(From top): the Palais des Nations with the famous bronze armillary sphere; the Tata Cliffrider; the Peugeot corner at the Geneva Auto Show; family excursions on Lake Geneva are very popular during summer months

How do you ‘do’ Geneva in an afternoon? That’s easy. Jump into a hired bus and drive to the edge of Lake Geneva. The water’s grey and choppy at this time of year and the bracing wind coming off the lake is a reminder that the weather’s below freezing. An overcoat helps.

It’s the afternoon before the Geneva Auto Show and we are about to get the high-speed tour of this ‘international’ city in the heart of the Alps. Tomorrow there will be an endless stream of glittering new autos. But today, it’s time to look around this city.

What better place to start than Lake Geneva? Across the road is an Italian restaurant-cum-bar that offers pizzas straight from a wood-fired oven. Inside, the television camera crew travelling with us decides it’s a great place for a PTC ? Piece to Camera, for those who haven’t brushed up on their TV production jargon. Meanwhile, there’s a problem because the youthful waiter speaks only French and doesn’t seem to understand my version of his language. He must be the last person in Europe who hasn’t heard of vegetarians ? we have three on board.

Why did the world converge on Geneva in the 20th century? Yes, it’s beautiful and the vast lake is a treat in summer. But that doesn’t quite explain why every global institution has made Geneva their headquarters ? why didn’t they go to the Caribbean? The ill-fated League of Nations, set up after the trench warfare carnage of World War I based itself here. The driver of our mini-bus hasn’t heard of the League, so can’t show us the buildings.

But there are other world organisations by the score out here. Would you like to tour the sprawling United Nations complex ? Palais des Nations ? or take a dekko at the buildings where the World Trade Organisation, much-hated by protestors from around the world, makes it decisions? And how about the International Red Cross, which has an excellent museum that aims to explain what the organisation does around the world.

The next morning, it’s off to the giant Geneva Auto Show where the world has gathered to see what the motoring world is offering us in the years ahead. The Geneva Auto Show is quite an experience. The world’s top manufacturers have wheeled out their best offerings for the years ahead and the show stretches through several cavernous halls that are more like prettified aeroplane hangars than anything else. Leggy ladies from around the globe pose by the shiny new vehicles and flashlights are popping all the time. If all this horsepower and pulchritude is too exhausting, there are always the restaurants, which never have a seat vacant.

An automobile journalist once remarked that if Henry Ford returned to Earth, he could hop inside a modern sedan car and drive off in a few seconds. The point, of course, is that the basic design of autmobiles hasn’t changed in the last century since the era when Ford made the Model T.

That could be about to change ? and the future’s on show here. Steering wheels are gradually morphing into ‘command consoles’ with a host of buttons that will be the braincells of the vehicle. The newest Toyota concept vehicle, the Urban Cruiser has a steering wheel that wouldn’t look out of place in the cockpit of a passenger airliner. And the Fiat Grand Punto on show had a system called Blue & Me developed by the auto company in collaboration with Microsoft. The new system enables drivers and passengers to take calls without taking out their mobiles from their handbags or pockets and can also read out incoming SMS messages ? better be careful about your messages though.

And what would Henry Ford make of the Loramer Supercar? This futuristic vehicle was designed by Uli Sommer and you might be forgiven for wondering which way the car is facing. The Loramer, which is scheduled to start production in 2009, uses hi-tech materials and has cut out all extra frills in order to keep the vehicle’s weight down. Its top speed isn’t very high by modern standards and it wouldn’t win any races on the German autobahn. But fuel consumption is low and it wouldn’t look out of place in a sci-fi movie.

In the middle of the hall is India’s own entry to the show, the Tata Cliffrider, which is a bit like an SUV that has been turned rather elegantly into a pick-up truck. The Tatas call it a ‘crossover’ vehicle and indeed they are quite the rage this year. The Cliffrider has been designed by Idea, the Italian design firm and it could be on the streets in three years time if the Tatas think it will find favour with the public. The Cliffrider is described as a ‘multi-utility’ lifestyle vehicle. It’s a follow-up from the Tata Crossover which was on display at last year’s Geneva Auto Show.

My personal favourite was the Nissan Pivo, which has been shown at other shows. It’s a commuter car like the Bubblecar of the early 60s. The Pivo’s claim to fame is that it solves urban parking and reversing problems in a unique fashion ? the entire cabin does a 360- degree turn so that the driver is suddenly back-to-front, so to speak. Equally futuristically, there’s also the Nissan Terranaut, a giant SUV that the auto company calls a mobile lab for scientists.

But a vehicle that’s more likely to be on Indian roads soon is the Suzuki SX4, another crossover concept vehicle that’s designed as a successor to the Ignis. And from Rolls-Royce, there’s the EX 101, a two-door monster that has an awesomely tough look about it.

What will automobiles look like in a few years time? Let’s just say that Henry Ford would still recognise them ? but 10 years from now, don’t bet on it.

Photograph of Geneva Auto Show by Suresh Rangarajan