Our Geneva showstoppers

Auto Express team picks out its favourites among the stars at Europe’s biggest motor show last week

Auto Express team rounds up highlights from the stands

Graham Hope Editor Range Rover Velar

THE very idea of a coupé-suv is a travesty to some people. Perhaps that’s no surprise, given some of the compromised designs we’ve seen in this booming market.

But design director Gerry Mcgovern has shown it’s a bodystyle that really can work with the gorgeous new Range Rover Velar. It’s a fantastically well executed design that has a clear connection with the rest of the line-up while forging an identity of its own.

It’s beautifully built, too, and inside, the pioneering tech and use of innovative materials create a cutting-edge environment.

Best of all? It’s designed and developed in Britain and will also be made here. The Velar is truly a car for us all to be proud of.

Steve Fowler Editor-in-chief Mclaren 720S

ONE of the last cars unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show was, in my eyes, the best: the new Mclaren 720S.

But it’s not the stunning looks I find most exciting (although let’s be honest, it’s an incredible piece of automotive art). It’s the story behind the car – from the new approach to aerodynamics and cooling to the innovative body structure and Mclaren’s ‘no stone left unturned’ approach to make the 720S faster with more feel and yet even more accessible. It’ll be an easy car to live with.

All that with a price hike of just five per cent. It’s still a £208,000 supercar, but you’ve got to have dreams, haven’t you?

James Batchelor Editor-at-large and head of motoring video Alpine A110

AFTER a seemingly endless stream of teasers, official pictures and snippets of gossip over the past two years, it was a relief to see the finished, production-ready Alpine A110 at Geneva.

The first car from the revived Renault-owned French sporting brand looked good on the stand – attractively retro but not a pastiche. And the details sound exciting: 249bhp from a mid-mounted 1.8-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine for around £50,000. I can’t wait to drive it back to back with a Porsche 718 Cayman S.

“720S is an incredible piece of automotive art, but more exciting is the story behind the new car”

Sam Naylor Staff writer Suzuki Swift

I HAVEN’T picked the new Suzuki Swift as my show star because it blew me away – although I do like the fresh design, with the big grille and sporty-looking front bumper. Instead, it’s because of the potential it has to be great fun to drive.

A kerbweight of just 890kg is very promising, and Suzuki’s engineers have also used British roads to help set up the chassis to deliver real thrills in the UK. The addition to the range of the characterful 1.0-litre Boosterjet engine means all the ingredients are there for a fine supermini.