Geneva show snapshot

BENTLEY: Bentley is looking for a bigger double-digit growth in 2011 after its 11 per cent increase in 2010 sales. It says the Continental GT had "transformed the profits of Bentley'' and had a very strong order book. For 2011 it says 90 per cent of its products will be capable of running on biofuels which it says will reduce emissions of its range by 70 per cent. To celebrate the 330.69km/h world ice speed record it is making only 100 Continental   models called Ice Speed Record. It is Bentley's most powerful model with 477kW/800Nm and will run on petrol, E85 or any combination.

MITSUBISHI: Big news is the Concept Global Small which is the study that leads to the next Colt. It will be made at Mitsubishi's Thai plant - now under construction - and will be on the market in 2013. The car's platform may also be used by Nissan under a joint venture plan.

HYUNDAI: Conformation that the Veloster coupe will come to Australia this year as a 1.6-litre car with three doors - two on the left-hand side - and low running costs. The company also displayed its i20-based SUV, the ix20, but says it's not going to be sold in Australia. But there is a better chance for the i40 which is a European-designed, Korean-built wagon that shares some parts with the i45 sedan. Hyundai Australia is weighing up if the wagon makes a business case in this country. The Verocruz SUV presents as a luxury Territory-sized SUV but isn't coming to Australia because it is built only in left-hand drive.

JAGUAR: The company has started celebrating the 50th anniversary of the birth of its E-Type. Norman Dewis, now aged 90, was on hand as a team of E-Types left London for Geneva to recreate his 1961 drive to show off the (then) new car at the city's motor show. Jaguar is hinting that its CX-75 hybrid concept of 2010 is the new E-Type, but won't go to production with the hybrid drivetrain. It also showed a XFR and the XJ saloon.

VOLVO: The world's first plug-in hybrid diesel, in a V60 body, was shown for the first time. The wagon is capable of 1.9 litres/100km fuel economy and 49g/km CO2 emissions in hybrid mode yet, when switched to dual mode - electric motor plus five-cylinder turbo-diesel - will run 0-100km/h in 6.9 seconds. In all-electric mode it can travel emission-free for 50km. The car will go on sale in Europe next year. Volvo aims to invest about $10 billion over the next five years on new products. In China (Volvo is owned by China-based Geely) it aims to make 200,000 cars a year there by 2015.

ALFA ROMEO: Alfa surprised the Geneva show with the 4C, re-sized but no less stunning version of the 8C . The 4C Concept - set for a 2012 on-sale date in its home market - made it's world debut at Geneva amid a growing number of electric and hybrid green cars. Described by the marque as a compact "supercar," the two-seater, rear-drive mid-engined coupe is only around four metres long and uses lightweight carbon and aluminium materials in its construction to keep weight below one tonne.  A derivation of the the 1750 turbo direct-injection 150kW petrol engine is teamed with the brand's double-clutch transmission to suggest a top speed beyond 250km/h and 0 to 100km/h in under 5 seconds.

ASTON MARTIN: Aston Martin officially unveiled the new Virage - yet another front mid-mounted V12 coupe on the VH platform that underpins the bulk of the current Aston Martin range. The Virage - due to hit local shores mid-year sitting between the DB9 and the DBS in pricetag terms - uses the 365kW/570Nm six-litre V12 engine, a carbon fibre prop shaft, a six-speed automatic transmission and a new five-stage adaptive damping system. Also unveiled at Geneva were the new V8 Vantage S range, for which Australian Aston Martin dealers are already taking orders; the company also showed the Cygnet small car and the brand's aim is to put it on sale in Australia next year.

AUDI: Small performance was Audi's Geneva message with two of its Geneva stars, unveiling the A3 concept sedan. The A3 concept boasts a 300kW/530Nm five-cylinder turbo powerplant (good for a 4.1 second sprint to 100km/h), quattro all-wheel drive, a seven-speed auto and improved interior space thanks to a 2630mm wheelbase. The German carmaker also unveiled its Q5 hybrid quattro, it's first mass-produced hybrid. Audi says the two-litre TFSI engine andf electric motor produce 180kW and 480Nm while returning Euro-standard f uel consumption figures below 6.9 litres per 100 km. Audi chairman Rupert Stadler says the Q5 "redefines the electric drive experience" and is anything but a complicated political statement.

LAMBORGHINI: Lamborghini's new sensation broke cover before the show started, but that didn't lessen the impact of the 2012 Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 - the Murcielago replacement (the first all-new Lambo since the legendary Countach) is built largely from carbon fibre-reinforced polymer (CFRP) technology. The fighter-jet-inspired carbon-fibre composite monocoque - which weighs just over 147kg - has front and rear aluminium sub-frames carrying the suspension, engine and transmission components; the entire body-in-white of the future V12 model weighs only 229.5kg and the car's dry kerb weight is 1575kg. Lamborghini says the all-wheel drive Aventador is powered by a new 515kW/690Nm 6.5-litre V12 engine and is the first all-new Lamborghini developed engine since the Countach. The newest raging bull - named aft er a brave fighting bull from the 1990s - claims a 0-100km/h time below three seconds and a 350km/h top speed. Lamborghini president and CEO Stephan Winkelmann says the Aventador is a jump of two generations in terms of design and technology. "It is extreme in its design and its performance, uncompromising in its standards and technology, and unmistakably Italian in its style and perfection. "Overall, the dynamics and technical excellence of the Aventador LP 700-4 makes it unrivalled in the worl dwide super sports car arena," he says.

