2011 Geneva’s Top 10 new cars

The Geneva Motor Show 2011 has already gone down as one to remember! Given the shear number of new production cars and concepts at the show, it’s fair to say that the automotive industry has shaken off the pain of the past couple of years.

But it seems that the recession has proved to be the mother of reinvention for the car industry, with a host of truly innovative, interesting and exciting new cars making their debut at the Swiss expo.

And you’ve been hooked too, judging from our exception site traffic throughout the show. Here we rank the top 10 new cars.

1. Volkswagen Bulli

Sensational Bulli brings classic van bang up to date, featuring electric drivetrain and seating for six.

2. Alfa Romeo 4C Concept

Alfa’s 4C debuts with 250bhp Giulietta engine and chassis developed by Dallara as evolution of KTM X-Bow.

3. Ford B-MAX

Ford reveals new Fiesta-based MPV at last, featuring unique ‘pillarless’ design.

4. Skoda Vision D

Five-door Vision D concept reveals future design direction for Skoda and offers glimpse of new family car.

5. Lamborghini Aventador

Aventador blasts off to replace Murciélago with hi-tech carbon construction and a 691bhp V12.

6. Saab PhoeniX

Bold new PhoeniX shows brand’s new styling direction and points to look of next 9-3.

7. Toyota FT-86 II

Legendary Celica returns as Toyota debuts close-to-production second FT-86 concept.

8. Fiat 500 Coupe Zagato

Fiat’s 500 gets a coupe makeover from Italian design house Zagato and could preview a production model.

9. Audi A3 saloon

Saloon previews Audi’s next premium family model, joining three-door, Sportback, Avant, Coupe and Cabriolet.

10. Citroen Metropolis

Metropolis revealed in Europe for first time, and production version will top DS range as part of joint venture with Chinese maker.

Citroen C4 2010

The transformer C4 has changed shape! The successor to Citroen’s robot-advertised hatch is out in the open, as the firm throws off the covers ahead of its debut at October’s Paris Motor Show.

The rounded shape of the current car has been ditched in favour of a more conventional look, with sculpted body panels that echo the C5 large family car and latest C3 supermini.

Interlocking creases along the doors and bold fluting in the bonnet combine with chrome accents and a sporty rear spoiler to add a dash of excitement.

The exterior’s precise, chiselled appearance is matched by the interior. Gone is the fixed-hub steering wheel in favour of a conventional four-spoke design, while heavily bolstered seats and asymmetrical air vents add a touch of class.

Although the dashboard is very much driver-oriented, Citroen claims that it has concentrated on delivering a comfortable and refined experience on the move, rather than sporty handling.

A wide range of efficient engines will be offered, including turbocharged petrols and HDi diesels. These will be headed by a new line-up of ‘micro-hybrid’ 1.6-litre e-HDi powertrains, which use regenerative braking to feed power back into the battery to avoid drain from the alternator. Along with stop-start and low rolling resistance tyres, these will ensure emissions start from 109g/km initially, and will dropto 99g/km on future variants.

A three-door version is expected soon after launch next year, but a full hybrid drivetrain will be restricted to the DS4 Highrider, the forthcoming crossover based on this car.

There will be plenty of scope for driver personalisation inside the C4. The colour of the instrument display can be altered, a range of different polyphonic sound alerts are available to choose from, and some models will have massage front seats – a feature until now only seen on top-spec executive limousines. The C4 won’t be short on the latest Citroen technologies, either, led by the new eTouch system. Aiming to improve awareness of fuel consumption, this device monitors driving patterns and economy.

The clever system also allows you to check the car’s state of health, providing notification when it is due a trip to the garage. Other hi-tech highlights comprise a blind-spot monitoring system, cornering headlights and a speed limiter which is fitted with memory settings.

Citroen Metropolis Concept

Designed from start to finish in Citroen’s Shanghai studio, the 5.3-metre long car reinforces just how important China is to the firm. Sales were up 57 per cent in 2009, and the market is now its second biggest after France.

