Glamour, small cars, fast cars…fear

Geneva Motor Show report by Ralph Morton

Geneva: first European motor show of the year. And, usually, like emerging spring, full of bright new vehicles, ideas and concepts.

Of course, all of those were there. Including electric vehicles, Tata’s ultra cheap Nano which may come to the UK, £1m Aston Martins, and the press day buzz of new car unveils and glamorous women. But underneath all this was the uneasy undercurrent of fear and uncertainty. Instead of celebrating new models, companies like GM – owner of Vauxhall – was locked in a debate over its very future. Like any business, cash is king: and Vauxhall owner GM is in a very bad place when it comes to cash flow.

Despite some of the gloominess, there were some genuinely interesting cars that are coming to the UK. Some affordable; some probably only the preserve of the successful entrepreneur; but all worth showcasing. One might be your next business car.

Photos: Business Car Manager; Headlineauto; Newspress; UnitedPictures.

All-new VW Polo

While the new Golf has hogged the VW headlines recently, now the all-new Polo has muscled in on the act. It was my business car of the show.

More than ever before the Polo looks like the original Golf. Attractively designed, all Polos will feature a deep front air dam and Golf-style headlamps. Neat touches include hidden storage area under boot floor. Inside the doors shut with a real resounding thud. Apparently VW has tested where to put the sound-deadening material rather than just placing it everywhere. It makes the car lighter. But it makes the Polo feel amazingly solid.

There are four petrol engines in 1.2 and 1.4 sizes; and two 1.6 diesels. There will also be an ultra frugal Bluemotion model with emissions of just 99g/km. Think of the Polo not as a supermini; but a small family hatchback. It could attract a lot of business interest.

Lower emission Polo still to come

In addition to the new VW Polo, Volkswagen also showed a ‘concept’ version of a second generation Bluemotion new Polo. Bluemotion is VW’s name for eco-tweaked versions of standard models. This Polo features a 1.2-litre three-cylinder diesel; emits just 87g/km – less than the new Toyota Prius hybrid; has lowered suspension; and better aerodynamics. Expect to see the new VW Polo Bluemotion 2 next year.

Lighter, faster Bentley Continental Supersports

If the Polo was the sensible business car of the show, the new Bentley Supersports is at the opposite extreme. Bentley has taken the subtle, understated, luxuriously comfortably but suitably fast Continental GT Sport. And then thrown most of it out of the window. Especially the understatement.

It weighs in a full 110kg lighter; it’s the quickest and lightest full series Bentley made; and, according to a Bentley insider, its sense of progression on the road – especially with its new quickshift gearbox – quite awesome (0-60 mph in 3.7 seconds). Its cost? Probably around the £170k mark.

Saab gets a crossover estate

The Saab stand looked a little lonely. Cast adrift by owner GM to seek new owners or become independent again, will we see Saab survive in this current climate? A Saab insider told me that the attitude inside the Swedish factory was upbeat – proud to have got back the brand that once gave us the innovative and advanced 99 Turbo and 900 Turbo. Rather than just being another brand inside the GM stable marked ‘premium’. I really hope so. I have much affection for Saab. Let’s hope Saab can keep going.

In the meantime this is Saab’s take on a four-wheel drive estate – along the lines of an Audi allroad. It’s the Saab 9-3X and will be available to order in the summer. Using the Sport Wagon estate body it sits higher, features advanced all-wheel drive technology and probably rather too much plastic cladding to be entirely convincing.

Audi expands allroad range

Meanwhile, across the hall Audi had its new Audi allroad, a rather more convincing expression of a crossover estate. The new Audi A4 allroad quattro features a raised ride height, wider track and stainless steel under-body guards to make it more suitable for occasional off-road use. Prices from just under £30,000 this May.

Audi A5 cabriolet

Elegant new Audi cabriolet. The four seater A5 replaces the A4 cabriolet in the Audi range. It features a canvas roof for lightness and ease of stowage – the hood folds down automatically in 17 seconds. Available initially with two petrol (2.0 TFSI 211PS and 3.2 FSI 265PS) and one turbodiesel engine (3.0 TDI 240PS) there is an optional must-have neck-level warmer – for keeping the roof down on cold but sunny days. Here from spring.

