Sofia Motor Show 2019 kicked off with a world premiere

Some of them are shown to the public for the first time not only in Bulgaria, but also in Europe and even in the world.

The world premiere will be the Nissan Juke, which was shown only in photographs this fall.

The Japanese brand skipped the Frankfurt motor show, so the Juke can be seen live in Sofia for the first time. The model was developed for the European market and should continue the success of its predecessor, which sold more than 1 million units in 10 years.

The new Juke is powered by a 1.0-liter turbocharged 3-cylinder engine mated to a 6-speed manual or 7-speed automatic transmission with the brand’s new dual-clutch transmission. Nissan is also focusing on state-of-the-art equipment, focusing primarily on Nissan’s ProPILOT semi-autonomous driving system, as well as NissanConnect, an innovative real-time updateable information, entertainment and navigation system.

Renault’s best-selling compact hatchback Clio marked the premiere for Bulgaria. It is the most successful model in the history of the French brand, with 15 million units sold so far. The new generation features a vertically positioned, largest-in-class information screen/tablet, as well as a fully digital instrument cluster. The model has a completely new interior, and the boot volume has been increased to 391 liters.

The BMW exhibits are also of great interest. So the premiere for Bulgaria of the new BMW Series 1 took place, which was declared revolutionary in the history of the brand, since now it is front-wheel drive. Modification 120d xDrive, equipped with a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder diesel engine with a capacity of 190 hp, exhibited at the Inter Expo Center. and 400 Nm of torque. Thanks to the new front-wheel drive architecture, the smallest Bavarian offers significantly more space with almost the same dimensions.

The increase will mainly affect the space for passengers in the rear seats, as well as the volume of the trunk. Visitors to the showroom can also enjoy two new top-of-the-range models, the M8 Convertible and the four-door version of the 8 Series, the Gran Coupe. They are powered by the brand’s most powerful production engine, a 4.4-liter V8 engine that develops 600 hp in the standard version and 625 hp in the Competition version. The M8 accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.1 seconds, and with the M Driver’s Package, the top speed reaches 305 km/h.

Also one of the highlights of the show, the new Range Rover Sport SVR boasts some serious power. The luxury crossover has a power of 575 hp provided by a V8 engine. It is the fastest Land Rover ever, accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.9 seconds. and develops a maximum speed of 280 km / h.

Together with him, the first electric model of the Jaguar brand is demonstrated. This is an I-Pace crossover. It offers a range of 470 km, accelerates from 0 to 60 in less than 4.7 seconds and charges in 40 minutes from a fast charging station.

Among the brands represented by Moto Pfo is Volvo, which relies on the new generation of the S60 sedan. The Swedish brand’s engineers call it «The best sports sedan in the history of Volvo», and it is also equipped with a hybrid drive.

KIA’s new compact crossover XCeed will also make its debut in Bulgaria. It differs from the standard Ceed by an increased ground clearance of 184 mm, as well as higher seats in the cabin. Trunk volume is 426 liters, and with the rear seats removed it reaches 1378 liters. KIA XCeed is available with petrol turbo engines ranging from 1.0 to 1.6 liters, which develop respectively from 120 to 204 hp. There will also be versions with a 1.6-liter diesel engine with 115 or 136 hp. The weakest gasoline unit is combined only with a 6-speed manual gearbox, for the rest there is a 7-speed «automatic» with two clutches.

Another Korean premiere in Sofia is the new KIA e-Soul. It was the company’s first electric model, and now we will see a new generation of it. The main change in this case concerns the battery, the capacity of which has been increased to 64 kWh. This will provide the electric vehicle with a range of more than 450 km, which is twice as much as before. The power of the electric motor is still 204 hp.

The new Cupra brand also debuted in Bulgaria. Until recently, this was the name of the sports division of SEAT, but now a new car manufacturer bears this name. His first model is a crossover equipped with a 2.0-liter petrol turbo engine that develops 300 hp. and a 7-speed automatic transmission. The sporty crossover with 4Drive all-wheel drive system accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 7.0 seconds. SEAT is also showing off its latest Tarraco model. The SUV is powered by a 2.0-liter diesel engine with 190 hp, which is paired with a 4Drive all-wheel drive system and a 7-speed automatic transmission.

The premiere for Bulgaria is also celebrated at Opel. There, the focus is on the all-electric Corsa, which is the German brand’s first electric model. The hatchback is powered by a 134 hp electric motor and its battery has a capacity of 50 kWh. On a single charge, an electric car travels up to 330 km on the new WLTP cycle. Acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h takes just 8.1 seconds. Next to it, the standard version of the model is on display, and in Sofia — in the GS Line configuration. Under the hood of this car is a 1.2-liter three-cylinder turbo engine that develops 130 hp. With it, this Corsa accelerates to 100 km / h from standstill in 8.7 seconds.

The company officially presents its first plug-in hybrid, the Grandland X PHEV, in Sofia. It is equipped with a 1.6-liter gasoline engine and two electric motors, and the total power of the drive system is 300 hp. The speed of 100 km / h after pressing the gas is reached in 6 seconds, and the battery with a capacity of 13.2 kWh allows you to drive 51 km on current alone.

Subaru is also recording the premiere of the new generation Forester. It features Subaru’s latest drive system, the e-BOXER. It combines a 2.0-litre direct injection petrol engine, 80% new components, an electric motor and a specially developed Lineartronic transmission.

The Subaru e-BOXER system manages the distribution of power between the gasoline engine and the electric motor based on driving conditions and offers three modes of operation: Engine Driving, Electric Driven, Motor Assist.