Concept Cars Showcase Fuel Economy and High Design

Some of the auto industry's most radical concepts, especially from European brands, typically appear at the Geneva auto show, and this year is no exception. Below are the concept cars being unveiled for the first time. The show is held at the Geneva Palexpo and open to the public from March 6-16.


Hyundai HED 5 i-Mode

The six-seater Hyundai HED 5 i-Mode concept unveiled in Geneva seems to want to set a new trend in crossover utility vehicles, but its smattering of semi-innovative features don't always work together, giving one the impression that there were perhaps too many cooks in the Hyundai kitchen.

Its overall shape looks like an oversized version of some of the mini-cars on display, and while there are a few stylistic touches that are individually very cool — like the narrow side windows and the aggressive headlights which curve back into the hood panel — taken together they make the HED 5 i-Mode feel over-designed. Also, the color scheme is just plain odd: The black and silver exterior, plays nicely with the ice-blue accent lights inside, but the khaki seats throw everything off.

Those front brown seats do have an unusual ability, though: They swivel to face the rear of the vehicle and create an effect similar to the Swivel 'n' Go seating of the 2008 Chrysler Town & Country, which turns the back-seat area into a rolling family room. It is doubtful, however, that swiveling front seats would ever pass muster in safety testing.

Korean electronics giant LG decked out the HED 5 i-Mode's interior with gadgets that promise Web and cell phone connectivity. A navigation system with a 3-D display provides location-specific content and games for restless passengers.

Rumors suggest that the i-Mode may be launched in Europe sooner than later, and supporting that is its decidedly un-futuristic engine: a 2.2-liter diesel with 212 horsepower, one that will be deployed in production Hyundai models starting next year.

Giugiaro Quaranta

The Giugiaro Quaranta is a challenging vehicle. Although it is a product of legendary Italian design house Giugiaro, it is not particularly easy on the eyes. In fact, it reminds us of what "cars of the future" looked like in 1985. And nor is its name easy to pronounce. The Q-word (say it "ka-ron-tuh") is a reference to this year being the company's fortieth anniversary. Happy birthday, Giugiaro!

That being said, the Quaranta does seem to do a few things right. For starters, it's hell-bent on eco-friendliness. It even has its own slogan to broadcast this: "Nature has never been so powerful." It uses a Toyota-sourced hybrid system and solar panels on its wedge-shaped carbon-fiber hull to draw power from the sun and charge a two-battery powertrain.

This setup is even more intriguing because it uses independent electric wheel motors, meaning each wheel is powered separately. Combined with the muscle of a 3.3-liter V6 gasoline engine, the Quaranta achieves a certain quickness: from a dead stop, it can hit 60 mph in 4 seconds flat. Top speed is limited at 155 mph.

Designers have been able to make use of the electric in-wheel powertrain to get rid of the central drive shaft, allowing the engine to be placed in the middle of the car. There's room for driver in front, two adults in the back, and there's a fourth mini-seat designed especially for a child. After all, what kid doesn't want a ride in a spaceship?

Mitsubishi Prototype-S

To steal a line from "Daily Show" host Jon Stewart, maybe the auto industry needs a hug. Mitsubishi's top European executive, Tim Tozer, took the spotlight in Geneva to reveal the company's much buzzed-about Prototype-S hatchback, and he became the fifth or sixth high-level official to use feel-good-isms like "revitalize" or "rejuvenate" or "breathe life" in one morning. "Three years ago I came here and talked about our fight for survival. That's what it was," he said, referring to losses of $2 billion and sharp sales declines in the U.S. "We fought. We survived."

Mitsubishi is showing a more confident face now, and has high hopes for new models, especially those in its Lancer line. Thus all the fawning over the Prototype-S, which hints at the production Lancer Sportback that will debut at the Paris auto show this fall. Some two-thirds of Sportback sales will come from Europe, Tozer says, but it will be offered in the U.S. as well.

The Prototype-S is compact, mean-looking, and affordable. The heralded Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution sedan costs $33,000 stateside, and the Lancer Sportback will be considerably cheaper. Besides the hatchback, the main visual feature on the five-door Prototype-S is a big spoiler coming off the roof. Also prominent are 19-inch five-spoke alloy wheels. Under the hood, a turbocharged 2.0-liter engine gives the Prototype-S 175 horsepower.

