Car Size No Longer Reflects Status

Geneva Car Salon,
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GENEVA (AP) -- Big cars, small cars, sporty cars, practical cars, sleek cars, family cars.

Diversity is the name of the game at 75th International Motor Show in Geneva, which opened to the public Thursday and runs until March 13.

With the huge emphasis placed on catering to as many consumers as possible, today's variety means the show's 861,0000 square feet of floor space at the PalExpo are filed with a mind-boggling range of vehicles designed for every conceivable life style.

"The trend is going toward versatility and a lot of variety," said Yves Dubreil, vice president-deputy director of vehicle engineering at Renault. "It used to be that car brands had a straightforward range that went from small to big. It reflected social status. The bigger the car I had, the more important or rich I was.

"Cars are no longer an indication of a driver's social status, instead, they make a statement about a person's lifestyle. And there are a lot of different lifestyles."