The 2024 Geneva motor show was the first since 2019
Show organiser hails ‘flexibility’ of more compact format, announcing dates of 17-23 February 2025
The next Geneva motor show is planned to open on 17 February 2025, its organiser has said, following last week’s “successful and promising” return.
The 2024 Geneva motor show was the first to take place since 2019, due to the outbreak of the Covid pandemic and its after-effects.
With 23 manufacturers displaying their vehicles, this year’s Geneva show was markedly smaller than those in its heyday, with notable omissions including Stellantis and the Volkswagen Group.
Indeed, Stellantis appeared to openly mock the Swiss show, staging an online unveiling of five Fiat concept cars (one a preview of the next Panda) in a small Italian town jokingly referred to as ‘Ginevra’.
This year’s show was most prominently backed by the Renault Group, which unveiled the new Renault 5 and staged the public debuts of the Dacia Duster, Dacia Spring and Dacia Sandrider.
The Renault Scenic also won the Car of the Year award at the show, narrowly beating the BMW 5 Series in a poll of 58 journalists representing 22 countries.
Chinese firm MG unveiled its new 3 hybrid supermini and confirmed the European launch of sibling brand IM, while compatriot BYD gave the new Seal U plug-in hybrid SUV its European debut.
The show was otherwise more overtly aimed at the public than in previous years, introducing four new ‘experiential’ zones designed to showcase its overarching theme: ‘Auto Future Now’.
There was an Adrenaline Zone dedicated to high-performance vehicles and motorsport; the Design District hosted exhibitions from Pininfarina and storied designer Frank Stephenson; the Mobility Lab showcased different forms of personal and shared transport; and the Next World area was designed in partnership with video-game maker Polyphony Digital to provide a vision of “the future of automotive”.
As part of that exhibition, Polyphony displayed a range of Vision GT concepts designed by car makers for its Gran Turismo racing games.
Prior to this year’s show, Geneva International Motor Show (GIMS) CEO Sandro Mesquita told Autocar that this push for “bespoke content for the public” was designed to help visitors “decode the theme of Auto Future Now”.
He said the different show zones would evolve year by year according to emerging themes and technologies but “the brands will stay the stars of the show”.
As part of its bid to make exhibiting at Geneva more attractive, GIMS also provided “plug-and-play” booths to attendees, which minimised set-up costs and time commitments.
Following the 2024 show, Mesquita said in a statement: “Our event has proven its importance, underscoring the need for professionals and the general public to meet to exchange, discover and live an experience.
“The show concept, mixing traditional stands and thematic zones, was particularly appreciated for its relevance and ability to offer a rich and diversified experience.
“This new format also allows for increased flexibility in the offering to exhibitors, enabling them to adjust their participation in GIMS either through a traditional custom stand or within a thematic zone according to their needs.“
