The 72nd Salon Internationale de l’auto et accessories, simply known as the Geneva Motor Show, saw Tata Engineering make a grand presence yet again. At the last Geneva show, Tata presented the Indica and the Aria coupe, and this time, they went one better, by showcasing the Tata Sedan – the three-box version of the Indica which was first seen at the Auto Expo in Delhi, this January, and more importantly, the Indiva, a monobox concept car based on the Indica platform.

The radical-looking Indiva has been penned by I.D.E.A, the same Italian firm which designed the Indica.

The monobox concept essentially is a modern iteration of what we traditionally know as a van. The Indiva, thus, falls into the people-moving vehicle (MPV) category, a segment that is the rage in Europe, thanks to their car-like driving dynamics but with the utility and space of a multi-utility vehicle (MUV).

High seating, plenty of headroom and space for seven individuals, plus versatile ideas on seating and luggage space has made are the hallmarks of the Indiva. The Indiva is expected to be powered by a Euro III/IV MPFI petrol engine and a turbocharged intercooled diesel unit. According to Tata Engineering, the Indiva will be fully loaded with power everything – windows and steering – and interestingly, will have a permanent sunroof as well. It’s about as long as a mid-sizer like a Honda City or a Hyundai Accent, but much more broader and with a larger wheelbase.

During the initial stages of Tata’s best-selling passenger car, it was all along known that different body variants based on the Indica platform would be developed. After the hatchback and the sedan, the monobox Indiva is the latest iteration. It will soon be followed by an estate version as well.

Among other manufacturers at the Geneva motor show, what could make an impact on Indian roads is Hyundai, which christened its TB world car, the Getz. The Getz is likely to be launched in the country, and it is an MPV-styled hatchback that could get into Fiat Palio territory. Daewoo has its Getz equivalent in the Kalos, which they plan to introduce in the country. At Geneva, Daewoo previewed a three-box version of the Kalos as well.

The D-segment cars in the country will soon get company from General Motors. GM’s all new Vectra was showcased here, and promises to give stiff competition to the Ford Mondeo. Suzuki’s Liana made a European debut. The Liana (Life In A New Age) has similar dimensions to the Baleno, but has a more spacious body style.

The worldwide luxury segment now gets a new, serious player – Volkswagen, The European major, which was content making bread-and-butter hatchbacks and sedans, now wants to get into the top-end league, to compete with Mercedes-Benz and BMW. Their foray into the luxury segment was first shown as the D1 concept at Frankfurt Motor Show in 1999, and today, the vehicle can be seen in flesh and blood, as the Phaeton.

DaimlerChrysler has bigger plans in the luxury segment, actually in the super luxury category, where it aims to be Number One in a field of one. They displayed, inside a glass booth, the ultra-luxury Maybach. The humongous Maybach gets its own identity, to separate it from the run-of-the-mill Mercedes-Benz brand. The Maybach concept was first seen at the Tokyo Motor Show in 1997, and now is all set to rule roads. It features state-of-the-art, technology, aircraft-like seats, entertainment and communication interface, a bar, the works … and of course, looks and costs a million. Standing next to the new generation, Maybach was an original car carrying the same name, which was a benchmark in the evolutionary stages of the automobile. With this model, DaimlerChrysler pays homage to Wilhelm Maybach, the brilliant designer who made Daimler-Benz cars what they were then, and today.