Geneva Motor Show: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly
March 07, 2008

By Jane Nakagawa

There are three big reasons to love the Geneva International Motor Show, which held its press days this week and now is open to the public. 

First, Geneva is the only international auto show besides Detroit that takes place every year, and consistency builds precedence. 

Second, Geneva is a great place to see world-class luxury trends as the city serves as the neutral yet high-stakes epicenter for the British, Germans and Italians.

Finally, it’s the best place to see what the famous Italian design studios such as Bertone, Giugiaro and Pininfarina are up to since the Turin auto show has been declining in prestige and attendance over the years.

Global Trends: Small Fun and Cheap Small
Expensive fuel, compact ancient cities, and the lure of the autobahn mean the coolest small cars come out of Europe. Of course, looking good and acting green are still de rigueur, but the Fiat 500 Abarth, Renault Twingo RS and the reincarnated Volkswagen Scirocco are proof power still sells in Europe.   

Smaller is often cheaper, but China and India are leapfrogging Japan to redefine “cheap.” There is something refreshing going on — looking up at automobiles from the world of bicycles and rickshaws, as opposed to looking down at personal transportation from the world of $100,000 luxury sedans. Who would win in a hypothetical four-season test-drive between the BYD Auto F1 and the Tata Nano?

European Luxury
When you buy a car, you’re buying personal transportation. When you buy a luxury car, you’re buying feeling wrapped in carbon fiber and leather. 

For the British, luxury is about responsibility to a legacy. Change is difficult because ritual is revered. Technology is intellectually accepted but not emotionally embraced.

For the Germans, luxury is about strength of mind and influence. It’s not enough to recognize the future — the future should be created. Technology is developed to serve humankind.

For the Italians, luxury is the pure joy that is derived from beauty. You feel good because you look good. Proportions are finessed and surface undulations are honed. Luxury is a melancholy, romantic quest as time is infinite, thus their pursuit, endless.

In the end, luxury is about choice. Which do you choose?

Italian Design
The venerable design studios are showing the ravages of old age. The oldest, Bertone, has been under bankruptcy protection since the fall, and failed to show in Geneva for the first time in 50 years. Giugiaro’s Italdesign is celebrating its 40th anniversary by unveiling a concept car it should have used for its 20th anniversary. Pininfarina returns after a three-year hiatus with a technology-themed concept, as if trying to prove it’s ready for the promise of tomorrow.

The old guard may be going through some rough times but the idea of Italian design studios is far from extinct. A new generation of design talent from the Istituto Europeo di Design (IED) is showcasing two impressive Maserati concepts. And we must remember: For the Italians, you just can’t rush perfection.

The Good

Alfa Romeo 8C Spider — The 8C Spider is the stunning ragtop sibling of the gorgeous hardtop 8C Competizione. Its taillights are perfectly proportioned like buttons on an Ermenegildo Zegna cashmere jacket. Only Alfa can pull off topless without the porn.

Fiat 500 Abarth — The 500 Abarth is the high-performance version of the 500. Its road-racing heritage makes this car a true pocket rocket. The styling is a bit Mini Cooper meets Nissan Micra but it’s proof “cute” doesn’t have to be “Hello Kitty.”

Ford Fiesta — The Fiesta is a handsome shooting brake with a European guise. Like the Verve concept it’s based on, its clean, lean lines are sincere and unaffected. It's hoped the Fiesta hatchback comes to the U.S., and not a moment too soon for Ford.

Pininfarina Sintesi concept — The Sintesi is a luxury four-door sedan like no other. The undulating sheet metal is curvaceous yet disciplined. It exudes abundance without excess. The Quattroporte is today’s iconic luxury sedan, and the Sintesi is tomorrow’s.

Opel Meriva — The Meriva is a stylish people mover. There’s lots of glass for maximum visibility and interesting character lines that make the minivan seem as if it's coming and going. Even with the B-pillar, the rear suicide doors are trendy yet practical.

Renault Mégane Coupe concept — This Mégane coupe is a very polished concept car. The lines are taut, the stance is confident and the interior is artistic. The hood conveys power and the “dragonfly” doors, elegance. No one will miss the bustle butt.

