The Geneva Motor Show opened its doors to the world's media yesterday. Michael McAleer, Motoring Editor was there
CITROËN
Decades after the SUV market took hold in the car market, the French brand - along with its sister company Peugeot - is finally entering the SUV market, courtesy of its new C-Crosser.
The French brands have partnered up with Mitsubishi, with the Japanese brand providing its off-road expertise while the French brought their diesel expertise to the table and the new vehicle is powered by a 2.2-litre HDi diesel engine.
Citroën also used Geneva to introduce its five-seater C4 Picasso, the third in its range of mid-size people carriers.
DAIHATSU
This month marks the centenary of the car firm set up with the mission of "manufacturing small cars loved by all people". Geneva saw the launch of the new Cuore city car that sticks to the principles outlined by the founders. Unfortunately modern-day business-speak has crept in to the brand and the publicity was accompanied by a bland new slogan: "innovation for tomorrow". Let's hope the old mission stands firm in the minds of those that matter.
PEUGEOT
As with Citroën, Peugeot has its new SUV, the 4007, on show. A more aggressive front look than the Citroën distinguishes the vehicle, though it shares underpinnings with it and the Mitsubishi Outlander.
Also on offer is the new 207 RC, powered by a 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine that puts out 175bhp. The squat look and bodykit makes the car more distinctive and it manages 0-100km/h in 7.1 secs, with a top speed of 220km/h.
ALFA ROMEO
While the brand has been busy expanding its product line-up, it's using the Geneva show to extend the variants on offer to customers.
Starting with a new Selespeed multitronic gearbox on the Brera and Spider, the Italians are also introducing a new 2.4-litre JTDM diesel version to the Brera/Spider range. The five-cylinder diesel produces 200bhp and manages 0-100km/h in 8.4 seconds. As yet, however, there is no confirmation this engine will be introduced to the Irish market, where only the 2.2-litre JTS petrol engine is offered at present.
AUDI
This is the first full-size coupé from the Audi brand and the new A5 was something of a crowd pleaser when it was introduced to the press yesterday morning.
The look is a mix of R8 supercar styling to the frontwhile the rearview reflects similar lines to the Mercedes CLS.
Three engines will be on offer: a 190bhp 2.7-litre TDI diesel; a 240bhp 3-litre TDI diesel; and a 265bhp 3.2-litre petrol.
The S5 features a more squat profile and is powered by Audi's 4.2-litre V8 engine, reaching 344bhp. It will be followed by an even more potent 420bhp version in the RS5. Sales of A5 and S5 start this summer.
BMW
For Irish buyers, the introduction of the three-door 1-Series is not exactly news, as the car goes on sale almost immediately at home. However, it received its official world premiere at Geneva yesterday, three years after the introduction of the five-door range.
With the Bavarians keen not to be left behind in the environmental stakes, the new 1-Series features a new fuel-saving stop-start system that will feature on all manual transmission models (except 130i).
The 1-Series also gets two new petrol direct-injection engines in the 118i and the 120i and two new diesel units in the 118d and 120d.
Of more importance to car fans is the arrival of the new M5 Touring and - most mouthwatering of all - the new M3 later this year. While only in concept form, the M3 on show is, we understand, virtually identical to the final production model. The 400bhp V8-powered production model will be unveiled at the Frankfurt show. If reaction to the concept is anything to go by, this car will be a showstopper.
BRILLIANCE
This little-known Chinese brand has big ambitions. With a dealer network already in place on the Continent, Brilliance expects to sell 15,000 cars in Europe this year and used the Geneva show to introduce its three-car range.
Initial European sales will centre on the BC3 two-door coupé; the BS4 mid-range saloon; and the BS6 flagship saloon. All are powered by a four-cylinder 1.8-litre turbocharged petrol engine, offering either 136bhp or 170bhp.
As yet there are no right-hand-drive versions on sale but Prof Hans-Ulrich Sachs said Brilliance are in talks with a British company to develop these models and he hopes the brand will have an announcement about entering the British - and then Irish - markets by the end of the year.
