This latest Accord for Europe is very much an evolution of the previous design, with elements of the new Civic added. The main elements of the design haven't changed, with the key differentiator being the more prominent wheelarches (not unlike a new S-Class) that Honda aficionados will learn to spot to distinguish the latest version. The Accord retains its positioning at the very epicenter of current style idioms within this segment, mirroring the Mazda 6 practically line for line, as has so often happened over the last 30 years - quite a remarkable achievement for the two design teams in Tokyo and Hiroshima.

The interior is competent but definitely not class-leading this time around. Silver inserts sweep down into center console but they are painted plastic, not metal, are as the door handle releases. Likewise, the use of a manual handbrake, hard plastics in many areas and traditional grains are ever-so-slightly dated for this segment, which has moved forwards significantly in the last 18 months since the Accord was probably signed-off for production. In this segment, the new Citroen C5, Mondeo and Laguna are on a higher level, not to mention the new A4.

On the plus side, the IP has a nice line that runs off the driver binnacle and sweeps across to the passenger side to provide a hooded lip for the dash-top driver information and 8-inch NAVI screen. It's far superior to the typical BMW ‘double-hump' solution. Also, the seats are well designed and there are novel storage recesses in the sides of the console. Other nice touches include the two big dials with needles that rotate from the outer edge, together with big illuminated chaplets and the MMI controller that has a beautifully tactile feel to it. Finally, the new 2.2-liter i-DTEC diesel engine with 148bhp is likely to raise the bar in the diesel stakes again in terms of refinement and smoothness.

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Honda Accord Tourer concept - Frankfurt 2007 

Taking inspiration from James Bond's 1977 film ‘The Spy Who Loved Me', Swiss dream car maker Rinspeed unveiled its amphibious prototype: the Squba. Able to drive autonomously thanks to Ibeo LUX laser scanners, the submersible concept is also able to dive to depths of ten meters, all while sourcing power from ithium-ion batteries. CDN sat down for an exclusive interview with Frank Rinderknecht, CEO of Rinspeed, who shed some light on the car: "It's a new package of technology," Rinderknecht said. "It's zero-emissions and most importantly, it's an emotion. It's what people had in mind. James Bond put the bait out and now it's here."

Sporting obvious Lotus Elise design cues, the exterior design was created using a specially embossed foil which adheres to the vehicle like a second skin. At the front, the concept features a patented hatch mechanism with carbon fiber fins for a new cooling air management system, while two propellers nestled on either end of the rear bumper provide forward thrust. Seabob jet drives in the front and rotating outlet jets - designed using high-tech nano materials - on the fenders provide directional assistance when submerged.

Inside the open cabin, a unique manta ray-inspired instrument cluster encased in a waterproof aluminum housing sits at the center of the IP. Lavishly lighted, it complements the iridescent silver and bright yellow interior colors, inspired by the yellow tail snapper. The seats have also been designed with a silver/yellow fish scale texture, with padding that features a herring bone pattern and materials backed by a spacer fabric on the inside, for faster drying. For a touch of luxury, mother-of-pearl has been used for the door linings, steering wheel and gear knob.

When asked why he'd chosen to design the car as a targa rather than an enclosed ‘submarine', Rinderknecht explained: "A passenger compartment will take about three cubic meters of air, and you'd have to put three metric tons of weight - 7000lbs - on that. That makes it kind of heavy. And if there's an emergency, you also need to get out."

This design is a progression of the Fioravanti Thalia design presented last year in Geneva, differing mostly in its rear aspect where it has a lower roof line. The overall theme is of a svelte coupesque estate with similar dimensions to the Pininfarina Sinseti also debuting in Geneva. In typical Fioravanti fashion, the car showcases a new functional design solution and has a delicate design language quite different to the zeitgeist of today.

Designed by Matteo Fioravanti, the core motif of the design is the way the DLO sweeps up into the C-pillar and over the roof and is then echoed by the lower side feature line that sweeps up to form the trailing edge of the C-pillar. There are several other interesting design details such as the downward tapering A-pillars, the way the body color C-pillars stop abruptly at the top (which gives them a fin-like appearance), and the gently flowing upper feature line.

The car also features a patented technical innovation: fine nozzles on the sides of the windshield and rear screen squirt air and or water under high pressure onto the screen to clean it without the need for wipers. This is at the early stage of development, Fioravanti told us, and they are currently looking for suppliers to collaborate in its further development.

While an undeniably handsome design, the full-size exterior model did not attract anything near as much attention as the showy, more contemporary, and more complete designs from other Italian design houses showing cars in Geneva.

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New Car: Fioravanti Thalia