Saab 9-X BioHybrid concept — The 9-X is a stylish hatchback to rival the best of the Germans'. The wraparound windshield makes the roofline seem elegantly cantilevered. It has a perky J-Lo rear end. This is the kind of strong styling General Motors needs in the U.S.

Seat Bocanegra concept — The Bocanegra is the VW Golf’s young cousin from Spain. The lines are athletic, even a touch steroidal. Slated to become the next-generation Ibiza, this hatchback knows when you’re small, you have to have a big personality.

Volkswagen Scirocco — The IROC is finally real. The family resemblance to the Golf is there but the Scirocco is longer, leaner and wider than a GTI. Maybe it won’t have the cult appeal of the original 1974 Giugiaro design but it’s still the people's sporty car.

Volvo XC60 — The XC60 is the XC70’s little sister. It’s a much more graceful alternative to the cocky BMW X3 or the stodgy Toyota RAV4. Just like the C30 did with the Audi A3, this personal utility vehicle will prove Volvo can run with the Germans.

The Bad
Bertone B.A.T. 11 Concept — The B.A.T. 11 is the 21st-century incarnation of the BAT 1950s B.A.T. series. This one is a beautiful design but when you’re under bankruptcy protection, going retro probably isn’t the best way to show you’re ready to tackle the future.

Citroën Berlingo — The Berlingo is a commercial minivan. Because many of these types of vans are used as personal recreational vehicles in Europe, an opportunity was there to be more creative with the slab-sided boxes. But sadly, Citroën stayed on the conservative track.

Citroën C5 Touring Estate — The C5 is Citroën’s answer to the ultimate European wagon. Unfortunately, despite the high beltline and longer, sleeker lines, the category is so dominated by the Germans and Swiss that it’s hard to notice.

Ford Kuga — The Kuga is Ford’s newest compact-utility vehicle. The CUV is attractive but having seen what Ford is capable of with the new Fiesta, this one is a huge disappointment. The proportions and subtle off-road cues just make the car look old.

Hyundai HED-5 — The HED-5 is a two-row, six-seater minivan concept. Overall, the look is familiar. Creases, bulges and swoops appear on the car as adornment rather than style. Just when the new Santa Fe was looking pretty good, this happens.

Italdesign Quaranta — The Quaranta is the latest sports car from Giugiaro. The car has a peculiar 1980s quality to it. Now we know exactly what Nissan Design’s Jerry Hirshberg meant when he said cars needed to reject the “tyranny of the wedge.”

Morgan LifeCar — The LifeCar is a modern interpretation of the 100-year-old Threewheeler. The silhouette is properly Morgan but the wood has been replaced by aluminum. Its heavy responsibility to its legacy makes the concept feel like a dead car that has been exhumed.

Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupe — The Phantom coupe is an imposing British two-door grand tourer. Thanks to parent company BMW, every line and detail on this car is serious and intentional. At this level of luxury, you ought to have more fun.

Skoda Superb — The Superb is a traditional premium sedan. It’s perfect for a renegade eastern European business tycoon, aiming to differentiate himself from his bourgeois western counterpart. It’s about as authentic as a Gucci purse made in Czechoslovakia.

Toyota iQ — The iQ is a shameless copy of the Smart Car. Not only is the styling unoriginal, even the name is a total rip. It’s sheer arrogance for a company with such copious resources to resort to design poaching. Go Tata, go!

The Ugly

Rinspeed sQuba Roadster — The sQuba is an electric underwater sports car. An underwater car is a cool idea but it’s disturbing that your tuxedo or beaded ball gown would get totally soaked. And imagine what it will do to your hair!

For more photos, go to Geneva Motor Show coverage by Edmunds' Inside Line

Photos by the manufacturers

1 and 2:  Alfa Romeo 8C Spider

3:  Fiat 500 Abarth

4: Ford Fiesta

5: Pininfarina Sintesi concept

6: Saab 9-X BioHybrid concept

7:  Ford Kuga

8:  Hyundai HED-5

9:  Skoda Superb

 

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