Well, look what we have here. While looking through all the cars that are going to officially unveiled at the 2010 Geneva Auto Show, we noticed that most of the big unveils were hybrids. We’re not talking about a sneak peak at the 2012 Toyota Prius, or a Ford Fusion Hybrid Coupe. The hybrids being unveiled are either luxurious four-doors from nameplates like BMW and Mercedes-Benz, or super cars straight outta Stuttgart and Modena.

Most people think they’re ridiculous for embracing what they see as the hybrid trend. Granted, driving a hybrid is about as much fun as listening to OJ Da Juiceman read Twilight, but if anyone can push the technology forward it’s companies like Ferrari, Porsche, BMW and Mercedes-Benz. With that said, take a look at the seven hybrids debuting at the Geneva Auto Show that we’re most excited about…

PEUGEOT SR1
• Are we wrong for calling this the most exciting Peugeot in years? We don’t think so. It has a one-piece lightweight carbon-fiber body and four-wheel steering, as well as 313 hp from a 218 hp 1.6-liter turbodiesel motor paired with a 95-hp rear-mounted electric motor, putting down power to all four wheels. How’s the gas mileage? According to Peugeot: 48 mpg. All while hitting 60 in 4.7 seconds.

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PORSCHE 918 SPYDER HYBRID
• Porsche is serious about their hybrid tech. Along with the 918 Spyder, they are also debuting the all-wheel drive Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid—a true race car version of their consumer racer. They claim the GT3 R Hybrid will be their test bed to develop hybrid tech to use in future race cars, like the one they’re planning to run upon their return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans. But the 918 is way cooler. The topless two seater not only looks amazing, but if Porsche is to be believed it’s a monster on the road: The RS Spyder LMP2 racecar sourced V8 will put out over 500 hp, and will be connected to a 218 hp electric motor, making it hit 60 mph in around 3.2 seconds. Yeah, that makes it the fastest Porsche ever.

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FERRARI 599 HYBRID
• Ferrari wasn’t going let Porsche take all the super car hybrid glory. Details are scarce on their converted 599, but reports are saying that it will have a V12 engine mated to a pair of electric motors. It’ll also sport a kinetic-energy recovery system (KERS) like their F1 car had last season. We’re not sure how keeping a V12 will help fuel economy at all, but hey, we’re sure it’ll be a blast to drive.

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LOTUS EVORA 414E HYBRID
• In our opinion, when it comes to fuel friendly sport cars, Lotus has the right idea. Light weight = less needed fuel. Taking it one step further the British marquee took their critic favorite, Lotus Evora and swapped out the Toyota V6 for a 47 hp 1.2-liter three-cylinder range extending gas engine and a pair of electric motors good for 408 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque. They claim that on a single charge you can go 5 miles on a single charge and 300 miles as a hybrid. The only thing we don’t like? The fake engine noises they’re programming into the car.

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MERCEDES-BENZ F800
• Outside of the next gen styling that will lend itself to the next CLS, the coolest thing about the F800 is the mult-drive platform. The F800 being shown at Geneva will be powered by a 300 hp V6 and a 109 hp electric motor. However, MB claims that they could easily use the same platform for their F-Cell (fuel cell) technology. It’s a pretty big deal for them. On top of that, the tech inside the F800 is on another level as well.
Distronic Plus Traffic Jam Assistant, a system that can steer itself at speeds of up to 25 mph. It’s the beginning of the end, my friends.

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BMW CONCEPT 5 SERIES ACTIVEHYBRID
• BMW extends their ActiveHybrid line with the 5 Series offering. Underneath the regular body, there’s a turbocharged straight-6 engine with a 40-kw electric motor.

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HYUNDAI I-FLOW
• Hyundai continues to step it up. Their hybrid compact concept sports a 1.7-liter turbodiesel is mated to a six-speed dual-clutch transmission, an electric motor and a lithium-ion-polymer battery, as well as a drag coefficient of .25.