BMW: The German carmaker officially ripped the covers from the world-premiere Vision ConnectedDrive concept car. The concept study, dispplayed in a two-seat roadster guise, is the marque's take on the car as one part of the modern world of electronic connectivity - "both its design and technological innovations." BMW says the Vision ConnectedDrive concept, part of the ongoing development of driver assistance systems and mobility services, employs a layering principal in its design and supposedly demonstrates the bond between occupants, their vehicle and the surrounding environment. BMW chairman Dr. Norbert Reithofer, says the Vision ConnectedDrive was built to put a face on the company's ConnectedDrive. "We want this car to bridge the gap between today and tomorrow - and to demonstrate what can be achieved with intelligent networking," he says.

SKODA: Skoda offered a look into the future design language for the Czech brand with the Vision D concept at the Geneva Motor Show. Showing off an updated brand logo and spruiking a new catchphrase "The New Power of Skoda," the Vision D would seem to point towards the next Octavia, which if it stays true to the concept would leave the consistently conservative and dowdy Skoda designs far behind. The design concept marks a major step forward in its styling evolution, according to the company, which also had the Yeti compact SUV, due for Australia this year.

MERCEDES-BENZ: Celebrating 125 years in the auto business, Merc took the covers from the new SLK Roadster and the C-Class Coupe. The new coupe shares much with the new generation C-Class and is aimed at the 35 to 45 age group. The new coupe will be offered in its home market with three petrol and two diesel powerplants, all direct injection engines with start-stop systems as standard. Depending on engine choice, there's a six-speed manual or seven-speed automatic, but Australians sadly miss out on the top-end 225kW/370Nm V6 petrol engine. T he SLK Roadster was also unveiled, wearing the styling cues brought in by the SLS and other top-end models and bringing four-cylinder turbo and V6 petrol powerplants, sports suspension and electronically-controlled suspension options. The German marque is also claiming the performance upgrade has been achieved while achieving fuel economy improvements of up to 25 per cent over the outgoing model.

MASERATI: Maserati has used the Swiss motor show to reveal the hard-case version of its stunning four-seater cabrio, the GranCabrio Sport. The grand-touring droptop climbs to a new level, according to the famed Italian marque, and sits with the GranTurismo S and the Quattroporte Sport GT S. A more powerful and efficient incarnation of the all-alloy 331kW/510Nm 4.7-litre V8 is teamed with the six-speed automatic, which has been upgraded with the quick-shift software from the Sport GT S. The looks have been toughened up with a black grille, bodykit and a new rich red paint hue. The GranCabrio S port will be on sale in all of Maserati's 62 markets starting from summer 2011, with it turning up in Australia early next year.

FIAT: The Italian car company's gentrification of its new Chrysler group models for European use arrived in Geneva in the form of a peoplemover - the Freedom, a.k.a. the Dodge Journey, in both petrol and diesel forms - but don't hold your breath for its appearance on Australian pricelists. Also unlikely for Australia is the latest niche model within the Fiat 500 stable. The range of special-editions was further expanded with the Gucci and concept Zagato editions. The Zagato harks back to the 1950s edition, sitting on 17in alloys and powered by the 78kW and 155Nm TwinAir engine, with electro-hyrdaulic variable-valve system. The 500 by Gucci is a special edition, with Gucci stripes, labels and even Gucci-green brake calipers adorning the little hatch, customized by Gucci Creative Director Frida Giannini.

RENAULT: The French brand showed off the second and third concept cars in the life-cycle design strategy. R-Space is touted as an eco-friendly family vehicle, complete with a hexagonal-themed play-zone in lieu of a rear seat. Concept and show car design director Axel Breun says the R-Space brings together family friendliness and sportiness. "It answers the expectations of a large proportion of our modern society," he says. The concept car is powered by a three-cylinder, 900cc, turbocharged direct-injection petrol 80kW/160Nm engine with direct-inje ction, with stop-start and dual clutch transmission. The R-Space is also equipped with the Visio-System which is based on a forward-facing camera dedicated to driver-assistance features. Renault's second stand star is the Captur, a sporty crossover concept with a twin-turbodiesel engine concept combines driving fun, enjoyable performance and low CO2 emissions. "Captur is a fun and sporty crossover, ideal for a young couple about to discover the world", says Director of Design, Laurens Van den Ac ker.

NISSAN: The Japanese brand had the production version of the Leaf on its stand - which the staffers pointed out several times was the only one on sale now - but it was the ESFLOW that Nissan says is "putting the spark into electric vehicles." The ground-up two-seater electric sports car is a rear-wheel drive vehicle with two electric motors - one driving a rear wheel - with low-set lithium-ion batteries, all of which is enough for a sprint to 100km/h in under 5 seconds and more than 240km on one charge. The Micra DIG-S (direct-injection gasoline supercharged) was also featured, boasting emissions of just 95g/km, with diesel-beating economy and outputs - the 1.2-litre engine produces 72kW and 142Nm, enough for a 180km/h top speed.

VOLKSWAGEN: VW resurrected some of its past with the return of the Golf Cabriolet and the Volkswagen Bulli - better known as a Kombi. The cult car won't blow smoke like many still seen on the road - the concept car is an electric zero-tailpipe emission car, offering 85kW and 260Nm of torque and a 300km potential range. The Bullli carries on work begun by Volkswagen almost a decade ago when it unveiled the Microbus concept, and could be destined to re-join the range next to the larger Caravelle. The two-door, four-seater, Golf Cabriolet loses the roll bar from previous incarnations but gains electric propulsion for the insulated soft-top, which can be lowered in just 9.5 seconds at speed of up to including on the move at speeds up to27km/h. The features list includes active roll-over protection system, anti-lock brakes and stability control, ESP, airbags all round and a driver's knee airbag. Bootspace claims to be less eroded by the roof when down, claiming 250 litres of available cargo space.