Opel Meriva

The Opel Meriva shown in Geneva is a concept according to company officials, but some think it is quite close to the production model that will be released in Europe next summer. That's interesting to Americans for one reason: Saturn has been borrowing Opel's designs for a few years now (the new Astra hatchback is a recent example), and it's possible that a renamed Meriva will make it to U.S. soil.

One could speculate that the Meriva might give Saturn a small, stylish, fuel-efficient car to go up against the likes of the Honda Fit. "Anytime you see an Opel you're looking at a potential Saturn - and vice versa," says Saturn spokesman Kyle Johnson.

The Meriva has a windshield which arcs over the driver, adding greatly to the feeling of spaciousness in what is a fairly short four-seater. The Meriva is powered by a 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline engine. Opel is proud of its "FlexDoors" feature — the back doors are rear-hinged so that when both front and back doors are opened, complete interior access is afforded. It's historically been difficult to get this kind of feature into production, but, the company says "the Meriva concept shows just how focused Opel has been in realizing rear-hinged rear doors." It's may be a strange thing to focus on, but we're glad someone is doing it.

Pininfarina Sintesi

The legendary Italian design house Pininfarina is three years removed from showing the show-stopping Maserati Birdcage, and it's had time to breathe, relax, dream — and come back deliver another stunning concept. The Sintesi is otherworldly. It hardly feels like you're looking at a car - it's more like a sculpture, a four-door symphony. And aside from the Alfa Romeo 8C Spider (which gets bonus points for being a car that will actually be on the road), the Sintesi was the top jaw-dropper at the show.

The cabin is just as impressive as the sleek exterior. White is everywhere (the ubiquitous iPod comes to mind) and it glows from within. The dash's hexagonal styling cues are organic and contrast nicely with other bubble-shaped elements.

The Sintesi's powertrain is just as far-out as its design. It's a hydrogen-powered fuel-cell set-up good for an astonishing 700 hp. "Concept cars are, and always have been, an exercise requiring courage and vision, far-sightedness and passion," says Andrea Pininfarina. The company plans to offer an electric car by the end of the year.

Saab 9-X BioHybrid

Setting the tone for what General Motors' Swedish brand considers the future of compact luxury, Saab’s 9-X BioHybrid premiere kicked off the Geneva Motor Show. It is a low-emissions hybrid concept with some surprising performance results — its 1.4-liter turbo engine is rated at 200 horsepower while running on ethanol, and 170 hp using conventional gasoline. On ethanol, it can complete the zero-60 mph sprint in 7.9 seconds.

The 9-X is the latest vehicle in Saab’s growing portfolio of “flex-fuel” alternatives that can run on gas, electricity, or ethanol. It follows the 9-4X BioPower crossover utility vehicle (CUV) that debuted at the Detroit auto show. Saab executives say the 9-X is aimed at the Audi A3, Volvo C30, and BMW 1 Series. It's meant to attract a younger audience looking for style and eco-friendliness without sacrificing performance.

European design vice president Mark Adams drew the 9-X's visual lineage back to the Saab’s aerospace history, pointing out its cockpit-like cabin, wide stance, and instrument panel that envelops the driver. Saab joined forces with Sony Ericsson to deliver a wireless multimedia system that can incorporate portable devices. One of the 9-X's most impressive features is its large sunroof, which contains solar panels that help charge the batteries that run the electric-motor half of the hybrid powertrain.

Suzuki A-Star

The A-Star is Suzuki's attempt to capture part of the growing automotive market in India.

Suzuki won't keep up with microcar specialist Tata on price, but that doesn't mean there isn't room for another subcompact on the sub-continent — especially one with a few more features than the bare-bones Tata Nano. And the A-Star promises some nice touches like an engine start button, recessed lighting on the dash, and steering-wheel mounted controls for the radio.

The front-wheel-drive A-Star seats four and boasts a 1.0-liter, three-cylinder gasoline engine connected to a five-speed manual transmission. Its sleek windshield transitions into a short roofline, and its ovoid headlights are topped by turn angular signals, giving them a half-lidded look. The logo on the grille glows from within.

The A-Star is certainly small, about 10 feet long by 5 feet wide, with just a 6-foot wheelbase. It appears longer because of the way the wheels are pushed to the corners of the vehicle.

The A-Star will most likely be sold in Europe first, with India and other markets following soon after. This model is also important in that not only is it meant for the Indian market, it is in a way from that country, being the result of a collaboration between Japanese and Indian design teams. The final vehicle that will be built in India, as well.