The BMW i3
First in line for the propeller brand in terms of electrics, the BMW i3, in the catalog from 2013 to 2022 with a restyling in 2017, was a city sedan with a length of 3.99 m. An atypical vehicle which was also offered in a range extender version with the addition of a small 647 cm3 petrol engine with 38 hp from a scooter, in order to increase the range by 150 km when the battery was empty.
From 2022, the i3 name was back in the range, this time designating the 100% electric version of the 3 Series family sedan dedicated to China. Then in 2026, the future BMW i3, global this time, will have the Neue Klasse technical base which will be released this year by the BMW iX3.
Les Fiat Ulysse / Opel Zafira
It’s a fairly subtle sleight of hand since from 1994 to 2010, the Fiat Ulysse which at the time had as twins the Citroën Evasion/C8, the Peugeot 806/807 and the Lancia Zeta/Phedra was a minivan derived from a utility vehicle. A formula which allowed PSA to respond 10 years late to the Renault Espace. Since 2021, the Fiat Ulysse has become a glass van intended for families, derived from the utility Fiat Scudo. The Opel Zafira followed the same evolution, born as a minivan in 1999, it was even the very first to offer a 7-seater layout in a compact format measuring 4.31 m long.
The Opel Zafira was in the brand’s Blitz catalog until 2005 in Europe and continued the fun until 2012 in more distant markets. In 2019, it returned to the Opel range under the name Zafira Life, this time a clone of the Peugeot Traveller, Citroën Spacetourer, Toyota ProAce Verso and Fiat Ulysse. The Opel Zafira Life is also available in a utility version called Opel Vivaro.
The Ford Capri
In the 1970s, this sports coupe was considered the European alter-ego of the American Ford Mustang. Over three generations, the Capri enjoyed a long career from 1968 to 1986. This muscle car designed for the Old Continent promotes 4- and 6-cylinder V engines. A completely different score, that of electric, characterizes the 21st century Ford Capri derived from the Volkswagen ID.5 and Cupra Tavascan, it is a trendy SUV coupe.
The Ford Puma
Another example of a popular coupe moving into the SUV camp in 2019 is the Ford Puma. At its beginnings, in 1997, the Ford Puma was a small coupe derived from the Ford Fiesta and whose main target was the Opel Tigra. It left the scene in 2002 after having sold more than 129,400 units.
For 5 years now, the Ford Puma has been an urban SUV rival to the Renault Captur and Peugeot 2008 which has recently enriched its offering with a 100% electric version.
-L’Opel Frontera
At the beginning of the 1990s, the Opel Frontera allowed the blitz brand to venture into the field of rustic adventurer 4x4s then in vogue. Available in 3 and 5 door body styles, it is based on an Isuzu model. He had a career from 1991 to 2004. Then he disappeared from the radar screens, Opel having in the meantime converted to SUVs.
Twenty years after its disappearance, the Frontera name is back, this time qualifying an urban SUV available in 5 or 7 seats, in thermal and electric technical cousin of the second generation of the Citroën C3 Aircross.
The Renault Mégane
For four generations, from 1995 to 2024, the Renault Mégane took on the role of the compact sedan in the diamond manufacturer’s range. Then from 2022, a Renault Mégane E-Tech Electric came to play spoilsport both with its shorter format (4.20 m compared to 4.36 m) and with its crossover silhouette eyeing the SUV side. Because the project for this trendy Renault Mégane was originally that of the replacement for the Zoé.
The Renault Scénic
As with the Mégane mentioned above, the Renault Scénic has had two lives. The first spanned four versions from 1996 to 2023, in the form of a minivan with gasoline and diesel engines. Since 2023, the Renault Scénic has switched to the electric SUV camp. Well done, it was voted European Car of the Year 2024.
The Renault Espace
A pioneer of minivans since 1984, the Renault Espace has slowly but surely also moved into the SUV camp. The fifth generation which was in the catalog from 2015 to 2023 had initiated this transformation without really finding its audience. Since 2023, the Renault Espace has taken the plunge even if it means losing its independence in the range. Indeed, in fact, the sixth generation of the Renault Espace is none other than an extended version of the Renault Austral with 5 or 7 seats.
