Casual observers have likened this preview of a smaller Rolls-Royce to the old adage 'same sausage, different length'. Yet seeing this car next to the bigger Phantom it's easier to appreciate the differences, the 200EX uses all the typical tools available to a designer to create a more sporty appearance: the screens are more raked, the DLO is shallower, the grille is raked further rearwards and there's more tumblehome. However, the biggest identifier against its more familiar sibling is around the rear roof: the 200EX has a faster third side window and a much slimmer C-pillar.

The fact that this model shares major components with the new 7-Series BMW in no way detracts from the luxury experience either. This is way more than a reskinned F01 7-Series and gives Rolls-Royce a significant new model that can compete head on against the Bentley Arnage. Just to put it in perspective, for the price of the cheapest Phantom you'll be able to buy one of these and still have enough money for an S63 AMG S-Class.

Design-wise, the front end is the best of any current Rolls-Royce: there's a much nicer integration of the bumper beam than the Phantom and the front grille continues the enveloping frame from the hood that was introduced on the Phantom coupé, but here the designers have found a new way to terminate the base of the grille by wrapping it neatly back into the lower grille aperture in a totally contemporary way.

The interior is superb too, managing to achieve a new sophistication over that of the more formal Phantom. The biggest difference from the larger car is the lack of a flat floor: here we have a conventional deep tunnel separating the passengers, although the rear hinged 'coach doors' and curled sofa ends to the rear seat maintain the unique Rolls-Royce ambience. Our only gripe is that it's being called a concept. There's nothing desperately conceptual here and anything less than this for production will now surely disappoint.

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Volkswagen chose the eve of the Geneva Motor Show to unveil its new fifth generation Polo supermini. With a sharper and more contemporary design, the Polo features understated design elements Volkswagen Group Head of Design Walter de'Silva calls "the new look of Volkswagen".

Speaking to CDN, de'Silva said that the familial similarities - such as the Scirocco /Golf face - where necessary to keep it coherent with the German brand's design philosophy and within the product hierarchy. And while the Polo's heritage is obvious, it does have its own personality: "The personality comes from its simplicity," de'Silva said. "The era of overdesign is over; here we have a few lines, nice surfacing, clean, end."

From the front, the car's longer headlamps, thin upper grille and honeycomb lower grille insert recall the Golf and Scirocco models, but the headlamps incorporate eyebrows within the housing and the chin spoiler beneath the bumper combine to lend an overall air of aggression to the design. Departing from the headlamp are three creases which subtly communicate dynamism: one crease extends from the headlamp and climbs over the hood while the other two find their way to the edge of the fender, detracting from the overall height of the front when seen in profile. The crease at the farthest edge becomes the shoulder and extends the width of the car. At the rear, the sinister look is continued in the taillamp design, which also features an integrated eyebrow graphic, but the design retains the precision found on other models in the range through a simple aesthetic.

But if the exterior design is returning to simplicity, having lost its geometric product design-type appeal - a direction Volkswagen has been moving away from for some time now - the interior is so understated that it verges on being boring. Functional though it is, the large flat surfaces are austere and lack character. Fortunately the consistent level of material quality is on par with other Volkswagen-branded vehicles.

Toyota was making a lot of noise about the new Prius, which made its European debut at a private function in Geneva on the eve of the first press day. But the Japanese automaker also unveiled the new Verso compact MPV, designed at Toyota's European design studio ED2 - the same studio that created the new Prius. The third generation Verso aims to stand out in the segment and increase driving enjoyment, an element atypical of practical and spacious MPVs: "People should not have to settle," chief engineer Masato Kasumata said.

The exterior design, honed in the wind tunnel at ED2 in Nice, France, seeks to avert the stereotype that a practical people carrier needs to have a tall boxy shape. Designers have sought to exemplify a dynamic design by fitting bulging front headlamp units - that stand proud of the concave hood surfacing - and an interesting swage line that sweeps up from the front wheelarch and up the C-pillar before connecting to the spoiler at the rear. This novel, fluid arc - a visual separator Toyota has coined 'Dual-Zone exterior styling' - appears a bit contrived however, clashing with the door shutlines as it reaches the C-pillar. This need to differentiate has also seen negative surfacing applied around the door handles, making the bodyside appear over-designed.

Inside, the Verso's interior features a wave-like form over the center-mounted gauges, a theme described as 'smart wave dynamism' by Toyota designers, which leaves the IP area in front of the driver open and enhances the sense of space. Set into individual cylinder housings, the speedometer and tachometer are canted towards the driver and slightly offset, but the hood that forms the arc above unfortunately extends over the protruding center stack element and onto the passenger side of the IP, making the design appear disjointed and unresolved. The bulging center stack, door handles and steering wheel feature titanium-look inserts - regrettably made of plastic - that also give the interior a low-rent feel, contrasting with the leather grain-effect of the IP's lower section.

Combining practicality and safety with desirability, new Verso will appeal to customers who want and expect more than just a functional car, but we're not entirely convinced by the overall design aesthetic.