Audi TT RS: five-cylinder heaven

The five-cylinder turbocharged performance engine is back in an Audi. And how. This is the new Audi TT RS Coupe – a Roadster RS is also available. The 2.5-litre TFSI engine develops 340PS. But there’s a bit more when you want it: a Sport button boosts the response from the accelerator. And, at the same time, opens up a flap in the exhaust to give you even more sonority from the five-cylinder engine warbling its distinctive note. Sounds like heaven. On sale from June.

Tata Europa – Indian city car

Tata, maker of the Nano in India, is preparing to introduce its tiny city car to Europe and the UK in 2010. The Tata Nano Europa will be powered by a three-cylinder all-aluminium engine and feature electric power steering. CO2 emissions of less than 100g/km are promised.

Infiniti luxury convertible

Infiniti is the upmarket arm of Nissan. In much the same way that Lexus is the luxury arm of Toyota. But Infiniti will remain separate in the UK, aimed at entrepreneurs who want something different – like this G37 Convertible, the open top version of the Infiniti G37 Coupe. On sale from September.

SEAT Exeo expands with ST estate

SEAT’s Exeo saloon now has an estate car in the range – the ST. Based on the old Audi A4 Avant, it looks very smart. The Exeo ST arrives in the autumn. SEAT says there has already been business interest in the saloon. Not surprising with a 36 month/60,000 mile contract hire offer of £259 a month on the 143PS SE diesel model. There were also facelifts to the SEAT Leon and Altea ranges. Along with a Leon Ecomotive ‘concept’: expect the real thing in the UK next year, along with 74.3mpg fuel economy.

Skoda reveals the Yeti

Skoda is a brand fast-gaining recognition among small businesses and chauffeur firms for its Octavia model – just facelifted – and its new Superb. This a giant of a car inside and very well specified. If you wanted every bell and whistle then you’d still only need to part with £24,000 – and that gets you four-wheel drive, too. Great value. But the Yeti? Slightly more left-field, that’s for sure. It’s compact – only 4.2 metres long – and will feature either petrol or diesel engines, while this 4x4 crossover estate car can be chosen with either two-wheel drive or four-wheel drive. On sale from September.

Abarth: hot 500

Fiat’s city runabout gets a dose of turbocharged zip from Abarth, Fiat’s performance division. Pictured here with the racing version – the 190bhp Assetto Corse – the new Abarth 500 comes in two trims: 135bhp Abarth 500; and road-racer Abarth 500 Esseesse with 160bhp. From £13,600.

Lamborghini ups the power stakes

For fast-moving entrepreneuers, Lamborghini has revamped its Murcielago LP640-4. Carbon fibre and a new exhaust has helped shed 100kg, and a retuned 6.5-litre V12 pushes output to 670bhp – hence the name: Murcielago LP670-4 SV. SV stands for SuperVeloce, last seen on the Diablo.

Putting the engine inside the wheel

Here was a neat piece of engineering advancement tucked away. The WILL hatchback is the first car to feature Michelin’s new Active Wheel. This integrates electric motor, brakes and suspension functions inside the wheel. It could help automakers develop lighter and more compact electric cars. Developed by Heuliez, the WILL is under test in France.

Nissan NV200: seven-seater MPV or capacious van

This is Nissan’s new NV200, shown here as a seven-seater MPV ‘Combi’ with sliding side door. It is powered by either a 1.6 petrol or a 1.5 diesel. However, it’s the appication as a van that will be of most interest to small businesses. The NV200 promises the best loading capacity in the compact van class: Nissan says it can carry two full size Euro pallets. On sale from September.

Nissan Qazana: a smaller Qashqai

Is this your idea of a new city car? Looks appealingly different. Following on from the success of the Qashqai, the Qazana is a concept of a smaller city car version. Designed at Nissan’s design centre in Paddington, London, and to be built at Nissan’s Sunderland factory, Nissan insiders reckon the real thing won’t look too dissimilar. Qazana goes on sale 2010.

