8 Best Concept Car Debuts From the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show

This big, brown bomber previews the BMW brand’s upcoming full-size utility vehicle. Up front, there’s a new interpretation of the brand’s iconic twin-kidney grille along and along the sides there are hockey-stick bits of brightwork. Inside, there’s room for six in a spacious cabin that’s trimmed with premium leather and open-pore ash-wood trim. Digital instruments are displayed on a huge 12.3-inch screen, while a panoramic glass roof lets light pour in. On the performance front, there really aren’t any details to share about the X7’s powertrain other than it will be a plug-in hybrid.

Next up, a MINI. The British brand is once again getting into the EV segment. Making its global debut here in Frankfurt am Main is the firm’s Electric Concept, not a particularly imaginative name, but what can you do? This car should provide sustainable mobility to urbanites around the world. Now, no information about this vehicle’s drivetrain has been released other than that it features a lithium-ion battery pack. Production is slated to kick off in 2019.

This shimmering beauty is the Kia Proceed Concept, which is dressed to kill in Lava Red paint. That finish is built up from multiple layers, all of which were hand-applied. This car was created in the South Korean automaker’s Frankfurt design center, just half a kilometer or so from where it debuted at the show. Sleek and sweptback with a long roofline, this concept previews what the next-generation Cee’d Euro-market compact car could look like. Those “Sharkblades” on the side are undoubtedly its most noteworthy element, though the 20-inch alloy wheels are hard to miss as well.

As you might have guessed, this Smart is all electric and completely autonomous, the first Daimler vehicle without a steering wheel or pedals, in fact. It was created with car-sharing services in mind, which are projected to quintuple in popularity by 2025, swelling to nearly 37 million users globally. In step with estimated growth, this smart can be summoned by a personal electronic device. Power is provided by a 30-kWh lithium-ion battery pack that can feed the electrical grid during times of heavy demand.

SEE ALSO: 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show Coverage

Next up, the Mercedes-Benz Concept EQA, which just made its grand debut here in Frankfurt. Sporting a generous 60-kWh lithium-ion battery pack, this smooth-bodied hatch should offer a driving range of around 400 kilometers, about 250 miles. As for performance, it features two electric motors – one at each end – which provide all-wheel traction along with about 268 horsepower and 368 pound-feet of torque. The blitz to mile-a-minute speed should take around five seconds, which is plenty quick.

Undoubtedly, one of the coolest concepts revealed in Frankfurt this year is from a home-team automaker. The Audi Aicon is a fully autonomous electric vehicle with a maximum range of up to 800 kilometers, just shy of 500 miles. Each one of its massive 26-inch wheels is driven by an individual electric motor. These units deliver more than 400 pound-feet of torque, which we’d hazard to bet provides rapid acceleration. Since this machine drives itself, there are no pedals or steering wheel inside, which results in lounge-like cabin. The interior is reconfigurable with room for up to four passengers.

The Honda Urban EV Concept won us over with its slick, retro styling. A wisp shorter than the brand’s Fit subcompact, its interior still has room for up to four people on a pair of old-school bench seats, while a ginormous display screen dominates the dashboard. Far from some pie-in-the-sky art project, this car hints at the design and technology that will be offered in an upcoming Honda, one that’s set to launch in 2019. Let’s hope the production model looks as cool as this!

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