It's 100 years since the motor industry first gathered in the lakeside Swiss city of Geneva to show off its metal. Cynics suggest that, for all the developments since, little has changed with the basic principles of a mode of transport powered by an internal combustion engine, writes Motoring Editor Michael McAleer.
Performance and efficiency has dramatically improved, styling has followed fashion trends, and technology has taken over engine management and gadgetry. Yet the car is still an oil-burner running on four rubber rings. Every year at Geneva each mass of gleaming metal gets its 15 minutes of fame under the spotlights.
Little has changed, except that more models slice up market segments into ever-smaller pieces. At this year’s show there are new or revised models in virtually all segments. The big draws, in no apparent order, are the new VW Passat, the Alfa Romeo Brera and 159, the new Lexus IS, the Citroën C6, and a new supermini carrying three badges – the Peugeot 107, the Toyota Aygo and the Citroën C1.
In the hatchback market, Hondarevealed what is essentially its new Civic. A concept now, it has the same lines as the new car to be unveiled in the autumn . . . good to see the marque returning to sportier looks after a period of bland design. The family saloon market sees one of the most impressive new models on show. The sixth generation Passat is significantly larger than its predecessor, most noticeably at the rear where it finally looks like the finished product.
Overall a more premium looking car, with an interior trim and detailed touches, such as more angled dials, that wouldn’t look out of place in VW’s sister brand Audi. The Italians were not to be outdone in putting on a show. Despite continual business turmoil, an ebullient spokesman at the launch of the new hatchback Croma promised: "Fiat is in a fighting mood".
The brand had contributed greatly to the development of motoring, he said, and deserved to be back in a position of strength. Next door sister company Alfa Romeo had two unveilings. The Brera coupé, replacing the GTV, and the 159, replacing the ageing 156 saloon, showed Alfa retains a touch of style others must envy.
No show would be complete without the big guns. The world’s largest car firm, General Motors, unveiled several models, including the new Zafira, which takes its design cue from the new Astra. Also on show were the latest Chevrolet Matiz and Saab 9-3 Sport Combi, a new high performance estate.
And for the first time another GM brand, Cadillac, is of more than passing interest to Irish motorists. The iconic US brand is making an impact in Europe and it was confirmed at the show that it’s coming to Ireland, with the franchise going to the OHM Group. OHM already distributes Chrysler in the Irish market, and is due to introduce Dodge by the end of the year.
Cadillac unveiled the BLS concept, a mid-size executive car aimed at the BMW 3-series and Audi A4. It will be unveiled at Frankfurt in September. SUVs continue to feature in various formats, with the increasing likelihood that all major makers will have at least one model on offer in the next few years.
While Mercedes unveiled its new ML, Skoda showed it is preparing to get in on the act in the not too distant future.
Its latest concept is the unfortunately named Yeti. Though closer to reality than the previous Roomster concept, it will not make it into production with its current brash chunky looks. However, it signals that the 100-year-old Czech-based marque plans to target the softroader market rather than an out-and-out off-roader.
Perhaps the most important premium introduction is the longawaited replacement for the Lexus IS. The new look is derived from a complete reworking of the Lexus look, due in part to the decision to enter the Japanese home market.
Smoother, tapered lines and a side profile make it similar to the BMW 3-Series in many ways.
Apart from design, the big news is the introduction of a diesel option, a first for Lexus. The new IS, arriving in Ireland later this year, will be offered in 2.5-litre petrol and 2.2-litre common-rail diesel at launch and a 2-litre version expected later in the lifecycle. The brand also confirmed plans to introduce a hybrid version of its new GS range, following on from its introduction of the hybrid RX. Meanwhile, over at Toyota, there’s pride in its own hybrid
Prius, sales of which are expected to exceed 20,000 this year. Others, of course, are working their own
magic with hydrogen and fuel cells.
We got the chance to drive the small Honda FCX with the latest hydrogen fuel cell technology. But even the most optimistic advocates say it will be 15 years before the technology becomes commonplace. With oil prices at over $50 per barrel and steel prices rising, industry leaders know a fundamental revolution is required in the next few decades. It’s not on show in Geneva this year, with the excitement over fuel cells and petrol-electric hybrids seeming less pronounced this year.
All the big players are working on some sort of future power source. Yet they all know that, if they want to gather in a wintry Swiss city for another 100 years, they must deliver on new power sources in this century to keep the show on the road. Beneath the hyperbole of the new car launches, there’s a sense that the industry is quickly realising it needs to find something new and dramatically different if the car’s future is to be secure.