Preview: 2021 Munich motor show

The 2021 International Motor Show Germany – also known as IAA Mobility – is officially going ahead in a little over two weeks, with the show set to run in Munich instead of Frankfurt over September 7-12.

According to organisers, more than 1000 exhibitors and speakers will be at the show, which marks the return of the first major auto event in Germany since the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic began.

As well as the usual concept cars and wacky displays, the show will offer a test track – where punters can try new models – linking the main showground area to more displays set up around Munich’s city centre.

With a string of international motor shows cancelled due to COVID, most recently including this week’s New York International Auto Show (NYIAS), the Munich show will be Europe’s first major auto exhibition since the Frankfurt show in September 2019.

In alphabetical order, here’s what we’ve got to look forward to.

The premium German car-maker will have several ‘Sphere’ concepts on display, including the Skysphere it has already previewed.

The Grandsphere (Audi A8 replacement) and Urbansphere (SUV) are also set to feature, alongside the all-new 2022 RS 3 hyper-hatch (and sedan).

Also expect the public debut of the Q4 e-tron EV.

Another local prestige brand will hit its hometown motor show with the iX5 – a hydrogen fuel-cell SUV set for limited production in 2022 – and perhaps a concept previewing its next-generation 7 Series limo.

Also expect the all-electric BMW i4 Gran Coupe, which is set to arrive in Oz early next year priced from $99K and ready to take on the Tesla Model 3, and the facelifted X3, X4 and iX3.

Upcoming Spanish car-maker Cupra will use the Munich auto show to debut its first EV, the Cupra Born.

A subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group, the Born shares its MEB underpinnings with the incoming VW ID.3 EV, and will be displayed alongside another pure-electric Cupra model, which is so far unconfirmed but tipped to be a an SUV.

A budget sub-brand of Renault, Dacia is set to reveal a new seven-seater in Munich and there’s a good chance we could eventually see it Down Under, where Ateco Group plans to launch the brand in 2022.

Dacia already sells multiple models overseas, including the popular Duster compact SUV and even a dual-cab ute.

IAA organisers have announced Hyundai’s attendance at the show, although it’s not yet confirmed which model/s will be on display. Chances are the South Korean car-maker’s electric sub-brand IONIQ will play a major part with its first EV, the IONIQ 5, just months away from launching here in Australia.

Benz is set to dominate at this year’s show with eight new models on display, five of which will be electric – and one of which will Mercedes-AMG’s first EV.

The five EVs include the E-Class based EQE sedan, G-Class based EQG, S-Class based EQS limo, the Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV, which will rival the BMW iX and, finally, the EQXX, which we’ve only seen in teasers so far.

The German car-maker’s Mercedes-AMG performance arm will also reveal a 500kW plug-in hybrid version of the GT 4-Door, a 560kW dual-motor electric version of the EQS sedan and, perhaps, the production version of the AMG ONE hypercar.

Also expect the new Mercedes-Benz C-Class All-Terrain, which won’t come to Australia.

Fellow Stuttgart sports car maker Porsche will also debut an all-new EV at the German show, however, details on exactly what is are thin.

The high-performance Cayenne Turbo GT super-SUV is also tipped to make an appearance at the show, along with the updated Macan medium SUV.

The French car-maker’s production-ready electric E-Tech SUV, which was first previewed as the 2020 eVision concept, is almost certain to be on display in Munich.

Sharing the same CMF-EV underpinnings as the Nissan Ariya, the small E-Tech SUV is set to rival the Kia Niro EV and Mazda MX-30 Electric, but is yet to be confirmed for Oz.

Europe’s biggest car-maker is also set to reveal several new models at the September show, including the ID.5 GTX, an electric performance coupe-crossover and the Taigo crossover SUV based on the Polo/T-Cross.

The facelifted Polo hatch could also make an appearance in Munich, ahead of its Aussie launch in Q1 2022, followed by the refreshed Polo GTI in Q2 2022.

A host of other car-makers are also confirmed for next month’s Munich show, including Ford, Genesis, Great Wall, Kia, Polestar, smart and more.

There’ll also be plenty of tech brands and automotive parts suppliers, such as Bosch, Hella, Michelin, Samsung and Siemens, among others.

Stay tuned for all the latest as it happens from the Munich motor show from September 7.