Green trend hogs the limelight at Geneva car show

A stinging financial crisis, lofty petrol prices and concern over the threat of climate change are all beginning to make their presence felt in the precarious world of car manufacturing.

Last year’s launch of the Geneva International Motor Show’s “Green Pavilion” in hall three attempted to reflect this trend. It didn’t quite work.

“We received some criticism over the cars which were exposed [last year], which were perhaps not exceptional,” show president, Luc Argand told Swisster.

In the meantime, the management went back to drawing board and expects the ecological showpiece to be more effective in 2010 with over sixty vehicles on show, a press release said Wednesday.

“We made a big effort this year to present something that made more sense. Visitors will also have the chance to try out the cars,” he said

Green contenders for the public eye this year include the battery-powered HydroGen4 from Opel, a hybrid liquid natural gas and electric model from Korean firm KIA, and a city car powered by the latest generation of batteries developed by the Croatian company DOK-ING.

Start-up group i-Volt SA will present their Italian-designed Tazzari-Zero (see photo), an electric-powered two-seater and the list goes on.

“This green trend will continue but this doesn’t mean the others will disappear – look at Formula One for instance which is really going in the other direction – in fact the exact opposite,” pointed out Argand.

“You’re going to find a mixture in the show; it will be a combination of everything. But the main effort of manufactures is to provide vehicles with better consumption,” he added.

Somewhat surprisingly, given the general state of the industry, floor space at Geneva Palexpo exhibition hall sold out in good time.

“It did come as a surprise,” said Argand. “We were very worried last year but fortunately big manufacturers had already set their budgets and by the summer we had already sold most of the space.”

Argand puts the success down to tradition, location and Swiss neutrality. “There has been a car show in Geneva for almost 100 years and people like to come here. It’s attractive and close to the airport and railway station,” he said.

“Also the car show takes place in a country without manufacturers so everyone is treated in the same way,” Argand explained.

Even the disgraced Toyota will be present, though Argand would not comment on the Japanese manufacturer, scolded this week by US Congress for failing to effectively manage accelerator problems (and recalls) on some models.

Some 250 exhibitors from 30 countries will be in Geneva as well.

Five manufacturers present their products for the first time including the Bufori Motor Car Company of Malaysia.

Several world premiers are scheduled such as the Alfa Romeo Giulietta, Audi A1, Mini Countryman, Opel Meriva, Porsche Cayenne, Renault Wind, and the latest Sharan and Touareg models from VW.

Several cars to look out for: the incongruous Aston Martin Cygnet commuter concept vehicle (built in conjuction with Toyota) – bound to provoke a distinctive reaction from Jeremy Clarkson – and the sloping space-age Italdesign Giugiaro Quaranta, which features a 268 horsepower "Hybrid Synergy Drive".

Organisers are expecting between 650,000 and 700,000 visitors over the eleven-day event.