Honda Accord Type S: hot diesel

Honda’s new Accord Type S – a high power diesel – uses the 2.2-litre i-DTEC engine from the standard Accord. But thanks to a revised turbocharger, cylinder head and larger intercooler, produces 177bhp – up 29bhp on the standard model. The Type S will be available in both Accord saloon and Accord Tourer estate body styles. On sale later this year.

Peugeot 3008 crossover

This is Peugeot’s new crossover. A rival to the Ford Kuga or Nissan Qashqai. But the 3008 continues Peugeot’s run of seemingly ho-hum cars. It’s nowhere near as visually exciting as the Kuga or Qasqai. Here next year.

Renault Clio gets Megane look

Renault went all-out to hit Geneva with as many new car launches as possible, from the new Clio shown here (and a go-faster Cliosport version) to the new Scenic people carrier: seven in total. The restyled Clio gets the Renault look from the recently-launched Megane. It includes the debut of a fully-integrated TomTom navigation system for less than £500.

Renault Megane estate

The Megane family expands with this rather elegant and swish Sport Tourer model. Coming to the UK in August.

New Scenic and Grand Scenic MPVs

The seven-seater Renault Megane Grand Scenic joins the Megane Hatch and Coupé versions when it comes to the UK in May. Later, in July, it will be joined by the five-seater Scenic. Renault is promising plenty of versatility and additional functionality with the two new Scenic MPVs.

Clean, green Prius Mk3

The Mk3 Prius was launched at Geneva, Toyota’s latest Prius capable of over 70mpg. CO2 emissions are just 89g/km. Like the Prius before, it can run exclusively on its electric motor for periods. On sale from summer.

Latest Verso majors on improved efficiency

Toyota’s compact seven-seater MPV is all-new…even if it does look remarkably similar to the Verso it replaces. And the new Verso has all of its predecessor’s virtues. But enhanced. There’s more interior space, more efficient engines and better versatility: the Toyota Easy Flat-7 allows the five rear seats to be individually folded to carry extra passengers or increase load space: 32 different seating permutations are possible. On sale from April.

Bigger engine for iQ

Toyota’s mini city car, the iQ, gets something bigger: a larger engine. From July the iQ will have a 1.3-litre engine with stop-start fuel-saving technology that joins the current 1.0-litre unit. The new iQ 1.3 is capable of 58.9mpg.

Lower price for Hyundai i20

Smart three-door version of Hyundai’s i20 supermini. With two fewer doors the price point drops, too, by £450. Prices start at £8195, in showrooms from April.

New Lexus 4x4 hybrid

The Lexus 4x4 hybrid becomes cleaner this summer with the latest 450h model. Capable of running in both petrol and electric motor modes, the new 450h has lowered CO2 emissions of 148g/km. It means the new 450h will qualify for improved writing down allowances come the new April tax rules, and 100% of any contract hire rentals can be put against tax, too: something most other 4x4s fail to achieve.

200EX, the baby Rolls

It’s not often we get to feature a Rolls Royce in Business Car Manager, but this is relevant for the successful business entrepreneur. Dubbed the ‘Baby Rolls’ because of its smaller dimensions compared to the company’s usual luxury limos, the 200EX is scheduled for production in 2010 to rival the Bentley Continental Flying Spur. Rolls-Royce hopes that showing the four-door model early will stir interest. The production version will be unveiled at the Frankfurt motor show in September. Expect it then to adopt one of the traditional Rolls-Royce names: Spirit, Camargue, Shadow, Wraith, Corniche, Cloud or Seraph. It will be built at Rolls-Royce's plant in Goodwood, Sussex.

Convertible roof for Fiat 500

This was an absolute delight: a convertible roof version of the Fiat 500. A canvas roof retracts and concertinas at the rear to provide fresh air for the occupants. The car is quite charming and brilliantly evokes its sixties past but in a thoroughly modern way. The 500C will arrive in June, so just in time for summer, and will also feature Fiat’s Start&Stop technology and standard parking sensors. No word on prices yet, though.

