Germany’s premier motor show packed up its bags and moved from Frankfurt to Munich in 2021 and it hasn’t looked back since. In fact, the newly-titled IAA Mobility very much looks forward, as this gathering of metal is as concerned with robotics and AI as it is with shiny show cars.
This year was jam-packed with exclusive reveals and a look at what we can expect from the automotive world in the coming years, with a record number of Chinese upstarts joining the more traditional western automakers in the vast halls of Munich’s Messe building.
Xpeng’s impressively large stand was only dwarfed by the Volkswagen Group’s monster, which was (perhaps deliberately) placed bang opposite the Chinese EV newcomer and showcased concepts and new models from most of its brands, including Skoda, VW, SEAT and Porsche
Changan, GAC and Nio squared off against BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Polestar as they look to crack the European market, while some of the world’s largest Tier 1 suppliers (those who supply products directly to manufacturers) showcased advances in battery technology, robotics and artificial intelligence – arguably the automotive buzzword of the year.
Where motor shows of decades gone by were very much a celebration of the internal combustion engine, today’s automotive gatherings are all about the technology, with more chat about software than 0-60mph sprint times.
With that in mind, these are the most important launches I saw from the show, including wild concept cars, future production models and the latest innovations that will underpin tomorrow’s transport.
1. Xpeng P7+
Xpeng has been compared to Tesla on numerous occasions and the observation is valid. The company is exploring all pillars of mobility, from current-day EVs to future flying cars and even humanoid robots, which founder He Xiaopeng says will become commonplace during the next decade.
The company believes that the technology it has developed in-house, which includes producing its own “Turing” chips that provide potent compute power, will underpin a raft of solutions, including those with wheels and propellors, or even arms and legs.
This year, Xpeng says maiden flights of its Land Aircraft Carrier modular flying car will take place outside of China, with October’s demoes in Dubai hoping to snare more customers to add to the 6,000 that have already placed deposits. By 2026, it says it will be the world’s biggest flying car company.
But the slightly more down-to-earth P7+ EV made its European debut in Munich, with its 92.2kWh battery pack, 800V architecture and 585bhp drawing the crowds. Xpeng says fast-charging takes as little as 12 minutes for a 10%-to-80% top-up. It also relies heavily on AI to both improve vehicle dynamics and better serve the driver with next-gen infotainment.
It’s set to roll out in Europe soon, which has likely irked Polestar, seeing as the Swedish brand took the wraps off an eerily similar-looking Grand Tourer just a few hours after the P7+’s reveal.
2. Polestar 5
That leads us on nicely onto the Polestar 5 – another sleek electric machine that will count the Audi e-tron GT and Porsche Taycan among keen rivals when it arrives next year. With up to 871bhp on tap, it’s the most powerful Polestar yet, so comes with racy features, like sculpted front seats co-developed by Recaro.
It’s a long, low looker that can manage 416 miles of range on a single charge when the slightly lower-powered Launch Edition is selected. Stepping up to the Performance trim sees the 0-62mph sprint dispatched in just 3.1 seconds and the price rise to an eye-watering $142,000 / £104,900 / AU$214,000.
Early drives by some journalists suggest that Polestar has been playing down those performance figures, with acceleration times actually quicker in real life.
But like the Taycan that it will go up against, Polestar also nails the interior design, with a sleek, minimalistic cabin that comfortably houses four, but can extend to a tight five-seater by retracting the arm rest in the rear.
Headroom is increased in that department with some clever design and the deletion of the rear window. So, as with Polestar 4, drivers will have to rely on a live feed from the camera when reversing into tight spots.
3. BMW iX3
BMW has been leaking information about its “Neue Klasse” of electric vehicles for years now, but the upcoming iX3, which was on display in Munich, is the first real look at what we can expect from this new era.
Kick-starting a range that is supposedly going to deliver 40 new models in the next couple of years, the modern SUV isn’t quite as handsome as its earlier concept vehicles would suggest but it goes big on the figures: 500-miles of range from a monster 108.7kWh battery pack and charging times as low as 10 minutes to add 231-miles. Nice.
The interior also ushers in a new era of BMW Panoramic Vision iDrive, which consists of an interestingly-shaped infotainment screen, haptic controls on the steering wheel and a full-width windscreen display that can be customized with various widgets.
4. Cerence Mobile Work AI Agent
Ok, so this isn’t a flashy new concept vehicle but it is a much safer way to catch up on work stuff when behind the wheel. Yay!
Cerence has teamed up with Microsoft 365 Copilot to boost its xUI AI assistant platform so it can now delve into all of your Cloud-based Word and Excel documents, scan calendar entries and even allow drivers to draft messages or plan meetings using natural speech.