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RELATED: Ken Block On How To Drift
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PRICE: (base) $23,945; (loaded) $25,840

POWER: 263hp, 2.3L Turbocharged four cylinder engine w/ Direct Injection Spark Ignition (DISI)

MPG: 18 city/25 mpg

RIDE: Before we get into how it rides, let’s put some of these numbers in perspective. Blown lump fitted between the front wheels is capable of putting out 263 hp and 280 lb-ft of torque. That’s 63 more horses than the VW GTI. Hell, that’s more power than almost every car in its class. 63 horses may not sound like a lot, but keep in mind that the MazdaSpeed3 (MS3) weighs only 3245, that’s 700 lbs less than a BMW 5 series. In such a package, any increase in power is automatically felt. And the same goes here. As soon you get on the gas you know you’re in a mini hot-rod. Which can be good and bad. Good because you have one of the quickest cars for the money. Bad because it sometimes behaves like an overeager puppy. Oh, and the torque steer.

Simply put, torque steer is what happens when the front wheels of a car are overwhelmed with the amount of twisting power (torque) being sent to them and send the car going in whichever direction it wants. Not good. To help you out, Mazda threw in a limited slip differential to keep the wheels straight and lessen the wheel. Once you get the car moving, however, it’s a blast. Literally. Dig your foot into the go pedal and you’ll hit 60 mph in 6.4 sec. That’s properly quick. The car handles better than the regular Mazda 3’s as well thanks to finely tuned suspension and four grippy Dunlop P225s. With the added sportiness, you, of course, sacrifice a little on road comfort. Potholes become your worse enemy. You can feel more in the road that you did before. If you’re a lead foot, that’s all fine and good, but if you’re just trying to take your girl to the movies it can get a little tiresome.

EXTERIOR: Most hot hatch makers have been turning down the crazy aesthetics that are traditionally associated with hot hatches. They’ve taken off the scoops and wings and bulging wheel arcs to make them look, more or less, like their plebeian stablemates. Not Mazda. They decided to make the MS3 standout even more than before. Where the first generation had only a more aggressive suspension, grill and wheel package, the 2010 model takes all that an throws a hood scoop on it as well. Just incase people that drove next to you didn’t peep the badge at the back. Some say it’s too much. We think it’s just right. It’s the most exciting design out of all the hot hatches sold in the States.

INTERIOR: The interior is more or less the same as the regular Mazda 3. Once again you get Recaro buckets upfront along with the red stitching. This being a five door, there’s space enough for four adults and their stuff to ride around in. We wouldn’t recommend squeezing in that five person unless it was completely necessary. The dash is well laid out, with large buttons (maybe a bit too large) guiding to everything you need.

TECH: If you opt for the navigation system, you may find yourself a bit frustrated. For 2010 Mazda has outfitted their cars with a mini screen nestled above the dash, to the right of the instrument cluster. It’s right in the eye line of the driver which is cool. What’s not cool is how you control it. As a system it’s great. The menu’s are clear and intuitive, the nav system got us where we wanted to go in a quick and straight forward manner. But in order to get through those menu’s and input your information you have to use a toggle on the steering wheel. Meaning your passenger can’t use it. Most cars these days have touch screens or crazy advanced infotainment systems. It seems like Mazda could have refined their system a bit. That said, the optional Bose 10-speaker system is amazing. In such a small package your music will knock, no matter what it is you listen to.

SUMMARY: If you’re looking for excitement each and every time you sit behind the wheel this is your car. It’s practical enough to drive on the daily, and well equipped enough to be a moderately good weekend racer. It’s comfortable to a point—we wouldn’t recommend taking long trips—and it’s very well priced.

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Falling under Kia’s new EcoDynamics sub-brand, the Ray concept packs in a bunch of fuel saving tech into the most attractive design we’ve seen from Kia in, well, ever. Why should you care? Kia is all about affordability. If and when the entire market shifts towards electric and hybrid powered vehicles, you can expect them to build one that won’t break your bank. And if they look as good as this, well, thats a win/win. Learn more about the Ray concept below…

EXTERIOR: To say this is the most striking Kia we’ve seen yet would be an understatement. We know it’s just a concept car, but the Ray’s bulbous curves makes it look extremely slippery. That’s thanks to the seamlessly styled exterior. The more wind and rolling resistance a car has working against it, the more fuel it has to burn to move. To lower its drag co-efficient, Kia’s designers sought to produce as many flush surfaces as they could to minimize any unneeded edges. They wanted to make as little a footprint as possible, so they made the body panels mostly out of recycled and other lightweight materials. On top of that is a nano-laminate film put in place to reduce solar heat so you don’t have to use your air conditioner as much in the summertime.

