What were the highlights of this year’s Munich Motor Show?

This year’s IAA Mobility event marked a return to the traditional motor show format. Since the coronavirus pandemic the large-scale motor show has largely remained a distant memory, but this year’s show – held in Munich – was the first time that we’ve seen a collection of cars being released to the public.

Though far smaller – and in our experience, quieter too – than the grand shows of Frankfurt and Geneva that had been staples on the circuit previously, there were some big new reveals at this year’s Munich event. Let’s check them out.

One of the main focus points of this year’s show was the Volkswagen ID GTI concept. Showcasing what could be the future for Volkswagen’s famous performance nameplate, it’s a blend of the electric future of the brand with some clever performance tweaks.

It’s based on the ID.2all concept but, in GTI fashion, gets a range of upgrades. Plus, Volkswagen is said to be targeting a starting price of around £21,420.

This year’s Munich Motor Show saw the return of the Scenic name. It’s a car that has for many years been core to Renault, but one which has now been reinvented as a fully electric SUV.

It’s set to arrive on the scene next year and will bring a range of up to 385 miles from a single charge.

Munich saw the arrival of a very important car for BMW – the Vision Neue Klasse. Predicted to showcase what an electric 3 Series of the future could resemble, it’s a return to the traditional saloon car format for BMW.

It’s got some old-school touches, too, such as the corduroy seats. However, this is combined with some ultra-sharp features, such as a windscreen that drivers will be able to project key information up and on to.

Though wearing the Opel badge, the new Experimental concept will likely dictate what future Vauxhall cars could look like as well. It’s a particularly striking design, too, with a relatively high stance being met by a very bold, aggressive front end

There are loads of illuminated elements, too, and though the Opel wears a new version of the ‘bolt’ badge, we’d expect that the famous griffin would be lit up on the front of Vauxhall cars instead.

BYD had one of the biggest stands of the Munich Show this year, with the Chinese firm’s ever-expanding range of vehicles taking up a lot of floorspace. One of its most recent models is the Seal U, which is a taller and wider version of the Seal saloon.

It’s confirmed for the UK, too, and it’ll be available with either plug-in hybrid or fully electric powertrains.