By Nick Syn and Sheldon Trollope

Citroën C1 / Peugeot 107 / Toyota Aygo
Two automotive giants, PSA Peugeot Citroën and Toyota Motor Corporation will be unveiling three different cars that will roll out from the same plant in Kolin, Czech Republic. The Peugoet 107, Citroën C1 and the Toyota Aygo will serve as entry level models in their respective brands’ European line-up and are distinguished by different front and rear end designs. These five-door small hatchbacks will be powered by a shared 1.0-litre petrol engine. Should the cars be launched here, they would compete directly with the 1.1-litre Kia Picanto which has been selling successfully as one of Singapore’s most affordable cars.

Citroën C6
Making its debut at this year’s Geneva Motor Show, the C6 marks a return to Citroën’s large car roots. The French carmaker has a long history of building unconventionally styled large cars like the iconic DS, and the C6 should firmly restate the double chevron’s pedigree in this regard.

Citroën intends for the C6 to be a “lounge on wheels” and engineers have worked hard to ensure high levels of refinement. The C6 gets electrically-adjustable rear seats, a “soft diffusion” climate control system and variable damper control.

Other options available include an electronic parking brake, a first for a Citroën, as well as a lane departure warning system that alerts drivers if they drift into the next lane. A self- deploying rear air deflector is also standard.

Powering the C6 will be a newly developed 3.0-litre V6 engine. The unit develops a claimed 215bhp and is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission.

Lamborghini Concept S
The Geneva Motor Show will also see Lamborghini debuting a concept car that hints strongly at what the new Gallardo Roadster might look like. Styled by Luc Donckerwolke, head of Lamborghini design, the Concept S features a radical windscreen that, unfortunately, almost certainly won’t make it into production.

Dubbed “sauté vent”, the windscreen effectively divides the passenger compartment into two, leading to inevitable comparisons with the old Batmobile’s double bubble windscreen, as well as those of racing cars of yesteryear. The rest of the car is far more conventionally rendered in comparison, which bodes well for translation into the production cars.

The Gallardo Roadster will, in all probability, be targeted at the likes of Ferrari’s F430 Spider (look out for CarBuyer’s road test of this new Ferrari in an up-coming issue).

Mazda MX-5
Believe it or not, it has been almost two decades since the iconic MX-5 was unveiled late in 1988. With more than 700,000 units produced, it was only a matter of time before the Japanese carmaker unveiled its third-generation model.

As new models go, the MX-5 has also undergone a power upgrade with a new range of 1.8 and 2.0-litre engines – a 200cc increase from the current line-up.

Performance fans will also be keen to note that the new car’s kerb weight has not risen dramatically thanks to extensive use of aluminium in its engine and suspension components. Another nod to performance is ideal engine placement; the MX-5’s powerplant is now situated more than 13cm further back to achieve a near 50:50 weight balance. Rear-wheel-drive is also an MX-5 hallmark and is thankfully retained in the latest model.

Mercedes-Benz B-Class
The three-pointed star will unveil not just a car but a new model range unto itself with the B-Class Sports Tourer. Sharing the same platform as the new A-Class, the slightly larger car will likely be positioned as a five-seat mini MPV that should serve as an up-market alternative to cars like the Renault Scenic and the up-coming Volkswagen Touran.

As with the leading models in this segment, the B-Class features seats that can be removed to free up interior space or slid individually in order to suit any desired legroom to cargo capacity ratio.

Opel Zafira
Opel’s popular Zafira holds the distinction of being the first mid-sized multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) to offer seating for seven, the second generation of this popular model makes its debut at this year’s Geneva Motor Show.

The new model retains its predecessor’s highly-acclaimed Flex7 seating layout, the Zafira’s seats fold flush into the floor to liberate extra load carrying capacity.

The new Zafira is based on the underpinnings of the latest Astra hatchback, it therefore has more cabin room, better quality materials and a more car-like driving position. Also available is a new panoramic glass roof. The car will be launched in Europe in July and local sales are scheduled for the end of 2005.