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INTERIOR:Just like the exterior, the Ray’s interior is all about keeping the passengers as cool and comfortable as possible while leaving a small footprint. To do that, Kia uses recycled materials bathed in cool white tones to reflect as much sun heat as possible. Entertainment will be supplied by Kia’s next generation infotainment system called UVO. Powered by Microsoft, UVO will allow users to easily control their music and their mobile phones via touch screen and voice activated controls, kind of like a new age Microsoft Sync.

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DRIVETRAIN: As futuristic as the exterior and interior technology is, the Ray’s drivetrain seems to be lifted straight out of 2010. Mated to a 78kw electric motor is a 1.4 liter, 153 hp gasoline direct injected motor running with a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT). According to Kia, on a single charge, this set up will allow the driver to travel 50 miles solely on electricity before the gasoline motor kicks in. They claim the Ray’s good for 202 mpg, with a total range of 746 miles, which, if true, is pretty damn impressive.

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But the company that brought us one of the best and most fuel efficient hybrids on the road today, decided that with a little medicine they’d dish out some sugar along with it, and that brings us to the 2010 Ford Taurus SHO. There’s no high-performance Yamaha heads this time around, no special edition splicer wheels, not even a manual transmission. But there are two turbo chargers, over 100 more horses under the hood and cavernous, luxurious interior. But does all that a SHO make? Read on to find out…

PRICE: Base: $38,595

SPECS: 3.5 liter ECOBOOST V6, 365 hp, 350 lb-ft of torque.

MPG: 17 city/25 highway.

RIDE: For the performance version of their most iconic midsized sedan, the Ford Taurus SHO drives really, really calmly. So calmly in fact you’ll be forgiven for thinking you were instead riding in a Lincoln—well, you would if anyone still drove Lincolns. The SHO’s twin turbo’d V6 pumps out 365 horses with 350 lb-ft of twisting power. For those reading off the numbers with question marks after each digit, let us put to you this way, this car is more powerful than a BMW 550i and an Audi A6. It’s fast. It’s sub five second zero to 60 time suggests that it’s also quick, but driving it, you would never guess. It’s so damn smooth. Part of that is probably due to the fact that the car feels heavy. Hit the “go” pedal and you won’t rush to 60, instead you glide on a velvety wave of torque. It’s a little too uninvolved. It seems as thought the car was built for Dad’s who want to go fast without make their kids spill their Lunchables.

The six speed automatic transmission shifts smoothly, if not quickly. The paddle shifters allow you a little more control, but there’s just no replacement for a proper manual. You feel like you would rather be rowing through the gears yourself. It would definitely make the experience much more enjoyable. Conversely, take this on the highway on a long trip and you’ll be counting your blessings. It’s made for the highway, it seems. You can easily breeze past slower cars and despite it’s heft and length, the AWD system lets you easily toss it in and out of lanes. It’s a fast sedan, no doubt. But is it sporty? Well, not necessarily, but that’s not really a bad thing. Ford has cars to fill that void, this is meant to provide a different exhilaration. The kind where you say, “Oh, shit, I’m doing 100 mph?!”

EXTERIOR: The original Ford Taurus was such a design success, such a departure from the norm, that they threw it in RoboCop! The models that came after were way less exciting. It was like Ford realized only mid-western suburban moms were buying them and gave up on designing a cool looking car. The 2010 Taurus fixes all’a that. The design is imposing. At 202.9 inches, it’s almost 10 inches longer than a BMW 5 series. And it’s tall. Maybe Ford felt the need to make it super masculine? Who knows. All we know is we love it. You feel like you’re driving something substantial. The proportions are as large as its profile, making it seem retro and futuristic all in the same glance. Although the bulges are bulky, they don’t seem overly so. We know it’s made by a competing company, but it oddly feels like a long lost cousin to the new Camaro (please, no hate mail). The only details separating the SHO from the normal Taurus is the dual exhaust set up out back and the “ECOBOOST” badge on the trunk. Oddly enough, we think that’s a good thing. The car is already styled to within an inch of its life, we wouldn’t want to see what would happen if Ford tried to make it look “sporty”.

INTERIOR: You know those cars that are huge on the outside and weirdly small on the inside? The Taurus is not one of those cars. It’s huge inside. Big enough for five people to comfortably ride around in. If there’s only four of you, you could take it on a road trip have everyone feeling content with their personal space. Up front, the bucket seats are comfortable but not meant for performance driving. They don’t keep you in place at all—hit a corner and depending on your size, you’ll find yourself sliding around the seat. Not too much though, the cool looking suede will stick your clothes and try to keep you in place. Both driver and passenger get heated seats with ass massages. Pretty nifty for Fords everyman sedan.

