2008 Geneva Motor Show: Mitsubishi Prototype-S

Looks like: A four-door hatchback version of the Lancer

Defining characteristics: Massive trapezoidal grille, forward-swept liftgate, turbocharged four-cylinder, twin-clutch transmission

Ridiculous features: Giant rear spoiler

Chance of being mass-produced: Europe will get a production version later this year; we can only hope the U.S. is in line for it, too

Mitsubishi says the Prototype-S concept car you see here foreshadows what the next Lancer Sportback will look like. The design is a far cry from the last Lancer Sportback offered in the U.S. a few years ago, which was decidedly more wagon-like than this racy hatchback.

Like its exterior, the powertrain in the Prototype-S seems like it has a reasonable shot at making it to production. That's because it's very similar to what's under the hood of the new 2009 Lancer Ralliart. Specifically, the concept features a 237-hp, turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder that teams with Mitsubishi's six-speed twin-clutch transmission. The transmission has both manual and automatic modes, and engine power is routed to all four wheels through an all-wheel-drive system that includes an electronically controlled center differential.

2008 Geneva Motor Show: 2009 Mini John Cooper Works

Competes with: Mazdaspeed3, Volkswagen GTI

Looks like: A Mini on a mission

Drivetrain: 207-hp, turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder with six-speed manual; front-wheel drive

Hits dealerships: Late summer 2008

A new John Cooper Works version of the Mini debuts for 2009 and is available as both the regular two-door hatchback and the new extended-length Clubman. Whereas previous JCW Minis featured a supercharged four-cylinder, both of these models are powered by a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder that makes 207 hp at 6,000 rpm and 192 pounds-feet of torque at 1,850 rpm. (The engine, according to Mini, can briefly raise boost pressure to achieve 207 pounds-feet of torque when accelerating.)

With the standard six-speed manual transmission, Mini says the John Cooper Works can achieve 62 mph in 6.5 seconds (6.8 seconds for the Clubman).

Besides the extensive changes under the hood, these hot-rod Minis also feature unique 17-inch alloy wheels, high-performance brakes and a different exhaust system. As with other Minis, the automaker offers a number of different ways to personalize the John Cooper Works cars.

If the enhancements offered here aren't enough, you might want to take a look at the available John Cooper Works accessories. These include a sport suspension with red springs, drilled brake discs, a rear spoiler, a suspension brace and carbon-colored trim pieces.

For a small front-wheel-drive hatchback, the Cooper S is a blast to drive, and with what we already know about that model, the new JCW goodies make the hatchback even more appealing. We'll know how much more once we have a chance to drive it.

2008 Geneva Motor Show: BMW Vision EfficientDynamics Concept

• Looks like: Another way for eco-conscious celebrities to get to the Oscars
• Defining characteristics: Turbo-diesel hybrid powertrain, lithium-ion battery pack, eight-speed automatic transmission, roof-mounted solar panels, average fuel economy of 36 mpg
• Ridiculous features: Its name
• Chance of being mass produced: With other luxury automakers already in the hybrid game or entering soon, it's a no-brainer for BMW to establish a presence — if not with a production version of this hybrid, then something else.

BMW has chosen its X5 luxury SUV as the platform for which to showcase a hybrid concept dubbed Vision EfficientDynamics. The all-wheel-drive concept utilizes a 204-hp, twin-turbo 2.0-liter diesel engine that's supplemented by an electric motor, according to BMW.

Unlike the previously shown X6 hybrid concept, the mild hybrid system in the Vision EfficientDynamics cannot operate solely on electric power. However, the diesel engine does turn off when the vehicle comes to a halt to save fuel and the concept also features regenerative braking technology to capture kinetic energy that would otherwise be lost. That energy is stored for later use in a lithium-ion battery pack in the rear of the SUV. Average fuel economy for the concept works out to about 36 mpg, according to the automaker, which is a 100% improvement over the X5's 18 mpg combined rating with the base 3.0-liter inline-six-cylinder.