The company also claims it will provide proactive navigation suggestions that integrate with users’ work calendars to guide them to their next meeting without manual input. The agent will also learn preferences over time, recognizing that some drivers prefer silence during certain parts of their journeys, and users will be able to tell the AI agent to hush-up mid-conversation.
There’s no word on when it’s going live, but Cerence is already works closely with Renault and most of the brands in the Volkswagen Group, so we imagine it won’t be long before that relaxing commute becomes just another extension of the workplace. Sigh.
5. Hyundai Concept Three
Fresh off the back of the wild Insteroid concept comes another madcap design study from the Korean marque. Simply called Concept Three, it showcases the first “compact” EV under the Ioniq sub brand of electrified cars.
It builds on the brand’s ‘Art of Steel’ design language, which was first showcased on the hydrogen-powered Initium concept and has since been incorporated in the most recent H-supping Nexo model.
Parametric Pixel lighting is back, featuring at both the front and rear of the vehicle, while pixelated displays can be found throughout the cabin. There’s even one at the centre of the steering wheel that flashes the message “oops” for some reason.
Mr Pix is another blocky little digital character that pops up on the numerous displays, bearing more than a hint of a resemblance to an old-school Tamagotchi. It’s unsure whether you have to feed him and clean up his poop, though.
There isn’t any information on powertrains of performance figures, but you can guarantee at least some of the whackier design elements will appear on the Ioniq production car, as Hyundai seems to be pushing boundaries on that front at the moment.
6. Mercedes-Benz GLC
Not ones to be outdone by its close Germanic rivals, Mercedes-Benz also took the wraps off the new GLC, arguably one of the marque’s most popular SUVs. Perhaps not so popular is the fact that it’s going all-electric.
This is signified by a big, illuminated three-pointed star on the grille and a slightly less obvious new platform that underpins the whole shebang. It will run the same MB.OS infotainment system that we tested in the recent CLA, while 800V architecture ensures fast charging.
It will offer a 435-mile range from a 94kWh battery and 483bhp thanks to dual motors in the range-topping GLC EQ 400 when it goes on sale, with charging speeds pegged at 330kW if you can find the appropriate outlet.
As is the way with modern Mercedes, the interior is festooned with digital displays, including the option of a full-width, 39.1-inch screen that is the largest ever implemented by the brand.
7. Cupra Tindaya
Cupra, the younger, funkier sibling of Seat, is busy pushing back against the onslaught of autonomous driving and robo taxis, putting the driver in the, erm, driver’s seat by unleashing this angry-looking concept.
Named after a volcanic mountain in Fuertaventura, Tindaya feels more reptilian than automotive, with slashes over the rear haunches and a ‘spine’ that holds the detachable roof panels making it look alive… even when parked.
The accompanying press release is filled with phrases like “phygital” and “digital aura” but there’s not a lot of mention of cold, hard stats.
We expect it to heavily influence the next generation of high-performance SUVs from the brand, which is rapidly becoming one of the fastest growing in Europe. It seems Seat has hit a rich seam with ‘da kids’.
8. VW ID.Cross Concept
Volkswagen made a big splash at the IAA Mobility show this year. Not only did the VW Group have arguably the most impressive stand going, Volkswagen itself unveiled three new models.
The ID. Polo and a red hot ID. Polo GTI model were teased before the show, but the company also decided to showcase what a jacked-up SUV version of its ID. Polo will look like with the ID. Cross Concept.
Production versions of all of the aforementioned cars will go on sale as early as next year and the VW Group is on a mission to offer compact, electrified models from the likes of Skoda, Seat and VW for as little as €25,000 – or $30,000 / £25,000 / $45,000.
But back to the ID. Cross Concept: it’s a handsome-looking thing, with hints of ID Buzz about it on the flanks, a relatively aggressive front end and an interior that features real, tangible buttons – not just haptic nonsense.
9. QuantumScape Solid State Batteries
There was a lot of talk of solid-state batteries at this year’s show, with Rimac, CATL and more unveiling innovations that boost range, performance, safety and longevity.
Solid State is billed as the next big thing in battery development and QuantumScape, partnering with the VW Group’s PowerCo, unveiled the first anode-free solid-state batteries to go beyond the lab environment and into a vehicle.
That vehicle is the Ducati V21L prototype motorcycle that is destined to pummel the race circuit over the coming months to test the technology’s capability under the most extreme conditions.
The FIM MotoE World Championship is on hiatus until the end of this year, giving both Ducati and QuantumScape more time to fine-tune their technologies. Already, the new cells have allowed for a weight saving of 8.2kg.
QuantumScape says the solid-state packs offer an 844 Wh/L energy density – greater than that of Tesla and BYD’s current technology – as well as 12-minute charging times.
