The 6 most interesting debuts of the 2016 Geneva auto show
Our top picks from Geneva range from unattainable supercars to eco-friendly machines, each worth your attention for a different reason.
- North American Car, Truck and SUV of the Year (NACTOY) Awards Juror
The Geneva auto show is always a peculiar one. On one hand, this is the show where the most exotic, unattainable, mind-boggling supercars first see the light of day. Looking for a $2.6 million super sports coupe? Geneva is where you'll find it.
But mixed amongst the excess are the debuts of perfectly practical rides, eco-friendly hybrid sedans and diesel wagons. It can be difficult to sift through such a broad gamut of spectacle and practical, so we've rounded up the vehicle debuts from this year's show that we think are most worthy of your attention.
Bugatti Chiron
The show kicked off in the best possible way with a new supercar from Bugatti. Actually, supercar seems like too pedestrian a term for the 1,500-horsepower, 260 mph 2017 Bugatti Chiron. How about hypercar? Ultracar?
Maserati Levante
Maserati makes the ever so fashionable leap into the world of ultra-premium SUVs with the debut of the 2017 Levante. Viewed from the front the SUV is pretty handsome, but the Roadshow crew has mixed feelings about the rear end. Universally, the promise of 0-62 mph in 5.2 seconds and crisp handling has our interest piqued.
Volvo V90 estate
Honestly, we tend get excited anytime we find out that an automaker is bringing a wagon to America; they're so few and far between. The 2017 Volvo V90 is coming to America with the automaker's 400-plus horsepower Twin Engine plug-in hybrid powertrain, standard autonomous Pilot Assist and Volvo's gorgeous luxury interior. What more could we ask for?
Lamborghini Centenario
How does Lamborghini celebrate the 100th birthday of its founder and namesake? With an insane and highly exclusive supercar, of course. The Lamborghini Centenario boasts 770 naturally aspirated horsepower from its V-12 engine and a body composed almost totally of carbon fiber. Only 40 will be produced and all have been sold, so you best bet for ever seeing one is in the gallery below.
Audi Q2
You're probably used to journos belly-aching about European cars that we can't get in the States, but the 2017 Audi Q2 not coming to the US has us truly scratching our collective heads. Compact crossovers are supposed to be America's jam right now, so it's surprising that Audi's keeping this one out of a market where we think it would sell fairly well.
Hyundai Ioniq
The 2017 Hyundai Ioniq is a triple-threat. The dedicated eco-model debuted today, taking on Toyota's Prius with hybrid and plug-in hybrid models and putting the Nissan Leaf on notice with a fully-electric variant boasting up to 155 miles of EV range. Everyone loves an underdog, so it's always interesting to see a scrappy brand like Hyundai taking the established players head on.
