That old adage, "Same sausage, different length'" comes to mind here. The one thing that Chris Bangle always derided appears exactly to have happened with this latest F10 5 Series. Seeing the car next to the bigger 7 Series it's easier to appreciate the differences: there's a more coupe-like greenhouse; the bone line at the shoulder terminates above the front wheelarch; the headlamps turn down at the ends, not up as on the 7.

There are some appealing surfaces up close too: the hood has an unusual recessed center section, narrowing in on the BMW emblem, which now sits on the bumper molding, closer to the grille than the 7 Series, while the vertical grille vanes have a new change of section cutting back towards the top edge.

Inside, the center console is inclined seven degrees towards driver and the clumsy ‘Bactrian camel with two humps' IP of the old E60 has now gone - replaced with a far cleaner treatment to the upper surface. The notably slim IP impression is created via a combination of a high center tunnel, a sharply inclined underscuttle and a broad décor band that runs across the car. We noted the subtle changes of section within this décor band, part of the more fluid form language that's a hallmark of recent BMW interiors. The switchgear is clearly arranged too, helped by the use of ‘Black Panel' technology as on the new 5GT. Other new features include Night Vision, Parking Assistant, Auto Start-Stop and an 8-speed auto transmission, no less.

In all, it's bit of a repeat of the E39 5 Series: there's not a line wrong here, it's all perfectly harmonious, just a bit underwhelming. More specifically, the car doesn't have as much presence as expected, and it's nothing like as charismatic as the previous E60. Familiarity on the roads will doubtless make the F10 differences easier to spot given time, but it's a shame the 3, 5 and 7 Series are once again so similar.

Radically styled it may be, but plans for Nissan's new Juke small crossover are far from niche-only: the Japanese brand plans to sell about 20,000 Jukes in a full year with 80 percent conquest sales. No mean feat for such polarizing design.

At 4135mm long, 1756mm wide and 1570mm high, the Juke is quite a bit bigger than a Ford Fiesta but still sits on Renault Nissan's B-segment platform. It shares a lot of the 2009 Qazana concept's beach-buggy-esque looks with six front lights - including two main prominent round ones and two more hood-mounted angular lamps - a bold triple-circle lower air intake and massive fender flares around each wheel. The jacked-up mini-SUV styling on the Juke's lower half - slightly ironic since most sales will be two-wheel drive versions - is teamed up with a coupe-like top half with a rear-sloping roofline, tapering and slim DLO, hidden rear door handle, and Nissan 370Z-style boomerang rear lights - virtually identical to the design elements on the Qazana.

That the car made it to production in this minimally altered form is testament to Alfonso Albaisa's persistence in keeping the core theme intact. In fact the only significant change is the omission of the concept's suicide rear doors, which had to be sidestepped due to production costs.

While the exterior face clearly plays out a rally car theme, the interior looks more to motorbikes with a fuel tank-shaped and metallic painted center console and two prominent motorbike-inspired driver dials dominating the IP. The rest of the interior is more regular production Nissan with just a few tweaks in material usage. Space inside isn't huge but will fit four adults with ease.

The forthcoming more conventionally styled Mini Countryman appears to be the Juke's only direct competitor for now.

Mini's new Countryman 'crossover', the first model in the range to measure more than four-meters in length, was an expected debut in Geneva, and its been a theme that BMW has been toying with for years with numerous concepts revealed from Geneva to Detroit. Described as a ‘vehicle to meet the challenges of urban mobility', it's the fourth model to be released in the BMW era, and the first to have the option of four-wheel drive.

The Mini design team has striven to maintain the classic Mini design proportions, while applying them to a much bigger and taller car. So there's a similarly prominent grille, but it's larger and naturally, set higher. In fact, the front of the car is very tall and the hood flat, giving the Countryman a solid, chunky image in the metal. Larger, more masculine headlamps give the vehicle a slightly less 'cute' visage than the regular car.

The A-pillars flow into the front wheelarches, with a more elaborate air vent that is available in different finishes, while the wrap-around glass theme and separate roof sliver are also carried over. However, the roof has pronounced roof rails, and also dips aft of the rear side glass to help accommodate the extra length of the vehicle into the traditional Mini silhouette. At the rear, the Mini look is continued, though the added depth of the tailgate contributes to the 'crossover' feel of the car.

Inside, the Countryman features the expected Mini themes of the big central speedometer and large circular air vents. Buyers can opt for either two individual rear seats - that move independently fore and aft - or for a solid rear bench that turns the car into a five-seater. Spanning the length of the cabin - if it's in four-seat configuration - is what Mini calls the ‘center rail', consisting of two alloy bars to which can be attached a range of interior storage solutions. These can be moved around depending on the wishes of the occupants.

With the increase of small crossover SUV's coming to market, this was a natural progression for the brand with the 'Countryman' name in its lineage. And for the moment, the new Countryman and Juke crossovers are the sole offerings in this more compact segment.