Brussels Motor Show: what's new for Belgium and Europe?

The 96th edition of the Brussels Motor Show opens its doors to the public from Friday 12th January until Sunday 21 January 2018.

As is its wont, the Brussels Motor Show is no mecca for world premieres. Rather, it is a showroom where customers can compare vehicles of all major manufacturers and discover their special promotions. Increasingly, these promotions are also available to customers going to their local dealers.

This year, some manufacturers chose Brussels for the European or global premiere of a number of their cars. We list the most important ones in alphabetical order.

BMW 2 Active Tourer & Gran Tourer (world premiere)

BMW's popular 2 series Active Tourer & Gran Tourer have been updated with new headlights and a new interior. (Photo: BMW)

BMW X2 (European premiere)

30 minutes after the world premiere in Detroit on Monday 15 January, the brand new X2 SUV will be unveiled in Brussels. This new SUV will slot between the X1 and X3 and its more adventurous design language should help it sell like hotcakes. (Photo: BMW)

Citroën C4 Cactus (world premiere)

The New C4 Cactus lost its characteristic Airbumps on the side doors but it did gain a lot of innovations. It has the new Progressive Hydraulic Cushions suspension to offer the driver a more comfortable ride, on top of the redesigned seats.
Citroën also updated the e-Méhari for those on the lookout for a new beach car.

DS7 Crossback

Whereas the DS3, DS4 and DS5 were still unveiled under the Citroën moniker, the DS7 Crossback is the first model to be launched by DS as a stand-alone brand. The large SUV will take on its German premium competitors and its avant-garde design looks up for the task.

Mercedes-Benz CLS (European premiere)

The third generation of the popular four-door coupé had its European premiere in Brussels. The discerning customer will appreciate its new features including a perfumed air conditioning system, interior lighting in 64 colours, a widescreen dashboard and driving assistance systems straight from the S class.
The new A and C class are expected in a couple of months but couldn't be unveiled in Brussels yet.

Nissan Leaf (European premiere)

The new Nissan Leaf boasts a 40kWh battery pack which should take you to a destination 378 km away, up from the previous 250. This new battery pack will also be available in the e-NV200/Evalia, promising a range of 280 km. Nissan also unveiled the ProPilot driver assistance systems for the Leaf, the Qashqai and soon also the X-Trail.

MINI Hatch & Cabrio (world premiere)

The 3 and 5-door MINI Hatch and the Cabrio received a subtle facelift. The headlights and transmissions in particular were updated. Customers choosing a LED package will appreciate the Union Jack inspired tail lights. MINI has also included an updated infotainment system from big brother BMW.

Volvo XC40 (European premiere)

Fitting for a car manufactured in Belgium, the XC40 was unveiled for its European premiere. The compact SUV will also be available with a more modest D3 engine, undoubtedly a big hit for fleet customers. The same D3 engine will also be made available for the still relatively new XC60.