Euro Auto Trends

Suzuki, a minor Japaneese manufacturer, plans to try some more luck in Europe with a new ultra compact A-class model. To cut the costs down to the limit, the new car will be built in Maruti Suzuki, the Indian plant mostly owned by Suzuki. Will it ever be a noticeable competitor to the already announced Volkswagen and Toyota ultraminis?

The all-new Honda Jazz - the genius of the small cars - is about to hit the road. Its predecessor has been stupendously successful, the Honda guys showed the world how to build small cars. And now the new model. The overall styling is similar to that of the latest Mercedes A-Class and it is rather a compliment for a Honda. Under the skin, the five-seat hatchback is based on a development of the chassis which underpins the current model.

Renault is showing the new Clio Estate that is the first wagon in the Clio lifetime. So far there have been just a few compact estate models on the market like Skoda Fabia (that is also going for a launch after the hatchback has been released) and Peugeot 207 SW.

GM is rolling out the next generation Chevrolet Aveo. Most design changes are in the nose with a exaggerated radiator grille and head lamps similar to a whole lot of other models like Skoda Fabia or Toyota RAV4. For the other part the new Aveo seems pretty close to the model it replaces. The current model has been quite a success for the American brand in Europe, about 95,000 units was sold in 2006. For Chevrolet as a whole the 2006 was a growth year although most of the figures came from the East and Central Europe.