Citroen DS: the car you couldn’t see

This is the first of Citroen’s new DS range of vehicles – previewed as the DS Inside concept car. Unfortunately, and bizarrely, it was hidden in a special room. You had to queue to see it. I did queue, because it promises to be the start of something quite special for Citroen: an upmarket offering to take on the MINI. But after 10 minutes and no prospect of gaining entry to the inner sanctum – unlike some of my more patient colleagues – I gave up. There were other cars to see.

Electric Smart Mk2

This second-generation electric Smart is a major upgrade on the first version, which has been tested in London since 2007. The new version is based on the second-generation Fortwo model. The biggest technical change is a move to Lithium Ion batteries instead of sodium-nickel-chloride. This increases the range life of the battery pack, while cutting recharge times. The batteries are to be supplied by US-based electric sports car maker Tesla.

World debut for Mercedes E-Class coupe

Geneva was the world debut of the new new Mercedes E-Class coupe – joining the recently announced E-Class saloon. The new E-Class features a range of more efficient engines called BlueEfficiency. Like the saloon, the E-Class coupe features the quad rectangular headlamps at the front. And retains its tradition of no B-pillars and fully retractable side windows. Both the saloon and coupe go on sale in June.

BMW Gran Turismo: upmarket hatchback

Over on the BMW stand, the company that has constantly tried new ideas presented this: a five-door hatchback. It has coupe styling and a large, two-piece tailgate gives access to a luggage compartment that grows to 58 cubic feet when the rear seats are folded down. BMW calls it Gran Turismo: we could see a production car at the Frankfurt motor show, September.

Mazda’s new Focus rival

Mazda showed its smart new Mazda 3 hatchback. It included this iStop hatch: Mazda calls it idle-stop & go system. It comes standard with the MZR 2.0-litre DISI petrol engine – and the promis of 14% fuel savings. Also on show was the hot 260PS Mazda 3 MPS.

The million pound Aston

With a £1 million price tag the Aston Martin one-77 has an all-carbon composite construction and a 700hp 7.3-litre engine. Only 77 will be made.

Lower cost MINI Clubman estate

MINI launched a One version of its Clubman estate. Costing £13,290 – more than £1000 under the price of the Cooper Clubman – the MINI One Clubman features a 95hp 1.4-litre engine and 52.3mpg. All MINIs now get air conditioning too.

Next Ford C-MAX

The iosis MAX concept gives you a good idea of what the next Ford C-MAX is going to look like. And possibly the next Focus. Before that, a new range of EcoBoost petrol engine technology is coming to Fords in 2010. The iosis MAX featured a 1.6-litre 180PS EcoBoost engine. Ford says EcoBoost engines feature turbocharging and direct injection to deliver fuel economy improvements of 20%.

New Lotus Evora sports car on sale May

The new Lotus Evora mid-engined sports car goes on sale May. Powered by a 280PS 3.5-litre V6 the Evora will be available as a two-seater coupe at £47,500 and as a 2+2 model for £49,875.

Kia explores mini MPV theme

Kia had a concept called No3. Following the launch of the Kia Soul urban MPV crossover, Kia reckons there’s a mini MPV niche for this – the No3. The showcar featured an extended windscreen and panoramic roof.

Volvo S60 Coupe concept

As I plodded wearily around the Geneva halls at the end of the day I turned around the corner and came across this elegant and attractive coupe wearing a…Volvo badge. It was a surprise and delight to find this at the end of the day. Some of the features – such as the glass roof – won’t make it into production. But the shape will. Can’t wait. It really lifted my flagging spirits.

New Geneva Show pick up and van news

Ford launched its new Ford Ranger pick-up at the show. And other manufacturers, like Nissan with its NV200, showcased their vans in ‘disguise’. For a full round up of the commercial vehicle van and pick up news, go to our sister site – Business Van Manager – by clicking on the highlighted link for their Geneva Show report.