More 2009 Audi A4 Avant Photos

What can we say — we really liked the new 2009 Audi A4 Avant when we first saw it yesterday. Today, we’ve found a crop of new photos from Audi that show off the all-important profile of this wagon, along with different exterior and interior colors. We’ve added them to the same gallery as yesterday’s post, so all the photos are in one place. Check out all 24 of them below.

Note: Not all the trim levels shown will come to the U.S.

2008 Geneva Motor Show: 2009 Volvo XC60

• Competes with: BMW X3, Land Rover LR2, Acura RDX
• Looks like: Safe comes to the compact luxury SUV market
• Drivetrain: 281-hp, turbocharged six-cylinder
• Hits dealerships: Early 2009

Volvo is jumping into the small luxury SUV game with the XC60. It joins an ever-growing group of very good vehicles, like the BMW X3, Acura RDX, Land Rover LR2, Infiniti EX35 and Mercedes-Benz’s upcoming GLK. Can Volvo play the safe card and win buyers?

That’s what the company says it isn’t doing, at least with the design. While it certainly isn’t boxy, we’re not sure if the lines are as universally appealing as the Infiniti EX35 or as true to their brand as the Land Rover LR2. At first glance the interior looks similar to other Volvos, but the floating center stack is actually off-center, skewing toward the driver. It’s an odd effect, but it might turn out to be quite practical.

Under the hood is the energetic turbocharged T6 six-cylinder pumping out 281 hp — more than any other SUV in this group — we recently tested in the Volvo S80 sedan. It will be the only available engine in the U.S. when it goes on sale in early 2009. All-wheel drive will be standard, which makes us worry that the entry price might be high. But considering that parts of Volvo’s lineup — like the S80 and XC70 — are priced well below the competition, we’ll have to wait and see.

As for safety, the XC60 comes with a crash-avoidance feature that can tell if you’re about to run into the car in front of you, and it then applies the brakes to avoid the accident. Volvo is calling it “City Safety” in the XC60, but it sounds much like the collision warning system in other vehicles in Volvo’s lineup, sometimes as part of a $1,700 option package. City Safety is standard in the XC60.

Check out more photos below and let us know if the looks work or not.

2008 Geneva Motor Show: 2009 Audi A4 Avant

• Competes with: BMW 3 Series, Saab 9-3 SportCombi
• Looks like: Audi has upped the ante in the entry-luxury wagon field
• Drivetrain: New turbocharged four-cylinder engine with six-speed automatic
• Hits dealerships: Fall 2008

It’s a good day to be a station wagon fan. Audi has just taken the wraps off its new 2009 A4 Avant. This wagon is based on the redesigned A4, and both will go on sale this fall in the U.S. We’re really impressed with the design, as it’s a much more noticeable departure from the previous wagon than the new sedan is from the old version.

The rear slopes severely, which gives the car a throwback look to older generations of German wagons. We’ve seen a lot of sharp, angled designs from all the German automakers as of late, so it’s nice to see some curves again.

Inside, the Avant will have a layout nearly identical to the 2009 sedan, which we’ve covered quite a bit. Most noticeably, the Avant adds Audi’s multimedia interface system and a new dashboard layout.

Under the hood, however, will be just one engine: a new turbocharged four-cylinder that Audi is keeping to itself until the Geneva Motor Show in a few weeks. The sedan will get that engine as its base, along with a 265-hp, 3.2-liter six-cylinder. The Avant will come standard with Audi’s Quattro all-wheel drive and an automatic transmission.

Stay tuned for more on that new engine and pricing, but for now check out more images below and let us know if you like the look. 

2008 Geneva Motor Show: Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupe

• Competes with: Bentley Brooklands
• Looks like: A two-door for NBA superstars and British aristocrats
• Drivetrain: 453-hp, 6.75-liter V-12 
• Hits dealerships: Fall 2008

Rolls-Royce introduced its latest Phantom Drophead Coupe — aka convertible— to rave reviews from the automotive elite last year. The big, brutish, brush-steel-finished coach led to big sales for Rolls-Royce. So what does the British carmaker do to follow it up? Meet the Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupe.

This is the “sporty” version of the Phantom. The company promises this is “the most driver-oriented model in the Phantom line.” It’s shorter, has a stiffer body and still has a huge V-12 engine with 531 pounds-feet of torque under the bonnet.

