Photo Gallery: 2009 Aston Martin Lagonda Concept – 2009 Geneva Motor Show – Latest News, Features, and Reviews – Automobile Magazine

Although big, bold, and brash automobiles all but rule the Geneva motor show, we can’t ignore the smaller rides – especially when they happen to be fun, fresh, and funky. Here are five of our favorites from this year’s show.

2009 Fiat 500

What’s to like? We can’t praise this one enough. It’s an adorable, affable little car, but it doesn’t let its retro-chic shape prevent it from offering a suave interior and a surprisingly refined drive. There’s also a version for every taste – a convertible for sun worshipers, a diesel for hypermilers, and a 160-hp Abarth “esse-esse” model for the hot hatch fanatics.

Will it come Stateside? Possibly. Should the Fiat-Chrysler deal actually transpire, the 500 is on the short list of cars that would cross the pond.

Alfa Romeo MiTo GTA

What’s to like? The normal MiTo is already a shapely, sporty hatchback, but the GTA kicks things up a notch. 240 hp, sport-tuned suspension, and racy styling are all pluses in our book.

Will it come Stateside? Our Magic 8 ball says to “ask again later.” Not only is the MiTo’s arrival in the U.S. hinged upon the Chrysler-Fiat marriage, but there’s also a lot of speculation as to the GTA’s future itself – after all, it’s still a concept at this point.

2009 Suzuki Swift Sport 100th Anniversary Edition

What’s to like? Although the name might trigger flashbacks of a Geo Metro twin, the present Swift – sold almost everywhere but America – is a slick-looking hatchback. The Sport 100th Anniversary Edition model looks even better – adding a monochromatic paint treatment, a custom body kit, and large aluminum wheels makes the miniscule Swift look a lot like a shrunken VW GTI.

Will it come Stateside? Not likely, as Suzuki plans on keeping the SX4 as its smallest North American offering at this point. A shame, as the Swift actually seems to be a competent, attractive, and (possibly) inexpensive ride.

2010 Volkswagen Polo

What’s to like? It’s like a fifth-generation Golf, but at three-quarters scale. Everything you may like about VW’s “larger” hatchback – styling, interior, powertrain – is here, albeit in a resized form. Still, it comes off as one of the most upscale subcompacts we’ve seen in a while.

Will it come Stateside? Most likely, as VW’s expressed interest in playing in the growing subcompact segment in the U.S. Whether we’ll receive this car or the last-generation model remains to be seen.

Daihatsu Trevis

What’s to like? The Mini Cooper may be retro, but Daihatsu seems to capture more of the original’s spirit with its Trevis. It’s slow (power comes from a 1.0-liter I-3) and small, but hey – so was the first Austin Mini. The look is so convincing, we’ve had to do a double-take several times as we’ve passed these on the street (one, painted in British Racing Green with white hood stripes, really had us confused.

Will it come Stateside? We’re fairly certain Daihatsu’s parent company – Toyota Motor Corporation – has bigger fish to fry than re-launching the brand in the U.S.

One of the first things you notice when you start wandering around the Geneva Motor Show is that virtually every major automaker offers diesel engines. Lots of them. Many of them are even in cars that we can get in the U.S. market but only with gasoline engines. As our regular readers know, I’m a fan of modern diesel engines. Being in Geneva gives me a chance to present, in no particular order, 10 examples of cars available in the U.S. (or available soon) that could really benefit from having a diesel option. All the mileage figures have been converted to U.S. mpg. No need to use glowplugs, let’s just get started.

Filed under: Diesel, Geneva Motor Show

Geneva 2009: Top ten diesels you can’t get in America! originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Wed, 04 Mar 2009 20:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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