The Metropolis takes a more sober approach than many of Citroen’s recent concepts, but keeps the same show car design language of the DS3 hatch. The familiar blade detail ahead of the front wheelarches runs elegantly into a thin metal strip separating the headlights.

Down the flanks, a prominent crease creates a shoulder effect that tapers inwards and down to the boot, with its active spoiler. However, the heavy surfaces are broken up to dramatic effect around the nose thanks to details such as the plunging grille, the badge cutting into the bonnet and the ‘floating’ undertray that brings to mind the aggressive 2008 ‘GT by Citroen’ concept.

No pictures of the cabin have been released yet, but Citroen claims that the styling will be ‘partly inspired by Chinese musical instruments’. The Metropolis’ hybrid drivetrain incorporates 2.0-litre V6 petrol power mated to an electric motor to deliver 460bhp, while emitting 70g/km of CO2.

Citroen SURVOLT

Citroen SURVOLT at Geneva 2010

French firm wows Geneva with small electric coupe concept car

Take a look at Citroen's electric Puma! This is the stunning SURVOLT – an all-electric concept car that points the way to how a future small coupe could look.

Making its debut at the Geneva Motor Show, the SURVOLT is said to fuse the design themes of the Revolte and GT by Citroen concept cars. To this it adds a sports racing look, complete with a big wing and compact dimensions at just 3.85m long, 1.87m wide and 1.2m high.

It's certainly a head-turning design, featuring LED clusters all-round. An evolution of the Revolte's distinctive colour palette, SURVOLT’s two-tone paintwork features shades of fuchsia and charcoal grey. Under the skin, a 200kW electric motor drives the rear wheels and there are a host of batteries located in the front, middle and rear of the car.

Citroen is staying tight lipped about any production future for the SURVOLT, but bosses have said that they would like to build a limited number of cars to compete in a one-make racing series.

Citroen DS3 Racing

Hottest ever hatch from Citroen gets set to blast off with 200bhp engine. (Auto Express)

Citroen’s hottest ever hatch is under starters orders! The 196bhp DS3 Racing, is set to get the green light at the Geneva Motor Show, and these are the first official pictures.

The hot-hatch will be highly exclusive too. With only 1,000 units scheduled to be sold when it hits showrooms later this year. But if you do manage to get your hands on one, you won’t have much problem standing out from the crowd.

Sharing the same bold styling blueprint as the standard car, the DS3 Racing comes with a dark grey body contrasted with vibrant, bright orange-coloured roof, side mirrors, 18-inch alloy wheels, brake callipers and front grille surround with integrated orange chrome chevrons. The Racing also gets a sporty carbon finish around the front bumper, wheel surrounds and side skirt.

Under the bonnet there’s a more powerful version of the firms turbo-charged 1.6-litre THP (Turbo High Pressure) engine, with the Racing spec unit capable of producing 196bhp, compared to the current DSport range-topper, which delivers 147bhp.

This means the fastest DS3 in the line-up will take only 6.9 seconds to go from 0-62mph and will be capable of a top speed of 140mph. This amount of power sits the Racing between MINI’s Cooper S and JCW, both of which use a version of the same engine, and on a level with rivals like the RenaultsportClio 200.

And it’s not just straight-line speed that has been fine-tuned. As well as a 30 per cent increase in power from the same sized engine, the DS3 Racing gets adapted suspension, with both front and rear tracks gaining 30mm in width and the ride height has been lowered by 15mm too.

The front and rear dampers have also been appropriately tuned to handle the extra power. All this results in more precision, control and sportier handling. An enhanced braking system with 4-piston callipers incorporated into the front discs drastically improves stopping power, while the exhaust system has also been restyled.

On top of all this we expect the DS3 Racing to come with its fair share of limited edition badges and plaques, helping to further distinguish it from the rest of the range.

Nissan Golf?

Well after Nissan recently teased five redesigned models and with rumors circulating that the Japanese brand is considering a sub-370Z sports car, Nissan definitely has its fair share of projects on hand. But that’s not all, as the company recently announced that it will produce a brand new vehicle to compete with the VW Golf, Ford Focus, and Citroen C4 from 2014 onwards at its British production facility.

