2017 Geneva auto show: green car preview2017 Geneva auto show: green car preview

The 2017 Geneva Motor Show marks the next stop on the annual auto-show circuit.
With press days beginning March 7, we aren’t expecting an overwhelming number of green cars at the Swiss show this year.
A smattering of production and concept cars with some green elements will debut there, though.
DON’T MISS: 2018 Lexus LS 500h hybrid luxury sedan to debut at Geneva show
They run the gamut from the 1.0-liter 3-cylinder Ford Fiesta to the 4.0-liter V-8 Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid plug-in hybrid.
This year’s show will also feature quite a few concepts and prototypes from Asian startups, although it is unclear if any will make it to production.
For continual updates, head over to our Geneva show news page.
2018 Ford Fiesta (European spec)
2018 Ford Fiesta
The next-generation Ford Fiesta subcompact was actually unveiled in December, but it will make its auto-show debut in Geneva.
The 1.0-liter turbocharged 3-cylinder EcoBoost engine from the current Fiesta will remain, with the addition of cylinder deactivation to boost efficiency further.
That feature will also be used on the Fiesta ST performance model, which also downsizes to 1.5-liter turbocharged 3-cylinder from a 1.6-liter turbo 4-cylinder.
ALSO SEE: 2018 Ford Fiesta minicar unveiled in Europe; U.S. plans unclear (Dec 2016)
Other changes include updated exterior styling, and a reconfigured dashboard with a large central touchscreen.
Ford is also launching four trim lines—Titanium, ST Line, Vignale, and Active—each with model-specific styling features.
The 2018 Fiesta will likely go on sale in Europe later this year, but Ford has not said whether it will be brought to the U.S. to replace the current-generation model.
Teaser for Hybrid Kinetic H600 debuting at 2017 Geneva auto show
Hybrid Kinetic H600 concept
Chinese startup Hybrid Kinetic made news back in 2010, when it announced plans to open a factory in Montgomery, Alabama, that would produce hybrid cars.
The company seemed to disappear after that, but will reemerge at Geneva with a new concept car designed by famed Italian styling house Pininfarina.
MORE: Another Day, Another Ambitious Hybrid/EV Start-Up Shows Up (Aug 2010)
It’s a luxury sedan called the H600, and it will actually be displayed on Pininfarina’s stand at the show, rather than one dedicated to Hybrid Kinetic.
We have no details about the H600’s hybrid powertrain at this time, just a handful of teaser images hinting at the exterior and interior design.
2018 Lexus LS 500h
Lexus LS 500h
The LS 500h is a hybrid version of the redesigned Lexus LS flagship luxury sedan, which debuted in January at the 2017 Detroit Auto Show.
It replaces the LS 600hL hybrid variant of the outgoing-generation LS, which only sold in low numbers in North America.
The LS 500h will use a “Multi Stage Hybrid System” based on the powertrain of the LC 500h coupe.
That setup combines a traditional hybrid powertrain—in this case based around a 3.5-liter V-6—with a 4-speed automatic transmission.
This somewhat complex arrangement is meant to provide a sportier feel, and mimic the behavior of the 10-speed automatic transmissions offered in non-hybrid versions of the LS and LC.
With the non-hybrid LS 500 variant not expected to go on sale until later in the year, the LS 500h may not launch until sometime next year.

Peugeot Instinct concept, 2017 Mobile World Congress
Peugeot Instinct concept
The Instinct is a self-driving concept car with a plug-in hybrid powertrain that first appeared at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
Peugeot offered few details on the powertrain, but did mention that it boasts a total system output of 300 horsepower.
The focus here is mainly on autonomous driving and connectivity, two buzzwords that seem unavoidable in the industry these days.
The Instinct features distinct “Autonomous Soft” and “Autonomous Sharp” driving modes that change the car’s behavior.
They’re similar to the programmable driving modes offered in many current production cars, albeit without a human driver.
Other notable features include Samsung Artik Cloud connectivity, and a dashboard that incorporates digital display screens and steering wheel that folds away when the Instinct is in autonomous mode.
2018 Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid
Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid
For the first time, Porsche will offer not just one but two plug-in hybrid versions of its Panamera sedan.
The Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid joins the less-potent Panamera 4 E-Hybrid, itself launched only recently as part of the redesigned Panamera lineup.
The Turbo S uses a 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V-8 and a single electric motor, which produce a combined 680 hp and 626 pound-feet of torque.
That allows this hefty sedan to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 3.2 seconds and gives it a top speed of 192 mph.
A 14.1-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack provides an electric-only range of 31 miles, according to Porsche.
However, that’s likely as measured on the European testing cycle. A comparable EPA figure would be somewhat lower.
Teaser for Techrules GT96 debuting at 2017 Geneva auto show
Techrules GT96 prototype
After making an appearance at the Geneva show last year with two concepts, Chinese startup Techrules will return with a prototype of its turbine plug-in electric supercar.
It previews a planned production model using the company’s Turbine-Recharging Electric Vehicle (TREV) powertrain, with a turbine acting as a range extender for electric motors and a lithium-ion battery pack.
Last year, Techrules showed one concept with a turbine powered by aviation fuels, and another set up to run on biogas or natural gas.
Both cars were said to have 1,030 hp, and 0 to 62 mph acceleration of 2.5 seconds.
The prototype adopts the name of the biogas/natural-gas-powered GT96 concept.
That makes sense, as biogas is one of the areas Techrules’ parent company, TXR-S, specializes in.
Teaser for Vanda Electrics Dendrobium concept debuting at 2017 Geneva auto show
Vanda Dendrobium
Singapore-based firm Vanda Electrics manufacturers electric scooters and small delivery trucks, but it hopes to build an electric supercar.
The Dendrobium was developed with help from Williams Advanced Engineering, the engineering arm of the Williams Formula One team, which also worked on the stillborn Jaguar C-X75 hybrid supercar.
The car’s name comes from a genus of orchids native to Singapore, and its styling is supposed to be reminiscent of a flower as well. We don’t really see it, though.
What isn’t in dispute, though, is Vanda’s claim that the Dendrobium is the “first Singaporean hypercar.”
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