Geneva 2012: A motor show for car buyers

I always take the monthly car registration figures with a pinch of salt: they’re exactly that, registrations – not necessarily genuine sales and therefore easy to massage.

If you look at the latest registration figures for February, down 2.5 per cent, you’d have reason to roll your eyes and assume the general media’s woe about the return of the recession is true.

But no – talking to motor manufacturer MDs and CEOs at Geneva there’s a more interesting trend behind those figures: the return of private punters to the showroom.

Last year’s figures were massively supported by fleet sales, big numbers but not exactly profitable for dealers and car makers alike. This year the growth in retail sales shows a new confidence among consumers that many haven’t picked up on – people are back spending money and that’s the best news for the industry by far.

Of course, to spend money you have to have things you want to buy and this is where the car industry has come up trumps. This year’s Geneva Motor Show has uncovered more real-world winners than I can remember for a long time.

Picking a star of the show is hugely difficult. Could it be the Peugeot 208, Audi A3, Kia Cee’d, Ford B-Max, Volvo V40, Renault Zoe, Jaguar XF Sportbrake? All brilliant cars that bring new levels of efficiency.

For me, one stands out… just: the new Mercedes A-Class. It has want one (and afford one) written all over it, a combination of style, technology and practicality that will go down a storm with car buyers. Mercedes showrooms will be very busy later this year.