Nissan Micra (2010) at the Geneva motor show

This is the new Nissan Micra, revealed today at the 2010 Geneva motor show by company chief exec Carlos Ghosn. Blame the need to appeal to buyers in over 160 countries, and Nissan’s desire to keep its cost down – fancy steel pressings cost cash. The new Micra will be built in at least four factories across the globe; Nissan’s Sunderland plant will build the new Juke and Europe’s supply of the Micra will come from a factory in India.

New Volvo V40: The Pedestrian saver +video

Volvo V40 Pedestrian Airbag Apart from great looks and lots of promise the new Volvo V40 offers lots of safety features, including a pedestrian air bag. Of all the mainstream cars we’ve revealed in the last few weeks as the hullabaloo of Geneva ensued, the new Volvo V40 has garnered more readers than any other, which surely augers well for the new V40′s prospects. It’s not just that Volvo seem to have got the whole looks thing right, but they’ve also managed to create a car in the new V40 that just has instant appeal.

Saab: Vlad Rides to the Rescue

Vladimir Antonov rides in with €30 million for Saab's coffers It was always an odd move by GM, or the Swedish Government, or whoever it was that decided the deal  for Spyker to buy Saab could only go through if Spyker’s money man – Vladimir Antonov – stepped down. It’s understandable if you have genuine concerns about the credentials of a party to the deal, but taking Vlad out of the equation was an accident waiting to happen. Without Vlad there was no financial safety net for Saab.