Car makers head to Geneva

Aston Martin: British industry proves difficult to Vanquish

Europe's car industry plans to shake off the corporate blues for two days of product launches and parties in Switzerland.

The Geneva Motor Show is the car industry's most important European event and typically acts as a fashion show to whet the appetites of dealers and journalists.

This year will see a strong line-up of British-made cars and engines, despite the recent problems in the UK motor industry, which has seen closures at Vauxhall's Luton and Ford's Dagenham factories.

The Geneva Motor Show is neutral ground for car makers, as Switzerland has no car manufacturers, and sets the tone for the industry in Europe every year.

This year the tone may be one of cautious optimism, as the European auto sector has seen strong sales and exports, compared with the US market.

Brit pack

MG Rover will show-off the estate version of its 75 executive saloon but the MG badge is taking over and visitors to the show will see three new saloons developed under the X100, X20 and X30 codes.

Rover 75 Estate: Could be last of the line

The basic version of the new Mini from BMW will go on display after the Cooper, or premium, version of the new Oxford-built car was shown at the Paris and Birmingham shows last autumn. British buyers will be the first to get their hands on the Mini when it goes on sale on 7 July.

BMW has new versions of its existing range on show led by the 3-series Compact, read hatchback, which features the 1.6-litre Valvetronic engines built at its new plant near Birmingham.

BMW powered by Birmingham engine

Jaguar will make a predatory move on the entry-level, luxury car market with the launch of the Baby Jag.

The compact version of the X-Type sedan will be the smallest and cheapest car in its range and the first to feature four-wheel drive as standard.

Its market is the affluent young which currently buy BMW 3-series, Audi A4s and Mercedes-Benz C-class. The X-Type is being built by parent company Ford at its Halewood plant in Merseyside that once made the Escort.

Volvo and Mazda, also owned by Ford, have no new offerings but will have concept cars on display.

Un-Vanquished

At the top end of the market, Aston Martin lifts the veil on its 200mph V12 Vanquish. If your bank account can sustain the £158 000 price tag, then it should also be able to support the 6-litre engine.

Honda's new Civic R-Type, built in Swindon, is the flagship of their four new cars at the show including the Civic 3-door and coupe and the Stream compact MPV.

Civic from Swindon leads Honda at show

In the bread and butter stakes, Peugeot and Fiat go head-to-head with their new mid-range models. Peugeot's 307 is its most important new model since the 206. It will be available in a 3 and 5-door versions with diesel or petrol engines. Peugeot are looking to take customers from Ford's Focus and Vauxhall's Astra.

Fiat will try to re-establish itself in the mid-range market with the Stilo. The name is supposed to make people think "style".

Fiat Stilo: Trying to re-enter the mid-range market in style

Opel, GM's trading name in continental Europe, will show what it claims it the fastest MPV on the road. The Zafira turbo, also available from Vauxhall in the UK, can do speeds up to 137mph. The Astra coupe OPC X-treme, a two-seater based on the Astra V8, will also spread its gull-wings. It has a four-litre engine and comes in a convertible form too.

Mercedes-Benz, in its centenary year, shows off the reworked stretch A-class, an estate version of the C-class and two high performance models, the C32 AMG estate and the AMG 354bhp.