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AUTOS: Geneva Auto Show Touts Hybrids, Performance
Top sports-car manufacturers showing how gas-electric hybrids can combine efficiency with power.
Wouter Melissen  | http://www.ultimatecarpage.com  |  Posted March 03, 2010   Geneva (SW)
Ferrari displays how it installed a gas-electric hybrid system into a bright green 599 GTB. (Photo: Wouter Melissen)
It is no secret that the automotive industry has been particularly hard hit by the current economic crisis. The dramatic decline in sales has come on top of ever stricter environmental regulations. The big investments required to keep up threatened the future of many manufacturers.

The dire conditions really put a damper on the 2009 Geneva International Motorshow. But with the first signs of recovery, all exhibitors bounced back in great style for this year’s 80th edition of the Swiss show. The sober stands of a year ago have been replaced by the familiar, well-stacked displays filled with shiny new cars, livened up by the largest number of models we have ever seen in Geneva.

Sustainable and environmentally friendly cars have taken an even more prominent place, with the likes of Ferrari and Porsche also going green. Fortunately, there was enough room left alongside all the sensible releases for wild styling exercises and ridiculously powerful supercars.

Although there are clear signs of recovery, most of the manufacturers cannot afford to make many mistakes in the foreseeable future. The new production cars launched in Geneva really have to succeed. That is certainly the case for the Alfa Romeo Giulietta, which is due to replace the 147 in the compact luxury segment.

Alfa Romeo's new Giulietta sedan is shown by one of the many attractive female models at the Geneva show. (Photo: Wouter Melissen)
Celebrating their centenary this year, the Italian company decided to bring back the legendary Giulietta name. The original, launched in 1954, turned around the fortunes of Alfa Romeo just as it is needed right now. The 8C Competizione-inspired styling will certainly be one of the car's biggest selling points.

It is difficult to find fault with the recent engines from the Fiat Group. Both the petrol and diesel engines are clean and very efficient. Fiat launched a new two-cylinder engine here, destined for the 500. Dubbed the Twin-Air, it is considerably smaller and lighter than four-cylinder engines with comparable performance figures. The turbocharged unit displaces just 900 cc yet produces 85 horsepower.

Another major release is the all new Volvo S60. It is still every bit a Volvo but its styling is a dramatic departure from its predecessor. Gone is the understated design, replaced instead by a more flamboyant style first seen on the company's recent concept cars. The biggest change is found at the front of the car, which sports a pronounced grille and large headlights.

Japanese manufacturers Lexus and Honda both branched out into new markets with hybrid-powered machines. Toyota's luxury subsidiary will take on the Giulietta and the likes of BMW and Audi in the compact segment with the CT 200h. It exclusively uses a gas-hybrid engine and a continuous variable transmission.

First seen in Detroit, Honda's CR-Z offers much of the same. The small sports car is the spiritual successor of the CRX of the 1980s and is available only with an IMA hybrid engine that produces a combined 122 horsepower. This is all very clean and sensible, but fans of the original CRX will certainly demand more power to really warm up to the CR-Z.

BMW's Mini has been an incredible success over the past few years, but it will now have to face stronger competition than ever before. The attack comes from two different directions: Citroën and Audi. The French Mini alternative is the funky DS3 of which the very potent and limited Racing version was shown in Geneva. Audi's answer is the A1, which was first shown in concept form almost two years ago. In addition to conventional-engine versions, Audi also showed the A1 E-Tron fitted only with electric motors.

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Wouter Melissen

UltimateCarPage.com

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