This is make or break year for Alfa Romeo. With sales down to just 100,000 last year, Alfa is in a vulnerable position and desperately needs new product to survive. Hence the launch of the new Giulietta and two showcars from Pininfarina and Bertone to help celebrate its 100th anniversary.

Most designers we spoke to liked the car, especially the front face, which is more mature than the Mito. The grille is the most sophisticated on any current Alfa (including the 8C), nicely inset in a 3D aperture in the bumper, with use of a detailed chrome outer frame and six horizontal bars. For once, the hood feature lines from the upright grille don't connect to the A-pillars, which gives a less pinched look to whole front end, unlike the Mito or 159. The fade in-fade out shoulder line echoes the old 156, as does use of hidden rear door handle and offset license plate. The rear ¾ reminds of the Fiat Bravo, with it taillamps a bit generic compared to previous Alfa graphics, and not as crisp.

The interior revives a couple of themes from previous Alfas such as the paired instruments set in deep tunnels and horizontal center airvents that are reminiscent of the arrangement in the 164. Highlights include the use of toggle switches in the center of the IP plus the large rotary HVAC controls underneath with an exacting quality to their action. Models on display included versions with wonderful red and tan leather upholstery trimmed in that inimitable Italian style, with perforated center panels, lots of double stitching and box pleating. On close inspection, however, the overall quality is off the pace being set by the premium brands, especially Audi.

The new Giulietta will compete with the BMW 1 Series, Audi A3 and new Lexus CT200h and employs the new C-Evo platform that will be also used by Chrysler, Fiat, even Jeep. In all, it seems a decent car; the only worry for Alfa Romeo is that it may simply steal sales from the current 159, which is only three years old itself.

The i-Flow had a mixed reaction in Geneva: in many respects this was another busy 'fluidic-sculpture' design - to use a Hyundai term - but it is more mature than some similar previous designs. Look beyond the overly fussy face and the proportions and stance of the car were much admired by many car designers in Geneva. The form language also impressed.

The core sweeping bone lines of the flanks dominate much of the design and in this instance they integrate well with the DLO and overall volumes of the car. The general effect is very Korean, and this appears to have been the intention of the Italian exterior designer Nicola Danza working under head of exteriors, Raphael Bretecher, in the Hyundai design studio in Germany. The i-Flow's C-pillars themselves were other interesting exterior design features, floating like flying-buttresses outside of the wrap-around rear window they also graphically run over the roof like a roll-hoop.

Inside, the fluidic-sculpture continues with all of the forms literally sweeping around the cabin. Adding to this quality is the ‘flo-tec' material that allows for the fine-lined texture of the IP to be designed into the form such that it relates well with the adjacent elements. Another interesting technically driven innovation (like the Hyundai HED4 Qarmaq concept car from three years ago, this car was heavily co-branded, this time with supplier BASF) are the glass-fiber reinforced polymer seats that were structurally 'grown' on a computer and have inner illumination that shines through the translucent outer to show off this unique seat structure.

The i-Flow is an exuberant design that has clearly had a lot of energy put into its conception. We hope Hyundai might see the value of many of this concept's design ingredients and ensure that they are carried through to production.

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The previous Meriva was a somewhat dull car but this model has all the hallmarks of being a real sales success for Opel. Previewed in concept form last year, the production car retains most of the spirit of that car but is based on the Zafira platform so size has grown somewhat, with length up by 265mm and width up 80mm. That size increase helps give the Meriva a wonderfully solid stance, helped by a dynamic exterior design that's far more expressive than before.

There's lots of surface interest in the side view, with the now-familiar Opel blade in the front door indexing back through the door handles to a crease that breaks up the rear fender volumes. The wave in the beltline works well too. Sure, it's been used on the Citroen C5 Picasso and latest Honda Odyssey concept, but it helps add character and avoids the beltline becoming too high at the rear.

Of course, the rear-hinging Flexdoor idea is the highlight and proves a delight to use in practice. Like the beltline wave motif, it's not a new idea - the Mazda RX8, Mini Clubman and Honda Element are some of the recent cars to have employed coach doors - but the advantages are most appropriate on an MPV, where the space between the two open doors provides a protected space for kids to exit onto busy roads.

The interior continues the ‘wing' motif IP as used on the Astra and Insignia and offers a similar quality impression to those cars, helped by the neat aluminum gearshift surround and sliding FlexRail center console, which features classy aluminum guide rails. Options include the FlexFix integrated cycle carrier and a contrast colored IP - brick red and grey were displayed on the show cars. Combined with the clever FlexSpace rear seating, the Meriva offers some truly unique sales points for families with young kids.

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