Before reaching Palais 5, I expected the chambers of Mercedes as the main attraction.
In the past 10 years, that I am attending car shows, Mercedes was the one that always had the upper hand. Their rich history, competitive line-up and a sophisticated stage with concepts usually stole the show at every event, and Brussels was no exception.
Last year’s stage took it back a bit, but the concept for the van of the future did impress me. This year, Mercedes took half of Palais 5 without really striking out of the environment.
The surface area took about half of the hall with several smaller thematic stages showcasing the key virtues of the vast offering of Swabian brand.
This time Merc did not bring a lot of interactive elements or crazy concepts, only the Formula E car that was unveiled at the IAA.
Volvo decided to withdraw from car shows a few years ago. Yet with a few exceptions, and Brussels was one of those. It might well be that the Autosalon will be the only European show this year (it was sadly true for 2019).
Volvo’s Brussels stage did not present any new (or even existing) concepts or particular show elements. The elegant stage with natural colours featured over a dozen cars (representing every model of the product palette.
The focus was on electrification with many hybrid models showcased. Even if the long-awaited fully electric XC40 did not show up, the XC40 Twin Engine brought impressive dynamics to the segment.
Renault’s stage follows a rather usual design, with an exclusive premiere of its hybrid drivetrain. The Autosalon is technically the first on-show presentation of the Captur, Renault’s best selling model. Although it was showcased in Frankfurt in a small podium, the company was not present in any of the halls.
As usual, the Dacia took a small corner with a few cars. I don’t think anybody would drop the anchor for them, although Dacia tried hard. The Sandero with carbon inlays was a bit too much in my view.
The best part of the show was a cotton candy bike where (sporty) visitors could roll (pedal) their own cotton candy. I give that trike the main attraction of the hall, that was a great one, Dacia!
Although they did not yet file for divorce, Nissan still bunks with the French. Their world premiere of the Juke was a major event of the Autosalon. Still, the loud separation casts a long shadow to the brand’s presence.
Each hall had a thematic stage, Hall 5 hosted a podium showcasing the Car of the Year finalists.
For an overview of the Brussels Motor Show, have a look at the digital shortcut:
First impressions and digital shortcut to the Brussels Motor Show