TECH: In the SHO you get all the tech for has to offer: a bass-heavy Sony sound system with a navigation system, a 10GB hard drive and, of course, the voice controlled, Bluetooth connected Microsoft Sync. There’s also the optional BLIS (Blind Spot Information System) system (our car had it) that alerts you to, you guessed it, cars in your blind spot. Cool, but not necessary.

SUMMARY: The 2010 Ford Taurus SHO is a comfortable, fast, large touring sedan. Not quite the sporty performer we thought it’d be, it instead makes us want to devour large stretches of interstate with a few our of friends. If you’re looking for an American alternative to Europe’s midsized sporty four doors, this is it.

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COMPARE TO: Stanley 500 Amp Jump Starter with Compressor

PRICE: $55

FUN FACT: Black & Decker, a company started in Baltimore, Maryland back in 1910, invented the portable electric drill in 1914.

WHY COMPLEX IS CO-SIGNING IT: You know what sucks? Being stranded in the middle of nowhere with a dead car battery and a pissed off wifey. While we can’t do anything about your girl, today’s Buy It Now, the Black & Decker Start It Jump Starter, can help make sure you never get stranded with a dead car battery again. With this 300 amp jump starter, you’ll never have to depend on a random passerby to get your car running, charge it over night and it’s ready to go. It’s lightweight and small, so you can toss it in your truck without sacrificing any storage space, and it’s durable, with solid metal jumper clamps and a strong plastic body. Black and Decker also threw in a blindingly bright LED light so you can actually see what you’re doing. But if you have no idea how to jump star a car, don’t worry, the Start It comes equipped with a “reverse hook-up warning alarm ” in case you connect the wrong cables. Really, if you own a car you should already have something like this, but if you don’t, the Black & Decker Start It is a great and affordable one to buy. If you won’t do it for yourself, do it for your girl. For those still iffy on how to use it, check below for an instructional video and Buy It Now info…

CLICK HERE to BUY IT NOW for $54.99 from Amazon.com.

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CHEVROLET VOLT
WHY YOU SHOULD CARE: The Volt may be the most important—certainly the most talked about—electric car of the moment. It’s the car GM is famously hedging their bets on. It’s the car they brought down to Washington as proof of concept that the company was making a change for the better. A four door hatchback, the Volt is not fully electric. Once you go past 40 miles and 160 hp electric motor cuts out, the 1.0 liter gasoline engine kicks in and starts powering a 71 hp electric generator. It may be the most practical of them all.

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NISSAN LEAF
WHY YOU SHOULD CARE: Well, besides having the best marketing campaign, the 110 hp, 100 mile range Leaf (Leading, Environmentally Friendly, Affordable, Family Car) will be the Volts main competition. They’re not talking price yet, but we assume it’d be in the same range as the Volt’s. One thing they claim will for sure be better is the price of ownership: using the Department of Energy’s formula, they claim Leaf owners will dish out dough as if their car was netting 367 mpg. Amazing.

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TESLA ROADSTER
WHY YOU SHOULD CARE: Electric cars are fine in theory, but as much as people would like to believe that cars are nothing more than toasters on wheels—an transportation appliance—there are as many people who see cars as getaways and, or, status symbols. Something they can hop in and go nuts in. And something they can show off to the people at Starbucks. If electric propulsion is the future of the automobile, we’re going to need a car like the Tesla Roadster. Built using a Lotus Elise frame, the Tesla Roadster is an all-electric, 248 hp sports car able of super car figures, like zero to 60 in around 3.9 seconds. And on the status side of things? To get one, you’ll need $109,000.

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MINI E
WHY YOU SHOULD CARE:Well, it’s a Mini. That means you get BMW craftsmanship, zero emissions and an incredibly fun chassis. Released only on lease terms in a limited run of 500, the E gained steam (or, current?) as drivers touted its livability. It was also the first electric car to reach the masses in such large numbers. With the only complaint being a sketcky brake feel, the Mini E, powered by an electric motor putting out around 200 hp and 161 lb-ft of torque, proved to many that this market is, well, actually a market.

