The Geneva show is not just about new production models. The event is also just about the best-known show for concept vehicles, design studio creations that offer pointers, sometimes only hints, to the cars we'll be driving in five, 10 or even 20 years time. Which of the following do you think you'll feel at home in?
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Some concepts are sensible cars and strong indications of a manufacturer's next model line. The Cee'd from Kia (it's pronounced 'seed'), will likely become the Korean maker's next Rio, competing in the Focus/Astra market. The production version will be a main product of Kia's new Slovakian factory, opening at the end of this year. |
And some are just wacky. Mitsubishi's Concept-EZ is an electric car with a motor on each wheel. The interior caught the attention, Mitsubishi calling it an 'urban capsule', such tricks as a retractable steering wheel transforming it into any environment one needs. Here it appears to be a double bed - appealing to the youth market perhaps? | Dodge bosses arrived at Geneva arguing argued that members of the European B-segment, ie superminis, were all the same, describing them as 'a swarm of bs', before showering the audience in model bees and unveiling this rather different take on the sector. It's called the Hornet and could reach production within two years. |
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| Saab showed this amazing sports car concept, the 9X Aero, and attracted much favourable comment. Sadly you won't be able to drive this any time soon - only elements of its styling are likely to find their way into the next generation 9-5 mid-sized car range in a couple of years' time. | Land Rover's next Freelander? Not likely. It shows some off-road driving technology, for the Freelander you'll have to wait for the London show... | |
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| Designers have to possess wide-ranging creative minds. On one side of the Smart stand was found this, reviving the problematical concept of the electric vehicle. Such cars have previously been seen as impractical due to their limited range of around 50 miles and long recharge times. But Smart argues that business mileage in cities such as London is often only around 10 miles, and says that fleets of these clean, green cars boasting no fuel or congestion charge costs could work well in urban centres. |
This is the other end of the concept scale, a Smart Forfour pitched as a rally car with a 210bhp powerplant - the most potent production Forfour Brabus offers only 177 horses. And Steve Martin? A Fortwo features in his new Pink Panther movie remake. |
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| Nissan’s Pivo is so-called because its cabin pivots – death to the three-point turn! But the Pivo’s secret is in its technology; it’s an electrically-powered zero-emissions vehicle, and a key theme for the design team was integrating cars into the environment, “from the busy city, to the unexplored desert’. | I'll have mine in orange. Specialist tuner Rinspeed always does something special for Geneva, usually with something that looks radical from a long way away, but this time it was the interior of its latest zaZen concept that attracted the most attention... | Toyota's most amazing concept was this, the Fine-T. It's a fuel-cell hybrid vehicle promising the cabin space of the Avensis saloon within the exterior dimensions of a Yaris supermini. Note the clever four-wheel steering system which gives the car an extremely tight turning radius. |
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| A host of fascinating concepts showed the breadth of creativity at Toyota. The little blue machine is a sporty, almost beach buggy-like take on the new Aygo city car, while the big green beast is called the Urban Cruiser, and is apparently a bold new concept for a mini SUV drawing heavily on Toyota's heritage in Sports Utility Vehicles. The press pack describes the interior as "a fresh style inspired by trendy furniture." Okay then.. |
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| Volkswagen has taken the 'crossover' concept a stage further with this, the Concept A. The SUV version of the Golf, it will launch next year but won't look quite as sleek as the concept, sadly. | Volvo's C30 is a two-door coupe and if you think it looks good, you are in luck. A production version will debut at Paris in September and the designers say little will be altered from this concept. | I found msyself particualrly liking this little device, even though it's straight out of a science fiction movie. It was found on the Daihatsu stand – the next generation Copen? |