Very few details about this new hatchback have been released, but it’s been confirmed that in excess of 1000 jobs will be created in the United Kingdom because of it, with 225 being directly involved in the production of the car. The remaining jobs will be created in companies supplying components for the car.

Nissan’s chief operating officer, Toshiyuki Shiga said, “Nissan already produces more vehicles in Europe than any other Asian manufacturer and the model announced today will bring world-class quality and leading technology to our customers at the heart of the European C-segment."

In order to compete with the VW Golf and the Ford Focus, Nissan will have to create a car that can be easily upgraded and modified for future variants as both the Golf and Focus are offered in array of different versions.

Additionally, Nissan will have to develop new systems for the car as there’s no way it’ll be able to recycle all the required components from its extensive range of cars. In saying that however, we wouldn’t be surprised if the new hatchback came fitted with the same 1.6-liter engine as the base Juke, which has already proven itself to be quite capable.

Citroen DS9

These are the first pictures of the new Citroen DS9 – a flagship luxury car concept that has been spotted completely undisguised ahead of its debut at the Beijing Motor Show next month.

Spied on a photoshoot at the Place de la Concorde in Paris, the DS9 is charged with spearheading a new DS range specifically for China.

It follows on from the DS3 supermini and DS4 and DS5 crossovers, which have been designed for Europe. The DS9 is a large, luxurious Mercedes S-Class-sized four-door coupe.

It’s inspired by the C6-based Metropolis concept car, which was unveiled at the Shanghai Motor Show in 2010.

Inside, expect a spacious seating arrangement – wealthy Chinese often have chauffeurs and place great importance on the amount of rear legroom.

There is no word on how the DS9 will be powered, but the Metropolis concept used a 2.0-litre petrol V6 mated to an electric motor, delivering 460bhp and CO2 emissions of 70g/km.

We can expect the DS9 to offer a similar low-emission, four-wheel-drive hybrid powertrain.

The car will be built as part of Citroen’s joint venture with the Changan Automotive Group in Guangdong Province, and sold exclusively in China. There are no plans to bring it to the UK.

Citroen Tubik?

It's a van – but not as we know it. This amazing Citroen concept reinvents one of the firm’s most famous commercial vehicles.

Called the Tubik, it draws inspiration from the TUB and the Type H – which featured a pronounced nose, corrugated body panels and sliding doors. The Type H was produced between the Forties and Eighties, and was one of the simplest and most versatile vans in history. A total of 473,000 models were sold.

The Tubik takes those themes and adapts them for the 21st century, with seating for up to nine and an eco-friendly diesel hybrid powerplant.

As with the Type H, it has a nose that stands apart from the main body, while the windscreen pillars are reminiscent of the Type H’s two characteristic ridges. Concept car touches include a bold grille – as seen on the likes of the 2009 Revolte – plus 22-inch wheels and a mix of metallic grey paint for the bodywork and contrasting white at either end.

A door at the front gives access to the driving compartment, while the whole side of the vehicle lifts upwards to allow entry to the cabin.

In the back is a ‘lounge-style cocoon’ featuring felt seats, silk backrests and door panels, and a leather floor. At 4.8 metres long, the Tubik matches the Renault Grand Espace, but it’s far wider and taller. The nine-seat layout comprises individual chairs that can be arranged with occupants sitting one behind the other, face-to-face or semi-reclined.

Up front, the driver gets a black leather seat and starts the car via a fingerprint recognition system. There is also a head-up display screen and all-round parking cameras. Power comes from PSA Peugeot-Citroen’s HYbrid4 drivetrain, which uses a diesel engine to drive the front wheels and an electric motor for the rears.

Hydractive suspension automatically lowers the car at high speeds to improve aerodynamics and reduce fuel consumption. The Tubik isn’t set to go into production, but the ideas behind it could influence forthcoming large Citroens.