The Hindu Business Line : Geneva Motor Show: A pit-stop for everything auto

At this year's edition more than 140 world and European premieres have been announced, and 260 exhibitors are presenting about 900 different brands from 30 countries.

Quite in contrast to the sprawling, snow-covered countryside, the brightly lit halls of the Palexpo Exhibition and Conference Centre in Geneva are a riot of colour during March every year. Gleaming cars of every style and size, massive video screens and concept cars showcasing `science-fictionistic' technology are all there vying to grab the onlooker's attention.

Each spring, the global automotive industry demonstrates its ongoing research and development efforts in Geneva. The expo centre, situated right next to the Geneva international airport, hosts the `Salon International de L'Auto et Accessoires', one of the world's premier annual automobile exhibitions and this year's was the 76th edition of this famous motor show.

The Geneva Motor Show is the only international auto expo that is held annually in Europe and on a neutral territory (a country with no domestic manufacturer). The world's top automobile manufacturers unveil major innovations at the show and this year more than 140 world and European premieres were announced in the eight sections of the show. Two hundred and sixty exhibitors on a total exhibition area of over 1.1 lakh square metres are presenting about 900 different brands from about 30 countries.

The expo has been divided into sections such as private motor cars, electric and alternative-propulsion cars, special bodywork for cars, design and engineering, converted cars, accessories and components for cars, original equipment manufacturers, workshop installations and miscellaneous products and services.

As in the past few years, this year's show also witnessed the unveiling of a number of prototypes, concept cars and other new innovations in the field of alternative energies and hybrids.

Showcased concepts

Amongst the electric and alternative powered cars showcased at this year's show were the Honda FCX Concept and the Civic 1.3i-DSI IMA Hybride, the Mazda5 Hydrogen RE Hybrid, the Nissan Concept Pivo, the Lexus GS 450 h, the VolksWagen Caddy Eco Fuel and the very first commercial hybrid of them all — the Toyota Prius. The other concepts unveiled at the Geneva Show included the Tata Cliffrider, the Dacia Logan Kombi concept, the Honda Civic Type-R, the Nissan Terranaut, the Rolls-Royce 101EX, the Mazda Kabura, the Volvo C30, Toyota I-Swing, Renault EGEUS and Z19, the Ferrari 599 GTB and the Saab Aero X.

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