Based on the Continental GT Speed and using the same mechanicals, the Bentley GTZ is Zagato Atelier's take on the luxury GT. The design employs a series of very pronounced feature lines to differentiate it from its production cousin, and a rear end that is fittingly appropriate for an extravagant cruiser.

From the front, the bespoke hood features airvents cut into the side to help the large W12 breathe, while the defining Bentley headlamps have been retained. But there is the new addition of a side lamp at the corner and the imposing grille has also been amplified, gaining the height of a European license plate which will fit into it. A front splitter has been added beneath a mesh insert which spans the width of the car, incorporating the front fog lamps.

In profile, the side lamp intersects the taut crease line which runs over the front fender, with a recessed concave surfacing below it. This line continues through the front door where it dissipates, being picked up by another below the door that rises, accenting the rear haunch. The two-tone paint scheme adds a new dimension to the side profile, accentuating the double bubble roof above - a quintessential Zagato theme.

The rear is the most interesting aspect of the design, where Chief Designer Norihiko Harada introduced a more rounded theme with bespoke LED taillamps that sit vertically along the chiseled feature line. The concave roof center that blends into the rear glazing before emerging reversed at the base of the rear window is another well resolved aesthetic. The integrated rear spoiler beneath has also been given the Zagato treatment and is now a sculpted wave from, which Harada says is guaranteed to enable the same aerodynamics as the GT Speed. Shorter and wider tailpipes are encased in another element which doubles as a diffuser.

Overall the design is typical of Zagato's show cars dating back nearly 50 years. We're waiting to see if the next car the famed Italian Atelier creates will deviate from these tried and true details, or whether it will continue with the same formula.

Related Articles:
New Car: Maserati GS Zagato
New Car: Ferrari 575GT Zagato

This was the debut of one new design, but five new vehicles: the Citroen Berlingo MPV and Nemo van, Peugeot Partner MPV and Bipper van, and Fiat Fiorino - with the Fiat Doblo presumably set to follow soon. PSA and Fiat have partnered here, as they have done with their two ranges of larger commercial vehicles, to produce their second generation utility MPVs and vans that compete in Europe with the class defining, and also now second generation, Renault Kangoo.

Most of the design work was carried out in the Fiat Professional design studio that focuses purely on commercial vehicle design, while the running gear is mostly from the Citroen C4 / Peugeot 308. Citroen and Peugeot design groups then worked to maximize differentiation of their cars with different front end treatments and some subtle tweaks throughout the rest of the car.

The design is notable for the way it differentiates not so much between the brands, as between the commercial van and the private passenger vehicle. The nose treatment of the van features a prominent proboscis similar to the larger PSA Fiat vans, and a very conventional IP made from obviously cheap plastics. The utility MPV versions have more car-like noses, and slightly more sophisticated IP designs made from far higher grades of plastic. There are fewer aesthetic or functional design innovations than in the new Renault Kangoo we saw in Frankfurt last year, but nonetheless the design is attractive and very practical. And there are some neat flourishes: the way the Doblo integrates its logo on the rear doors, the feature lines that wrap around the wheel arches, and the attractive door furniture.

It might not have been the sexiest new car in Geneva - but it is a very competent design that will probably be the best selling new car to have debuted at the show.

Related Article:
Renault Kangoo concept - Frankfurt 2007

The Sandero is a second key model for the Romanian-built Dacia line-up, following the amazing sales success of the Logan in the European sales charts. Based on the same LO platform as the Logan sedan, the Sandero sports a new five-door hatchback bodystyle that is 40mm shorter in wheelbase and 200mm shorter in length than the Logan, despite sharing 70 percent of the core components.

The flat sides are relieved by a crescent-shaped feature line that, like the Renault Modus, appears somewhat whimsical as a design motif. Walking around the car, the old-fashioned design is evidenced in such details as the parallel side protector molding, side repeater lamps on the fender, flap-type door handles, the push-button-type tailgate handle, the exposed wipers or the exposed rocker seam weld flange - all these were standard fare on cars ten years ago, but have disappeared nowadays on current B-segment models on sale in western Europe. Similarly on the interior, the hard polypropylene plastics for the IP, separate passenger SRS cover and rotary heater controls all betray its old Clio 2-based origins.

But that's missing the point somewhat. The Sandero is a very low-cost car targeted to Central Europe, South America and South Africa that offers a good package and modern technology without any frills. It will inevitably get people mobile, and that is its inherent goal.