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THE ZENN
WHY YOU SHOULD CARE: Compared to cars of similar size and build, electric cars are going to have a very noticeable price premium. Call it the penalty of leadership. But, as always, there’s going to be one brand that keeps it cheap and that brand is ZENN (an acronym for Zero Emissions, No Noise). If you forgo some small luxuries like floor mats, a radio, air condition and battery insulation, you can pick one up for $17,245. Alright, so that may be a bit much to pay for a car that can’t go faster 25 mph and feels like a tarted up golf cart on the inside, but expect to see a bunch of cars like these popping up in densely populated urban areas.

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Thanks to their bracketless design—no metal frame above the blade—these wipers don’t allow the usual ice and snow build up, allowing you to get going quicker in the morning. Bosch’s Quiet-Glide™ micro-finish wiping edge makes for a much quieter and smoother wiping, so you’ll see less of those annoying streaks as the snow melts. And their fx dual rubber technology gives them a stronger wiping edge and a longer life span. We know you don’t think about your windshield wipers, but take a look at yours during the next storm and if you need an upgrade, check out the Bosch Icons. Check below for Buy It Now Info…

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#5: Chevrolet Equinox 2LT AWD
PRICE: $27,370
Complex Says: Besides the Cadillac SRX, the all-new Equinox is our favorite crossover made by any of the GM brands. The styling has been updated to resemble a ride that a person with testicles wouldn’t mind driving and they’ve thrown in an TKT hp V6 engine to help get you going. The 2LT is also loaded with features like a Pioneer audio system and a back up camera. It’s not the most nimble of crossovers, but what it lacks in handling it more than makes up for in comfort. The cabin isn’t super luxe, but it’ll more than make due, especially the eight way adjustable driver seat and a built in USB port so you can listen to your iPod on the go.

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#4: Suzuki Kizashi SLS AWD
PRICE: $26,749
Complex Says: We didn’t know what to expect from Suzuki’s Kizashi. The name alone made us raise an eyebrow, but the styling won us over, as did the interior and the rev-happy 2.4 liter, 180 horsepower engine. It’s littered with features such as Dual-zone automatic climate, heated seats, and a seven speaker, 425-watt sound system that seriously knocked. There’s a switch to the left of the steering wheel that turns the intelligent AWD system, which can be set to three settings: 2WD for normal road driving, AWD, for rain and 4WD for snow and ice. It’s one of the best low-priced all around cars we’ve been in.

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#3: Ford Fusion Sport AWD
PRICE: $28,335
Complex Says: The Fusion is one of the best cars to come out of Ford in, shit, we don’t know how long. Maybe that’s why it racked up so many awards. There’s room enough for five adults to ride comfortably, its ride finds that nice balance between sporty and comfy—especially the Sport model. It also looks the best out of the whole Fusion model range, with its spoiler standard 18″ aluminum rims and fog lights. Then there’s the 3.5 liter V6 that’s good for 263 horses. When the snow hits the ground, you’re going to need all of ‘em.

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#2: Hyundai Tucson Limited AWD
PRICE: $24,345
Complex Says: Still not considering a Hyundai? Well, you need to. They’re new line up is shaping up to be as stylish and feature-filled as it is cheap. The all-new Tucson is proof of that. Completely rebuilt, they’ve took pains to make exceptionally quiet and smooth. It also comes with an available 6-speed manual transmission(!). The interior is Hyundai’s usual fare of sporty design and up-market looking instruments and nice materials. Spend a little more on the limited and get the panoramic sunroof, and get some light. It also sports one of the best all-wheel-drive systems in its class, with a driver selectable AWD lock, so you can choose to evenly split the power between all wheels when things get really hairy.

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#1: Subaru Impreza WRX
PRICE: $24,995
Complex Says: If we could pick one car to have when the conditions turn less than favorable, we’d get the Subaru WRX. Their symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system, mated to their 2.5 liter, 265 horsepower turbocharged Boxer engine is the stuff of legend. Using this car as a base, Subaru has cleaned up in the world rally championship, bringing home titles in ‘95, ‘96 and ‘97. It’s so good you’ll want to do some maneuvers that, considering your behind the wheel talent, you really shouldn’t be doing. And that’ the beautiful thing, the car is so well balanced and engineered— an awesome vehicle dynamics control (VDC) system that applies brakes and scales power if you lose traction—you’ll be forgiven for all your sloppy turn-ins.

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