2019 Frankfurt auto show preview

Auto shows inject new life into the spirits of car enthusiasts, even if traditional auto shows are a dying breed.

When the doors to the 2019 Frankfurt motor show open September 12, showgoers will see everything from hybrid super cars and new electric cars to forward-looking concept cars and luxury SUVs.

Here’s a quick rundown of some of the highlights. To stay on top of all our 2019 Frankfurt auto show coverage be sure to check our dedicated hub and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

2021 Land Rover Defender2021 Land Rover Defender

Land Rover Defender

The English icon from Land Rover will crawl its way into the public eye in Frankfurt; we’ll finally see the new Land Rover Defender. We expect to see different configurations, including two- and four-door body styles and possibly up to six different powertrains. If you ask us: the more mud, the better.

Mercedes-Benz EQS teaserMercedes-Benz EQS teaser

Mercedes-Benz EQ concept

The next step in Mercedes’ all-electric EQ lineup is a concept dubbed “the EQS concept.” The teasers depict a large sedan with a coupe-like profile and seating for four inside. We expect the EQS concept to be an electric iteration of the next-generation S-Class; likely to retain some classic Mercedes design traits such as quilted leather and wood accents, but the concept’s controls are all touchscreen based.

Lamborghini Sián hybrid hypercarLamborghini Sián hybrid hypercar

Lamborghini Sian

Lamborghini already pulled the digital sheet of its Sian hypercar, but the hybrid bull from the Italian automaker will make its formal debut at the Frankfurt auto show. The Sian is the first hybrid Lamborghini and based on the Aventador supercar and its 6.5-liter V-12 engine, but the Sian adds a 48-volt electric motor and a supercapacitor for 807 horsepower sent to all four wheels. The front end design is cribbed from the Terzo Millennio concept, and the hexagonal taillights are pure Lamborghini.

Teaser for 2020 Volkswagen ID 3 debuting at 2019 Frankfurt auto showTeaser for 2020 Volkswagen ID 3 debuting at 2019 Frankfurt auto show

Volkswagen ID 3

The Volkswagen ID 3 electric car hasn’t been revealed but the German automaker began taking orders in May. The all-electric hatchback isn’t coming to the U.S., but its underpinnings will spawn a lifted crossover version dubbed the Crozz, which will come to the U.S. The ID 3 will be available with a trio of battery pack sizes with range estimates of 200 to 300 miles depending on the amount of electrons in a pack. While the ID 3 will be rear wheel drive, an all-wheel-drive variant is surely in the works.

Teaser for Hyundai 45 concept debuting at 2019 Frankfurt auto showTeaser for Hyundai 45 concept debuting at 2019 Frankfurt auto show

Hyundai 45 concept

Hyundai will debut an electric car concept that will set the design direction for its future EVs. The Korean automaker has said the concept will reference its first car, the Pony. The teaser image closely resembles the wedge-shaped Pony Coupe concept from 1974 rather than the production car from a year later.

2021 Mercedes-AMG GLB352021 Mercedes-AMG GLB35

2021 Mercedes-AMG GLB35

The cute 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLB-Class hasn’t yet gone on sale and the automaker’s already revealed one of two tuned AMG versions: the 2021 GLB35. The hotter GLB45 model is on its way. The GLB35 was revealed online ahead of its Frankfurt debut with a 2.0-liter turbo-4 that produces 302 hp and 295 pound-feet of torque to all four wheels via an 8-speed dual-clutch transmission. The hot little brick will hit U.S. dealerships in late 2020.

Audi AI:Trail quattro conceptAudi AI:Trail quattro concept

Audi AI:Trail quattro concept

Audi’s history is dirty with gravel and mud. Its quattro all-wheel-drive system is legendary. As the German automaker enters the world of electric cars it wants to remind everyone that it knows all-wheel drive and how to get dirty with the AI: Trail quattro concept that will debut in Frankfurt. While Audi’s been light on specifics, the company has billed the concept as a “study for an electrically driven off-roader of the future.” It looks part autonomous pod and part SUV with terrific approach and departure angles, and are those knobby off-road tires?

Audi RS 6 AvantAudi RS 6 Avant

Audi RS 6 Avant

At the other end of the efficiency spectrum, the hot new Audi RS 6 Avant will make its formal debut in Frankfurt. The RS 6 Avant has a future in the U.S., and this family hauler has an electrified powertrain with a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8 and 48-volt mild hybrid system putting nearly 600 hp to all four wheels. Getting to soccer practice and school will never be the same again. Look for this sled and its angry eyes on the Frankfurt show floor.

2020 Volkswagen T-Roc Cabriolet2020 Volkswagen T-Roc Cabriolet

Volkswagen T-Roc Cabriolet

For those Europeans that mourn the world’s loss of the Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet and Land Rover Evoque convertible there’s the new Volkswagen T-Roc Cabriolet. A drop-top version of its small crossover, this high-riding convertible will go on sale in the first half of 2020 as a replacement for the discontinued Beetle Cabriolet and Golf Cabriolet because the world only accepts crossover SUVs these days. It’s unlikely the T-Roc Cabriolet will make it across the pond as the T-Roc itself isn’t sold in the U.S.

2020 Porsche Taycan live shots2020 Porsche Taycan live shots

2020 Porsche Taycan

While the 2020 Porsche Taycan electric car was unveiled Wednesday in three different locations simultaneously, it will make its auto show debut (and public debut) at the Frankfurt auto show. With up to 750 hp, an 800-volt charging system, $152,250 base price, and seating for five, the Taycan is an electric car the Porsche way. Deliveries will begin in the U.S. in December with cheaper, less powerful variants to be unveiled later this year.

2020 Audi RS 7 Sportback spy shots - Image via S. Baldauf/SB-Medien2020 Audi RS 7 Sportback spy shots – Image via S. Baldauf/SB-Medien

2020 Audi RS 7

Audi Sport gives us another treat this year at the 2019 Frankfurt auto show: the hot RS 7 liftback. For the most part, we’re expecting the same song, second verse from the RS 6 Avant above: twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8, all-wheel drive, 600 hp, 48-volt architecture, thrilling performance. But the 2020 Audi RS 7 may have a Performance version, as it has in the past, that’s even hotter. We’ll have to wait for the show to find out.

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