From the latest and greatest Lamborghini to flying cars and everything in between, this year’s Geneva Motor Show had it all: even an all-electric supercar powered by a gigantic jet turbine mounted on the back.
But while that’s all well and good, unless you’re some sort of oligarch, well, you’re not really all that likely to buy one are you? Don’t fret, as there was still plenty of amazing new cars on display that will go on sale this year and will be more affordable for the everyday buyer.
Here’s our list of nine of the best cars from this year’s Geneva show that you’re actually likely to buy, along with information on their specs and how much they’ll cost.
Range Rover Velar
Arguably the most elegant Range Rover yet, the new Velar is an elegant, all-new coupe-styled luxury SUV intended to bridge the gap between the Evoque and the Range Rover Sport models.
Despite the fact it’s aiming to rival similar cars like the Porsche Macan, Jaguar F-Pace and BMW X6, Jaguar Land Rover stresses that it’ll not only be as practical as any other Land/Range Rover, it’ll be a capable off-roader too.
Pricing for the new Range Rover Velar kick off from £44,830, and the car is expected to arrive at a dealership near you this summer.
Volkswagen Arteon
Volkswagen’s Arteon is the replacement for the outgoing CC, and in our opinion is one of the best-looking new cars unveiled at this year’s Geneva Motor Show, full stop.
A five-door, coupe-style saloon, the Arteon debuts a new design language that will apply to every new Volkswagen that follows it, and aims to rival sleek, upmarket family saloons like the BMW 4 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class.
Expect high-tech equipment and a range of engines (yes, including some diesels) when it goes on sale in the UK this autumn, with prices expected to start from around the £30,000 mark.
Nissan Qashqai
The Nissan Qashqai has endured as one of the most popular cars in Britain since it was first released back in 2006, and the new 2017 model looks set to cement its future as the UK’s top-selling SUV.
Along with a slightly more dynamic appearance, the new Qashqai will feature an updated interior with advanced new equipment, including a semi-autonomous driving system called ProPILOT for the first time, which will allow it to drive itself along motorway lanes.
Full pricing has yet to be confirmed, but the facelifted Qashqai will be available to order in the UK from July onwards, with a starting price of approximately £19,000.
SEAT Ibiza
SEAT’s Ibiza has traditionally always been a hit among UK buyers, and the latest version of the Spanish supermini will also be an important car for SEAT’s parent company, Volkswagen.
The reason is that it’s the first car to be built on VW’s new MQB A0 platform, which will later be used for new versions of the Volkswagen Polo, Skoda Fabia and Audi A1.
What that means for the time being, SEAT says, is that the new Ibiza will be the most spacious and practical one yet, while also being well equipped and good to drive. Prices will start from around £13,000.
BMW 5 Series Touring
The estate version of BMW’s ubiquitous 5 Series, the new 5 Series Touring is actually the same size in terms of exterior dimensions as its saloon counterpart, but boasts a much larger and more practical boot space.
With 570 litres in total, the booted 5 Series has 40 litres of space more than the saloon, roughly the equivalent of two decent sized suitcases or three extra supermarket shopping bags. It’s also really rather good looking, too.
The new 5 Series has earned high praise from the motoring press, including in our own review, so you can expect the Touring model to deliver all the same benefits, but with that bit extra space. Prices will start from £38,385.
Suzuki Swift
Regarded as one of the funkiest and most fun superminis around, the latest version of the Suzuki Swift debuted at this year’s Geneva Show and is due to go on sale in the UK later this year.
Built on the same platform as the slightly bigger Baleno, the Swift will be one of the lightest cars in its class when it’s released, and will also come with the option of a ‘mild hybrid’ version and also four-wheel drive for those who want it.
It’s affordable too: prices will kick off from around £9,000 when it goes on sale this June, and there’ll also be a faster Swift Sport on the way soon after.
Volvo XC60
Following on from the success of its 90 range cars like the V90/S90 twins and the large XC90 SUV, the XC60 essentially looks like a scaled-down version of its bigger brother, and that’s no bad thing.
Sharing the same platform and plenty of styling cues from the XC90, the XC60 will also adopt much of its equipment, but will also debut some new kit of its own: namely, a new safety system which will allow the car to autonomously steer itself away from impending collisions.
Production begins in Sweden next month, with prices expected to start from around £35,000 and first UK deliveries due to arrive in the summer.
Honda Civic Type R
Some like it hot, and arguably the car with the greatest bang-to-buck ratio to be unveiled at this year’s Geneva Motor Show will be the all-new Honda Civic Type R.
Lower, lighter and much, much meaner than the car that came before, the latest Type R boasts a meaty 316bhp from its revised 2.0-litre turbo engine, enough to hit a top speed of 170mph.
The fifth-gen Civic Type R will also be better to drive than before, Honda says, as well as being much louder – both in terms of appearance and exhaust note. Built in Swindon, the Type R will go on sale in the UK in July, priced from around £30,000.
Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross
Yep, it’s got the same name as the acclaimed Mitsubishi sports car of the 90s, but it’s now a dinky family SUV. Now that’s out of the way, let’s get on to what the Eclipse Cross really is: Mitsubishi’s comeback model.
After a few years of living in the doldrums, the Eclipse Cross is expected to be the car to bring Mitsubishi back to the light; a rival to the likes of popular family crossover/SUVs like Nissan Qashqai and Renault Captur.
It’s certainly nice looking, and if the recent Outlander is anything to go by then it should be a practical and capable addition to the SUV market. Prices are expected to start from around the £20,000 region.