Full specs haven't been released yet, but highlights include rear-opening doors, which the company says strengthen the body. A picnic boot around back flips down so you don’t get your trousers soiled when picnicking. And topping off the ultra-luxurious cabin is a headliner pinpointed with dozens of LEDs to create a star-filled night sky. We’re not sure if that feature is standard or optional. We also don’t know how much the Coupe will cost, but expect it to hover around $400,000. Until you can find that much under the sofa cushions, check out the photos below.

Saab Teases 9-1X Concept

The Geneva Motor Show is shaping up to be more exciting than most of the big shows in the U.S. this season. The latest news from overseas is this teaser image from Saab showing the shadowy silhouette of a car. What car is it? None other than the 9-1X concept, a premium compact car designed to compete with the Volvo C30 and Mini Cooper.

The image rests between the 9X Concept 9-4X Concept 9X concept we saw in Detroit and last year’s Aero X concept. Presumably, the 9-1X would share those same aggressive front ends. There are no— and we mean zero — hard facts on this car, but it could be just the thing to bring Saab aficionados back to the brand. We’ll know more in a few weeks.

2008 Geneva Motor Show: Ford Kuga

• Competes with: Honda CR-V, Saturn Vue
• Looks like: Ford’s found a good replacement for the Escape
• Drivetrain: 2.0-liter turbo-diesel with six-speed automatic
• Hits Dealerships: 2008 for Europe, not planned for the U.S.

What you see here is a really good-looking compact SUV from Ford. It will go on sale in Europe this year, but there are no plans for it to come to the U.S. That’s really, really too bad because the Ford Kuga looks like it could replace the current Escape in Ford’s line-up pretty easily and with some style.

Don’t believe us? The Kuga is almost identical to the Escape’s length and weight and comes in either front- or all-wheel drive. What’s really different of course is that the Kuga will go on sale with just one engine, a diesel. The 2.0-liter turbo-diesel will put out just 136 hp but a whopping 236 lb.-ft of torque which should propel it just fine. Mileage using metric conversion would be roughly 37 mpg combined city and highway.

Ford would have to tackle the diesel issue before adapting it for American consumers but we see no reason why they shouldn’t try. Perhaps they could bring it over at the same time as the new Fiesta in 2010. The company has previously said that it will leverage its global products in its latest turn-around strategy for the U.S. and we don't think they'll stop at the Fiesta. Check out the photos below and tell us if you think this should be the next Escape.

2008 Geneva Motor Show: New Ford Fiesta Heading to America

• Competes with: Toyota Yaris, Hyundai Accent
• Looks like: A futuristic minicar
• Drivetrain: 1.6-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine (1.4- and 1.6-liter turbo-diesel engines for world markets) with five-speed manual or four-speed automatic
• Hits dealerships: 2008 for Europe, 2010 for North America

If you think the all-new Ford Fiesta looks like the Verve concepts we’ve been seeing over the past year at various auto shows, you’re right. This production car takes those concept car cues and turns them into reality. Don’t take our word for it, just check out the interior, which closely resembles the concept car.

Ford says this is the first car that will truly be a global performer, going on sale in Europe, Asia and North America. Yes, Ford will start producing the Fiesta — it will not be called Verve anywhere it’s sold — in North America for sale in the U.S. in 2010. Ford officials confirmed that with Cars.com today.

Engine choices in Europe will include two small, efficient diesel power plants and two gasoline engines. We expect the largest of the two gasoline engines to make it to the U.S. — a 1.6-liter four-cylinder producing roughly 115 hp.

The Fiesta’s crazy center console has an auxiliary jack, USB port and a 12-volt outlet. Bluetooth will also be available. Since the new Sync system isn’t offered in Europe, it’s not included in this release. Again, though, we’d expect it to be an available upgrade in a U.S. Fiesta.

Other features include a tilt/telescoping steering wheel, ambient lighting and Ford’s new capless fuel intake. Ford hasn’t released full specs — like official dimensions — but says it retains the same footprint as the current Fiesta. We could also see a sedan version in the future. Our only complaint is that we have to wait two more years for it. More photos below.