The absence of lots of shiny new metal was all too clear at this year’s Geneva show. The slimmed-down edition hosted 37 exhibitors, but as most legacy marques were missing, many of the attending brands were new ones.

Of all the legacy manufacturers, Renault was the only major original equipment manufacturer (OEM), as the car companies are referred to, to have a stand at this year’s show. It showcased its latest models, picked up the Car of the Year 2024 award for its Scénic E-Tech, and profiled itself as an advocate of avant-garde mobility tech.

Our new Spotlight Accelerated Futures analyses how consumers’ changing views on car ownership and cooling attitudes towards car culture are leading to an uptick in smaller cars and micromobility concepts that reduce emissions for local journeys. In Geneva, two new microcar start-ups unveiled their latest products.

Independent Italian design house Pininfarina has been responsible for elegant designs for countless classic models from the likes of Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, Maserati and even Peugeot. It has an unmatched reputation, and proved it is still at the cutting edge of automotive design with a futuristic virtual concept.

‘Made in China’ had no low-cost connotations in Geneva, where Chinese brands presented new premium models. With BYD (Build Your Dreams) now outselling Tesla, it used Geneva as a platform for a further export push into Europe.

US luxury EV manufacturer Lucid is also expanding into the European market with its saloon/sedan model along with a new SUV, combining striking design with sports performance.