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2008 Geneva Motor Show Preview


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Geneva March 3, 2008; Reuters reported that the annual Geneva Motor Show opens to the media on Tuesday and to the public on Thursday. The auto industry is coming out with a bumper crop of new models at a time when sales are falling in the United States, stagnating in Europe and growth is slowing elsewhere.

The industry will present 94 new models at the show, 17 of which run on alternative technology designed to emit fewer pollutants. The following is a list of the world premieres. It is not exhaustive. European premieres are noted in parentheses.

BMW * M3 cabriolet * Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupe * The X6, sport activity coupe

BYD * BYD F3DM small hatchback, hybrid car

CITROEN * Berlingo * C5 Break

FIAT GROUP * Fiat Fiorino MPV * Fiat 500 Abarth * Lancia Delta

FORD * New Fiesta compact car and the Kuga 5-seat crossover * New Focus Coupe-Cabriolet * Mondeo, S-Max and Galaxy with 2.2-litre diesel engine * Volvo XC 60 compact sports utility vehicle * Land Rover's LRX Concept (European premiere)

GENERAL MOTORS * Chevrolet Aveo (European premiere) * Opel Meriva concept * Saab 9-1X * 9-4 X Biopower crossover (European premiere)

HONDA * New Accord Sedan and Tourer * Concept CR-Z hybrid concept car (European premiere) * FCX Clarity hydrogen fuel cell car (European premiere)

HYUNDAI * New Sonata * Refreshed Matrix MPV * HED-5 concept car KIA * Eco-Cee'd limousine (European premiere)

MAZDA * Mazda2 3-door hatchback world premiere * Taiki concept car (European premiere) * Mazda5 Hydrogen RE Hybrid (European premiere)

DAIMLER'S MERCEDES * New generations of the SL roadster and CLS four door-coupe * The SLK 350 small roadster and the CLC, the former sportcoupe (European premiere)

MITSUBISHI * Prototype S hatchback

NISSAN * Luxury brand Infiniti will be present for the first time; world premiere of new Infiniti FX model * The GT-R sportscar (European premiere) * The Pivo 2 'bubble' concept car (European premiere) * New Murano crossover, launched at LA auto show (European premiere)

PEUGEOT-CITROEN * The 308 SW, a station wagon of the compact 308, and two other variants -- the 308 BVMP6 and the 308 RC Z * Bipper Teepee, Partner Teepee and Bipper Beep Beep ! small utility vehicles which it calls 'ludospace' cars * 207 CC Roland Garros * The new Citroen C5 family saloon

RENAULT * The Koleos crossover made by its Korean unit will make European debut in a crowded market segment * Clio Sport, Twingo RS (Renault Sport) * The four-wheel drive version of its Laguna flagship saloon * Dacia Sandero * ZX1 concept car

RINSPEED * The sQuba submersible car

SUBARU (9778.Q: Quote, Profile, Research) * Legacy diesel, the first diesel car of the Japanese maker

TATA * Indigo sedan * Nano (European premiere) * New Indica (European premiere)

THINK GLOBAL * A city car with electric engine

TOYOTA * The iQ, a prototype for small car to be produced in 2008 * Urban Cruiser small sports utility vehicle (European premiere) * 1/X Plug-in Hybrid oncept and i-Real concept (European premiere)

VOLKSWAGEN GROUP * Audi A4 avant, a new break version of the saloon * The return of the Scirocco, a sport coupe that was a bestseller in the 1970s * The Passat CC coupe cabriolet (European premiere) * Skoda Superb saloon

Compiled for Reuters by Marcel Michelson and Gilles Castonguay, edited by Elizabeth Fullerton