Geneva - Honda's new Insight Hybrid is making its European debut at the Geneva Motor Show with the combination of a 1.3-litre i-VTEC combustion engine an electric motor.

A key element is the Eco Assist system with the upper instrument cluster featuring a colour changing ambient light that illuminates green when driving ecologically, blue/green when the car is being driven acceptably and blue when driven less economically.

Honda lists consumption at 4.4 litres per 100 kilometres with a carbon dioxide emission figure of 101 grams per kilometre.

Stuttgart, Germany  - German premium carmaker Porsche expects to have a petrol-electric version of its Cayenne sports utility in the showroom by 2010, the company announced in Stuttgart.

The parallel hybrid will consume less than nine litres of fuel per 100 kilometres but offer a hefty 380 horsepower from the combination of a 3.0 litre petrol engine and an electric motor turning out 52 additional horses.

Porsche said the aim was to offer a green version of the successful SUV, a genre of cars often criticised by environmentalists for their excess fuel consumption, without compromising the performance which consumers expect from the brand. Prices have not been announced so far.

Geneva  - The French car maker Citroen is to unveil the first of its new DS product line in Geneva aimed at the lifestyle generation and competing models such as the MINI and Fiat 500.

The DS Inside, which will be sold as the DS3 next year, has a funky design with powerful front grille and chromed strips on the flank. The B-Pillar has a slightly forward-leaning shape while the C-Pillars disappear under the rear window. The DS stands for Distinctive Series.

Geneva  - Rolls-Royce is previewing the 200EX concept at the Geneva Motor Show which is widely expected to be the new "Baby Rolls" production model scheduled for 2010.

Teaser images show a more streamlined body than the big Rolls-Royce Phantom with a neat grille, narrow LED headlamps, chromed door handles, a prominent C-pillar and seven-spoke 20-inch wheels.

Hamburg - The German premium car manufacturer Audi is bringing out the family silver this year with more than 50 events and special shows to mark the 100th birthday of a brand that got its name to avoid a legal dispute linked to car pioneer and founder August Horch.

Horch, which means "hear" in German, established a small car company in Cologne in 1899, but then moved to the eastern German town of Zwickau in 1904 where he established the Hochwerke AG stock company.

Company's two-wheeler sales fell 17% in February

Slowly, the two-wheeler landscape is changing and entry-level bikes appear to be the primary reason for that.

Entry level bikes, that cost for less than Rs 40,000 and typically have engine displacements less than 125cc, now comprise a little over half of the total market.

Hero Honda Motors has been the undisputed leader here. But what has happened over the last few months has surprised everyone, including parts suppliers and analysts: Hero Honda has gone from strength to strength in this segment, taking market share away from close competitor Bajaj Auto and this has led to the latter reporting significant overall sales declines.