Right, it's pilgrimage time again, and we're taking our annual trip to the Geneva Motor Show, write Brian Byrne & Trish Whelan. We're going to come up with more detail later in the coming days, but here are some pics to give you a flavour of the pizzaz.
You couldn't help but sigh with longing over this cabrio version of the new E-Class. There was a coupe there as well, along with the standard saloon and estate. And then there was the CLA, but we'll get back to that later.
The Kia pro_cee'd GT has a lean and Golf GTI-chasing look. It won't sell in numbers when it comes, but we can dream. The lights design will also feature in the next revision of the Optima. Meanwhile the standard but new pro_cee'd will be with us in the summer.
It's not often that you get to see a completely new car brand, but this Qoros from the synergy of Chinese and Israeli interests was really getting a lot of close attention. The quality of this sedan was right up to European requirments, and there was a handsome crossover and an estate as well. Watch the space.
The new C3 gets the same kind of upkick in design and size that the C4 did a year or so ago. It looks more car, and that won't do it any harm in this very competitive part of the market.
And there's a version as a concept with a hybrid powertrain that doesn't use expensive electric drives, but one powered by compressed air. Expect the real thing by the third quarter of next year.
Citroen's Technospace concept gives a very close idea of the next generation C4 Picasso. We figure it is much more elegant than the outgoing version, and will have a wider appeal. Ready in some markets in the autumn.
It looks like a Land Rover Defender, and it is a Defender, but with an all-electric powertrain. This is a research vehicle, but the company says it can go for eight hours offroad before needing recharging.
Probably one of the stars of the show in terms of what is going to be a real seller is the Peugeot 2008. Promised in concept form last year, the real thing is a snappy and sturdy, smart too, addition to the bottom end of the brand's MPV range and coming to Ireland in mid-summer. It's becoming a crowded space now, with Opel's Mokka, Renault's new Captur, and the new Chevrolet Traxx. You don't have to take that colour ...
And there was the production version of the 208 GTi as well, bathed in red to illustrate that it will be able to take the heat against any of its competition, such as the upcoming Fiesta ST. There are 200 horses from the turbocharged 1.6 engine that says it can do it.
You can't go to a motor show and not take a look at some American muscle. So, to get that one out of the way, here's the new Corvette Stingray, as muscle as it gets these days with its new 6.2 V8 and accompaniment of holwing 450hp.
And with some Hyundai muscle to show that the Koreans can do at least as well, what about this i20 WRC car from a brand that the established carmaker world has had to take very seriously indeed?
And the lines of this McLaren 12C Spyder are as sexy as motor metal comes, but it's not just pretty looks, the car is as powerful as its shape suggests.
Audi has a lot of stuff on stand this year, including this concept g-tron idea from its recently launched A3 Sportback. The 'g' stands for gas, in this case a natural gas generated from electricity produced by a wind-farm which fuels the standard internal combustion engine and returns emissions of 27g/km in whatever way they calculate it.
Back in the real world, Skoda is showing off the Combi version of its new generation Octavia, the main car which is being launched in Ireland just in time for St Patrick's Day.
And while Volkswagen is basking in its European Car of the Year award garnered yesterday, the company is also putting much attention into its extraordinary mileage 2-seater, the XL1.
Opel's Adam Rocks is a cabrio take aimed at taking attention from the just launched Citroen DS3 Cabrio. Since the base car isn't available here yet, reckon the French maker will have the market to itself for a while. In the meantime, though, you can be working out your own preferences from the 61,000 'personalisation possibilities' offered with the car.
But there's no gainsaying the beauty of Opel's Cascada, the new 4-seat cabriolet which is bound to get some good custom when eventually on the market. This is Astra based, with a range of petrol and diesel engines offering between 140hp-190hp.
And finally for the moment, we're rather drooling over this diesel hybrid pickup concept from Mitsubishi. You can just about see the L200 genes in it.
Like we said, we'll worry about the detail later, but for the moment its a bit of frantic fun. Come on back now.
(Photo Credits: All photos ©Brian Byrne/Trish Whelan, Irish Car+Travel.)