FIAT
Fiat has relaunched its high performance Abarth brand with the introduction of the Grand Punto Abarth Preview. Going on sale in September in left-hand-drive the Preview is powered by a 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol engine with 150 bhp. A booster kit will also be available to raise output to 180 bhp.
There is no confirmation as yet that Fiat will offer an expanded Abarth range in Ireland, but if it goes ahead with plans to launch in Britain, then Irish buyers will be able to order Abarths through selected Fiat dealers.
FORD
It's the most over-exposed car launch in years, but finally Ford has unveiled the production version of its new Mondeo.
The new version was heralded by the introduction of the Iosis concept car at the Frankfurt motor show in 2005 and since then Ford has used virtually every major motor show to offer more insightful sneak previews of the new model.
This is the second generation of the Mondeo range, and the aim is to target younger buyers with a more sporting front-end and sleeker styling.
Body styles will remain a choice of four-door hatchback, five-door saloon and estate. The car goes on sale in Europe starting in May with Irish sales due to start in mid-June. The engine range will start with a 1.6-litre and a 1.8-litre petrol and two diesels, a 2-litre and a new 2.3-litre.
The US brand also unveiled a revamped C-Max range this week, with new front bumper, grille and lighting features. The interior has also had a makeover, taking it closer to the new Mondeo look. An optional panorama glass roof is a new feature and an adaptive front lighting system is now available.
HONDA
There's a clear frustration within the Honda ranks that the brand is not being recognised for its pioneering work on hybrid technology, with much of the green spotlight focusing on Toyota these days. As an effort to regain some eco-ground on its Japanese rivals, Honda introduced its new petrol-electric Small Hybrid Sports Concept. The brainchild of Honda's European research and development arm in Germany, the concept fuses the company's latest hybrid technology with sports car characteristics, demonstrating that driving can be environmentally-friendly and exciting at the same time.
HYUNDAI
There's a certain disgruntlement among the Hyundai staff at the way its sister brand Kia has stolen the limelight of late. Geneva is the occasion for Hyundai to fight back with the launch of its new i30 hatchback.
Sharing its platform, and much of its parts, with the recently introduced Kia Cee'd, the i30 is notable for another reason: it's the first of a line of i cars from the Korean marque, replacing the current naming system.
Next up will be the i10 city car replacing the Atoz, and the i20 supermini replacing the Getz.
However, contrary to reports here last week, Hyundai Ireland will not stop sales of the Accent range and the i30 will be sold alongside it. Where the Accent will continue to be the budget model for the brand in the family hatchback market, the i30 will be the premium entrant.
We will have a first drive report on the new i30 next week.
KIA
Hot on the heels of the success of its Cee'd five-door hatchback, Kia is launching a new estate version to the range. A three-door version is then due to join the line-up from December.
The energetic Koreans also introduced a new convertible concept version of the Cee'd. Called the ex_cee'd cabrio Concept, it may share the same platform as the Cee'd, but features all-new outer body panels and a power-folding fabric roof.
LAMBORGHINI
Lamborghini has unveiled a lightweight version of its Gallardo coupé called the Superleggera. Engineers have reduced the Gallardo coupé's weight by 100kg, to 1330kg, by replacing some aluminum panels and glass components with carbon fibre and polycarbonate.
The output of the 5-litre V-10 was boosted by 10bhp to 530hp. While it might not dramatically impact on sales in Ireland, it may herald the next stage for the Audi R8, with which it shares a great deal of its architecture.
A lightweight racing R8 has been rumoured for some time and this could be the best indication yet that it is on the way.
MASERATI
Call it a sign of our economic success, but Maseratis are increasingly a common sight in the richer enclaves of Ireland. The new GranTurismo is powered by a 4.2-litre 405bhp V8, linked to the same six-speed automatic transmission Maserati revealed on the Quattroporte at the Detroit show in January. The gearbox's adaptive control system adjusts the gear shifts to the driver's style and the conditions.
MAZDA
This year promises to be one of the best ever for the Japanese brand in Ireland with the arrival of three new models.
First up is the new Mazda2, launched here and due to arrive in Ireland in the autumn. It will be joined by the long-awaited CX-7 crossover SUV and finally a new Mazda6, due for launch at the Frankfurt motor show in September.
