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The mood at this year’s Paris Motor Show: Quiet

The Paris Motor Show, held every other year in the early fall, typically kicks off the annual cavalcade of automotive conclaves, one that traverses the globe between autumn and spring, introducing projective, conceptual and production-ready vehicle models to the international automotive press, automotive aficionados and a public hungry for news of our increasingly futuristic mobility enterprise. But this year, at the press preview days for the show, the grounds of the Porte de Versailles convention center felt a bit more sparsely populated than usual. This was not simply a subjective sensation, or one influenced by the center's atypically dispersed assemblage of seven discrete buildings, which tends to spread out the cars and the crowds. There were not only fewer new vehicles being premiered in Paris this year, there were fewer manufacturers there to display them. Major mainstream European OEM stalwarts such as Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Nissan and Volkswagen chose to sit out Paris this year, as did boutique manufacturers like Bentley, Aston Martin and Lamborghini. This is not simply based in some antipathy on the part of the German, British and Italian manufacturers toward the French market — though for a variety of historical and societal reasons that market may be more dominated by vehicles produced domestically than others. Rather, it is part of a larger trend in the industry. Last year, Mercedes-Benz announced that it would not be participating in the flagship North American International Auto Show in 2019 — and that it might not return. Other brands including Jaguar/Land Rover, Audi, Porsche, Mazda and nearly every exotic carmaker have also departed the Detroit show. Some of these brands will still appear in the city in which the show is taking place, and host an event offsite, to capitalize on the presence of a large number of reporters in attendance. And even brands that do have a presence at the show have shifted their vehicle introductions to the days before the official press opening in an attempt to stand out from the crowd. In many ways, this makes sense. With an expanding number of automakers, with diversification and niche-ification of models and with wholesale shifts that necessitate the introduction of EV or autonomous sub-brands, there is a growing sense that, with everyone shouting at the same time, no one can be heard.

Aston Martin says its fleet will go all-hybrid

British luxury carmaker Aston Martin says it plans to convert its entire six-car lineup to hybrid powertrains, with CEO Dr. Andy Palmer telling the Financial Times (subscription required), "We will be 100 per cent hybrid by the middle of the 2020s" and that 25 percent of all Aston Martins will be fully electric "by the end of the next decade." In June, the company announced it will produce the RapidE, its first all-electric car, in 2019, with a limited production run of 155 cars. The Rapide S, the model it's ostensibly based on, starts around $204,000. "RapidE represents a sustainable future in which Aston Martin's values of seductive style and supreme performance don't merely co-exist alongside a new zero-emission powertrain, but are enhanced by it," Palmer said in the statement. "The internal combustion engine has been at the heart of Aston Martin for more than a century, and will continue to be for years to come. RapidE will showcase Aston Martin's vision, desire and capability to successfully embrace radical change, delivering a new breed of car that stays true to our ethos and delights our customers." Palmer also told FT that while the company plans to source battery cells from overseas, it will develop its electric systems in-house. It is working with Williams Advanced Engineering in England on EV systems integrations for the RapidE. Aston is just the latest of a long line of automakers to announce electrification plans. Notably, Volvo recently announced that it would add some form of electrification to its entire fleet by 2019. Related Video:

Aston Martin rules out going downmarket

When Aston Martin sat alongside Jaguar under the Ford umbrella, the two had to be careful not to step on each other's toes. That kept the top end of Jaguar's sports and GT lineup at bay, and in the years since they parted company, Jaguar has steadily moved up-market with new versions of the XK and now with the new F-Type. But does that mean Aston Martin will in turn start offering cheaper models? "No, not at this stage," Aston's US chief Julian Jenkins told AutoGuide.com. "If there is an opportunity that we can sit comfortably within we will go after it." But for the time being, the V8 Vantage will remain the brand's entry-level model, coming in just under the $100K mark in base Vantage GT trim. Enthusiasts will remember the Cygnet, a version of the Toyota/Scion iQ which Aston reskinned and sold to customers looking for a more compact, economical mode of transportation without skimping on luxury. But that model never made it to North America, and lasted only a few years before being discontinued in 2013. More recently, Aston branched into the four-door market, first with the Rapide and now with the Lagonda Taraf. The Lagonda Taraf is a four-door luxury sedan initially launched in the Persian Gulf, but under consideration for additional markets. The company has been on and off the fence regarding launching a crossover SUV like the Lagonda concept it showcased at the 2009 Geneva auto show to lukewarm reception. If Aston were to proceed with such plans, it would be up against the likes of the upcoming Jaguar F-Pace, Bentley Bentayga and Maserati Levante.