250 exhibitors from more than 30 countries lined up for the 77th Geneva motor show.

 If it's spring in Europe, it must be Geneva and this year the lakeside motor show at the Palexpo congress centre in the Swiss city can be relied on to present a tempting array of previously-unseen cars.The first big motor exhibition of the season is traditionally a glamourous affair and the major carmakers are not going to let the current industry woes rain on their parade.The 77th Geneva event runs for 10 days from March 8 to 18 and around 250 exhibitors from more than 30 countries are lined up to attend.Most of the cars on show will be entering the showrooms in time for the start of the car-buying season, but Geneva also gives a taste of what is further down the pipeline. There are some eye-catching concept cars alongside futuristic, alternative-powered vehicles.Among the wraps coming off here are those on the revamped version of Ford's family favourite, the Mondeo. It has already been glimpsed in the latest James Bond movie "Casino Royale" with actor Daniel Craig at the wheel.The US maker has high hopes for the new car, which weighs in at Geneva in saloon, hatchback and estate form. Based on the platform of the successful S-Max van, the Mondeo boasts dramatic lines and a remarkably refined ride thanks to new suspension."People should be so impressed by what they see that they simply want to own one," said Ford's chief designer Martin Smith, who used to work for General Motor's subsidiary Opel.The range of engines on offer for the mid-range Ford saloon includes 1.8 and 2 litre turbo-diesels, 1.6 and 2 litre petrol units and a new 2.3 litre, 160 horsepower petrol unit with a six-speed automatic gearbox.The most important thing about the Mondeo is the look of the car which now boasts dramatic styling, featuring the company's trademark "kinetic design". The dynamic lines and muscular shoulders are a throwback to the "Iosis" concept displayed in Frankfurt a few years ago.Over at the DaimlerChrysler stand, the new third-generation C- class marks a bid by Mercedes-Benz to reposition the model as a genuine sports saloon rather than just the little brother of the executive E-class. This potentially reputation-saving saloon may be enough to draw attention away from reliability problems which have dogged the German marque and the current financial crisis at Chrysler.Leaked pictures of Audi's new A5 can be found on motoring blogs all over the internet, but Ingolstadt's glorious new coupé will not be officially unveiled until Geneva. The car takes its styling cues from the smaller TT, but sports much more flowing lines that motorists have been used to from this manufacturer. Under-bonnet and interior details will be revealed during the event.There are also rumours that Geneva visitors will be able to take an advance look at the upcoming Opel/Vauxhall Vectra replacement whose styling is likely to influence the whole range from this marque.Among the other new cars making their debuts in Switzerland will be Fiat's Stilo-successor, the Bravo, the face-lifted BMW 5 and 1 series saloons and two sporting Honda Civic variants. Renault is due to showcase the second-generation Twingo.Japanese maker Mazda has meanwhile turned the angular hatchback 2 on its head and come up with a much sleeker version of the city car on its Geneva stand. The platform will be shared with the new Ford Fiesta. Production of the new Mazda2 is being switched from the company's European plant in Valencia, Spain to Mazda's main factory in Hiroshima.Mouth-watering supercars this year include a new Bentley, a revamped, high-performance BMW M3 and a svelte Maserati Coupé powered by Ferrari's 4.3 litre engine from the F430.Some unfamiliar names will be bowing in at Lake Geneva, including Chinese maker Brilliance with a mid-range saloon pitched at BMW's 3 series. The BS 6 is scheduled to go on sale in Europe from mid-2007, but not before its mediocre performance in crash-tests has been improved. Failure to do so after damning results in the German press was a major setback for rivals Landwind last year.KTM is best known for making motorbikes, but it will be bringing along the X-Bow roadster, a doorless, Audi-engined kit car. Dutch tuner Donkervoort returns to the fray after an absence of some years with a closed top sports car, the D8 GT. Abarth, famous for its breathed-on Fiats, is back too with a cooking version of the Punto hatchback.Of course Geneva would not be the same without a host of concepts challenging the way motorists look at cars. Switzerland has no auto industry of its own, but the country is home to numerous custom producers, including Rinspeed.The Exasis is the latest weird and wonderful creation from the stable that has given us the "Splash", the "Senso" and the "zaZen" - a show stealer last year. It also marks the company's 30th birthday. Visionary designer Frank Rinderknecht says the Exasis is supposed to look like a cross between an offroader and Auto Union's classic cigar-shaped racing cars of yore.The two-seater is made of electrically-coated transparent plastic which comes from Germany's Bayer Materialscience company. The car also weighs next to nothing  around 750 kilos in fact with acceleration in the Porsche-class. The lightweight two-cylinder motor turns out 150 hp, but the Exasis can be driven hard with a clear conscience  the engine runs on bioethanol fuel which boasts low CO2 (carbon dioxide) emissions.INFOBOX GENEVA 2007:The 77th Geneva Salon takes place at the Palexpo congress near the city's airport. The exhibition is open to the general public from March 8 to 18, Monday to Friday from 10.00 until 20.00. At the weekend opening times are 9.00 to 19.00. A ticket for the show cost 14 Swiss francs (11.3 US-dollars) for adults and 8 francs (6.4 dollars) for children aged from six to 16 years. For more information see the following websites: www.geneva-palexpo.ch, www.salon-auto.ch.

Martin Bensley, dpa