For this show, the star is the revamped Mazda2.
Taking its design cues from the more sporting styling elsewhere in the brand, the new supermini is a vast improvement on the outgoing model.
The engine range will start with 1.3-litre and 1.5-litre petrol engines, though a 1-litre version will be introduced later in the lifetime of the model. Prices are likely to start at €16,000.
Mazda continued to drop hints of an upcoming small crossover vehicle. It unveiled the Hakaze concept, thought to be one step closer to a final unveiling of a production version later this year. However, there is no clear indication as to whether it heralds a three-door SUV or a more traditional hatchback. Time will tell.
MERCEDES
After a false start at the international preview of the new C-Class - due to storms in Germany - Mercedes has finally unveiled its 3-Series challenger to the world.
The most significant design statement is an increasing family look to the model, closer to the flagship S-Class than any of its predecessors. The new C-Class features an increase in the use of chrome on the exterior and proportions take a little getting used to, but it's in the interior that Mercedes really makes design impact.
NISSAN
The Japanese brand took many by surprise with the introduction of its new X-Trail. Though the ageing soft-roader has long been due for replacement, its arrival was a well-kept secret until the press launch yesterday.
Keen to differentiate X-Trail from the new Qashqai range, the new version loses some of its "soft-roader" credentials, courtesy of a very visible increase in size and a new four-wheel-drive system.
Four engine options will be offered, starting with a new 2-litre diesel unit putting out either 150bhp or 173bhp.
A new 2-litre 140bhp petrol will also be offered, while the 2.5-litre 169bhp petrol unit will carry over from the current range. Sales are due to start this summer. Nissan also unveiled minor changes to its 350Z sports car range.
OPEL
To bolster its high performance line, Opel will introduce the Corsa OPC in Geneva. The 192bhp 1.6-litre turbocharged engine makes the OPC the most powerful Corsa to date.
Of perhaps more importance to Irish buyers is the new Opel concept car: a Vectra-sized coupé that may just hint at a return of the Calibra or may instead suggest the future direction of the Vectra itself.
Given that rivals are all eagerly heading down the coupé route, it's likely that Opel will not miss out in offering a more sporting line to the early ageing Vectra range.
RENAULT
After years of left-hand-drive European sales, the Twingo is finally making its way to these shores in right-hand-drive and will go on sale in Ireland in September.
Powered by a new 1.2-litre 16v 100bhp engine, the little car features the same flexibility we've come to expect from the French brand and engineers at the launch claimed it offered the biggest boot volume in its segment, ranging from 165 to 285 litres (VDA) with all four seats in place.
Meanwhile, three years after its demise, Renault's off-road crossover - the Scenic RX4 - is succeeded by the Scenic Conquest. While it won't challenge the likes of the Land Rover Defender in off-road ability, the clear aim is to tap some of the love affair with SUV looks, while staying realistic to the daily uses of these vehicles in urban areas. Arriving on the Irish market in May it will feature 1.6-litre petrol and 1.5-litre diesel engines.
TOYOTA
The three-door Auris took centre stage, but closer inspection of the stand reveals an intriguing new car called the Hybrid X concept. This rather space-age design was created by the Japanese firm's European design centre outside Nice and depending on who you listen to, is either the new direction to be taken by Prius in its next incarnation or, more likely, the futuristic styling behind yet another addition to the hybrid Toyota model line-up.
VOLKSWAGEN
Changes in senior management have dominated the headlines about the German brand, but they were not going to let the Geneva show pass without some form of unveiling. While its Tiguan soft-roader, the new Scirocco and a new four-door coupé, must wait for a green light for launch, VW used the Swiss show to reveal its new Golf estate and promote its new Blue Motion engine range.
VOLVO
It's the third-generation of Volvo's XC70 and the most apparent changes are on the outside. The new XC70 is based on the latest V70 estate, but like its predecessor the suspension has been jacked up and the body clad in tough-looking plastic.
Power comes from a choice of a 2.5-litre turbodiesel engine with 182bhp or 3.2-litre 235bhp straight six petrol. More attention has also been paid to the new XC70's off-road ability. Sales are expected to start in Ireland by October.