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Hyundai

Righto, still no lunch as I've been spending the last couple of hours being well and truly bowled-over by the cars here.

Stepping out of Geneva's journalist-packed media centre, I stumbled across a tiny stand, displaying Hyundai's all-new i30 – the car it hopes will take them from a budget brand to one rivalling the class leaders – much like Kia has with the Cee'd.

It's not going to get the pulses racing, but the i30 looks like a serious attempt at bothering the Focus, Astra et al – we'll let you know when we get our hands on one.

It wasn't until later that I realised Hyundai also had a proper stand, so I checked it out and was blown away by the HED 4 concept. Its Hyundai's attempt at producing a real show-stopper – and they've done it. Its built from plastics, which means the techies can do stuff which they could only dream of if using glass and metal.

Looks great – build it now!

Toyota (again)

My eye was drawn, as I passed the Toyota stand again, towards a funky-looking concept in a huge computer-generated display.

It was the Hybrid X concept – a car which insiders have hinted could become the next Prius. It looks fantastic, although I'm not sure the Mazda RX-8-style rear opening 'suicide' doors will make the final cut.

Rinspeed

No Geneva Motor Show would be complete without local heroes, Rinspeed. The design house always pulls something special out of its hat, and this year was no exception.

The bonkers eXasis roadster has no roof, a tiny little windscreen and the bodywork is see-through. Translucent yellow, to be precise.

But strangely it was the Rinspeed-styled Saab 9-5 which caught my eye – literally. I've seen some good paint jobs in my time, but the retina-scorching yellow hue was actually painful to look at – because of its intensity, not because it was nasty…

Mansory

Don't know much about this lot – there was no one to ask. But when a styling house decides to paint a brand new Rolls Royce Phantom in matt black and fit a bodykit with some blingin' wheels, they deserve respect.
 
Oh, and they've taken an Aston DB9 Volante to the max, too!

Lada

Stop sniggering at the back.

Lada still sells cars on the content, and their Lada C concept looks pretty good, in my opinion.

Sure, the quality isn't as hot as some of the other concepts, but the whole thing was probably designed and built on a budget that wouldn't even keep the big guns in pencils for the week.

Honda

Stopped at Honda to get an eyeful of the new Civic Type-R. Those who've driven it say it’s a bit underwhelming, but we'll reserve judgement until we get behind the wheel. It looks sensational, though.

And Honda is the first manufacturer to bring a proper concept to the show. There are great concepts – but none which make me feel like an eight year old, with a real sense of looking to a car of the future.

Maybe the Small Hybrid Sport isn't wild enough, but in my mind this is what I'll be driving in 2050.

Mazda

Debuts green and blue on the Mazda stand – the green Mazda 2 marks the Japanese manufacturer's move away from the Ford Fusion-based boxy styling and in to a more European look.

It looks fantastic inside, and if it repeats the current 2's practicality, it'll be a winner.

The blue CX-7 crossover looks awesome, too. It might be the Citroen C-Crosser/Peugeot 1007/Mitsublishi Outlander trio grabbing the headlines, but the CX – which debuted in Detroit last year – looks even better.

Ford

Next stop is Ford – a stand I've been itching to reach since I touched down several hours ago.

The all-new Mondeo had left me slightly cold when I saw the first press shots, but up close and personal it looks even better.

There's a real premium feel to the new Mondy, with quality oozing from all angles. There's a sniff of Passat, Audi A4 and even the new 3-Series about Ford's latest family car – but it has a look all of its own.

If this doesn't kick-start a part of the market which is selling fewer and fewer car, Ford may as well pack up and go home.

Volvo

It’s the new V70 and XC70 which are getting the media hot on the Volvo stand. Sure, they're not exactly reinventing, but they still look great.

Both cars have totally restyled rear ends, with various nips and tucks up front. It's more than enough to keep the model ticking over nicely, especially with an improved interior, which Volvo says has more space.

Jaguar

But my Swedish adventure stopped there, because I noticed the new Jaguar CX-F. I didn't like it when I saw the first pictures (anyone noticing a theme here? – Ed), but it looks scintillating in the flesh.

Anyone who doubts this is the car to save the troubled Midlands car maker needs to get help.

It's not so good with the 2007 XJ, which gets its first public airing today. The Big Cat has been treated to some new oversized bumpers, which look too heavy-handed for the classy saloon. Proof indeed that you can have too much of a good thing.

Citroen

Citroen usually do something impressive for motor shows, and although it isn't as jaw-dropping as its stand in Paris last year – complete with a Transformer-like robot turning into an old DS - the French marque has virtually all its models on display. But I only came for one – the C-Crosser. We've driven its sister, the Mitsubishi Outlander recently, and were pretty impressed, so the more stylish C-Crosser gets a big thumbs up.

Peugeot

I dashed across the hall to compare the C-Crosser with its other sister, the Peugeot 4007, and my thumbs are still in the air for the C-Crosser. I'm sure all three models will be differently priced and specification will vary, but I just can't look past the 4007's huge grinning mouth.

Still, at least there was the 207 SW Outdoor to raise my spirits. I can see this car making production, because as Renault recently illustrated with its Scenic Conquest rugged SUV-alike people carrier, there is a market.

Still plenty to see – and I've heard a vicious rumour BMW are about to pull the wraps off its new M3 'Concept'. Must dash.

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