portfolio of SUVs but not yet no details have communicated", said a spokesman for Audi.
