Best cars at Geneva Motor Show 2014
Our team at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show choose their top cars
One thing the Geneva Motor Show is never short of is shinny new cars but with so much gleaming metal on display, it can get overwhelming for the keen car fan.
Our team were in the thick of the action this year, pounding the show hall carpets on a shoe leather-destroying mission to bring you Geneva's biggest and best stories first. On their travels they took time out to take in the stunning vehicles and, after a long sit down and a swift foot massage, each of them has settled on their one favourite car from this year's show.
What follows is the pick of the 2014 Geneva Motor Show's star cars according to the Auto Express experts. Do you agree with their choices? What would be your Geneva showstopper? Tell us in the comments section below...
• Best concept cars at Geneva Motor Show 2014
Renault Twingo
By Steve Fowler
Innovative, cute, well-made and eco-friendly: the perfect ingredients for a brilliant city car and the new Renault Twingo seems to have them in abundance. I suspect buyers won’t give a hoot about the rear-engined layout, but they’ll massively enjoy the tiny turning circle. But this small car is an example of exactly what Renault has always done best.
Honda Civic Type R
By Graham Hope
If Honda’s aim was to make a statement with its Civic Type R, it certainly succeeded. That big menacing spoiler tells you all you need to know about what it’s in store from the 2.0-litre turbo flier when it arrives next year. Understated it isn’t, but who wants their hot hatches to be shrinking violets? The Type R displayed a welcome dose of attitude at Geneva.
• More on the Honda Civic Type R• Honda Civic Type-R on video
Volkswagen T-ROC
By Jack Rix
By its own admission VW is a company that's built its reputation on dogmatic, timeless design. So whether you're a fan of the T-ROC's Juke-like circular headlights, removable roof and flexed wheel arches or not, you have to applaud VW for at least attempting to inject some flair into its design palette. Whether it has the courage to see it through to production is another matter...
• Read the full story on the Volkswagen T-ROC• Volkswagen T-ROC on video
Citroen Cactus
By James Disdale
Citroen has headed back to its roots with the quirky C4 Cactus. Designed to be spacious, simple and cheap to run, the funky five-door model takes its inspiration from the brand’s legendary 2CV, which celebrated its 65th birthday this year.
At the heart of the C4 Cactus’ appeal is its eye-catching styling, which blends tough SUV styling cues with plenty of novel details, such as padded door protectors, pop-out rear windows and high-mounted LED running lights. There’s just as much interest inside, where you’ll find comfy bench seats, plenty of handy storage and hi-tech digital displays. More importantly, the C4 Cactus proves Citroen has finally rediscovered its flair for innovation and trend-setting style.
• Read more on the Citroen Cactus
Audi TT
By Chris Ebbs
It’s hardly pushing the boundaries of design, but the tweaks Audi has made to the TT means it looks completely refreshed. And while some people would want to have seen more done, why would they ruin a winning formula. Then there’s the interior, which represents a more dramatic change with the Virtual Cockpit particularly impressive.
• More on the new Audi TT• Audi TT on video
Jeep Renegade
By Tom Phillips
Jeep is on a bit of a roll at the moment. It set an all-time sales record last year, and I think that'll only continue with its latest design-led products - first the Cherokee, with its cool blade-style lights and now the new, smaller Renegade, which was my star of the show. It looks like a Tonka toy, with some great, chunky details like big bumpers, squared-off wheelarches and that famous seven-bar grille, while the interior is similarly rugged. I'll take the off-road-spec Trailhawk model, although I'm less sure about this shade of orange.
Abarth 695 Biposto
By Paul Bond
Italian brands can always be relied on for adding some spice to a motorshow and the crazy Abarth 695 could be one of the most extreme production hot hatches ever built. Dripping in carbon fibre and racing technology, it's engine is tuned to produce 187bhp and 250Nm of torque so it covers the 0-62mph sprint in less than six seconds, but the best bit is the exposed dog-tooth gearbox - with a beautiful mechanical linkage that should make it feel like a rally car to drive.
• Read more on the Abarth 695 Biposto
Maserati Alfieri
By Luke Madden
You heard the Alfieri before you saw it, as the spine-tingling 4.7-litre V8 revved just before the car drove out on stage. The low nose, prominent grille and curvaceous haunches are all trademark Maserati. This is the type of car the Italian brand should be building, and the great news is a production version is less than two years away.
• Read the full story on the Maserati Alfieri• Maserati Alfieri on video
Toyota Aygo
By Mat Watson
The new Toyota Aygo stood out at Geneva and that's good going for a car with two sister models also being unveiled at the show. The Aygo shares its platform with the Citroen C1 and Peugeot 208 but Toyota's effort grabbed the limelight with its bold front end dominated by a massive X. Inside, there's a decent amount of space for what is a compact car and a brilliant 7" touchscreen display. The Aygo's focus is rightly on economy rather than performance and the latest three-cylinder 1.0-litre engine can return over 72mpg.
• Read more on the Toyota Aygo• Toyota Aygo on video
Mercedes S-Class Coupe
By Richard Ingram
It's almost a year since we first set eyes on the new Mercedes S-Class, but that didn’t stop the coupe version being my star of the Geneva show. We revealed it online last month, but you can’t quite appreciate its presence until you’ve seen the car in the metal. It’ll get powerful LED headlights decorated in Swarovski crystals, stylish pillarless doors and a pair of huge TFT screens on the dash – and it goes on sale later this year with prices starting at around £100,000.
• Read more on the Mercedes S-Class Coupe• Mercedes S-Class Coupe on video
