Ford’s Evos concept car will make its South African debut at the 2013 Johannesburg International Motor Show (JIMS), to be held from October 16 to 27, and BMW will lift the veil on its electric i3.

The Evos concept car reveals the US carmaker’s new global design language, while providing a glimpse of the future technology to be available in its vehicles, such as the use of cloud computing to enhance the driving experience.

By exchanging data with the cloud, the Evos extends the connected lifestyle from home and office to the vehicle, providing new possibilities for personalisation inside the vehicle.

Ford researchers have also incorporated technologies to enhance driver health and wellness while at the wheel. Features such as a heart-rate monitoring seat and allergy-free interiors connect to the cloud to monitor the physical state and workload of the driver and adjust the driving experience accordingly.

The car also uses the power of the cloud to understand driver behaviour and travel patterns in order to make predictions about destinations, and to adjust the control strategy for the lithium-ion plug-in hybrid powertrain. Through understanding where the driver is likely to go, the Evos can switch between running on battery or engine power in order to use the least amount of energy for any situation.

The concept car sports hinged gullwing-style doors, both front and rear, providing access to the four-seat cabin.

“The Ford Evos concept was specifically developed to introduce the new Ford design direc- tion, while also showcasing future smart technologies. While you will never see this car on the road, key design elements and innovations will be applied to forthcoming Ford vehicles,” says Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa marketing manager Gavin Golightly.

“The Ford Evos concept gives us insight into the future of Ford products and the exciting design and smart elements that we can look forward to.”

BMW South Africa will use the JIMS to showcase the German brand’s new electric BMW i3, scheduled to be introduced in South Africa in 2014.

The passenger cell of the i3 is made from carbon-fibre- reinforced plastic, with new eDrive technology designed to deliver zero-emissions driving.

The company will also showcase the BMW 4 Series Coupe, the BMW ActiveHybrid 7, as well as the new BMW 5 Series Sedan and the Gran Turismo.

Mercedes-Benz South Africa is set to unveil its new S-Class at the JIMS, sharing the floor with the new A-Class 45 AMG.

Added to the A-Class offering is an A200 BlueEfficiency Black Devil model, sporting a front and roof spoiler, chrome add-ons, rear diffusor twin exhaust and stainless steel foot pedals.