Maserati Levante, Bugatti Chiron steal the show in Geneva

The Maserati Levante is the Italian car maker's first SUV. (Maserati)

Among the 120 or more global and European premières promised for the 2016 Geneva Motor Show in Switzerland -- which runs until Sunday, March 13 -- new crossovers and supercars proved the biggest hits among the visiting public.

Even the most prestigious car makers are getting into the crossover game, with vehicles that look more like sleek, raised sedans than the 4x4s of yesteryear. After Porsche, Jaguar and Bentley -- and with a Rolls-Royce crossover in the pipeline -- it was Maserati's turn to present a first SUV at the Geneva show. The Maserati Levante comes with a 275hp to 430hp engine depending on the version, and a price tag starting at €72,800 (approx. US$79,800). Other crossovers presented at the show include the Toyota CH-R and the Audi Q2. Peugeot showed a restyled version of its 2008.

In a different category, Renault unveiled the fourth generation of its Scenic people carrier at the Swiss motor show, offering a more spacious and configurable interior. It should be available in seven-seater and hybrid versions later in the year.

The race for horsepower

The latest supercars are also previewed at the Geneva Motor Show, with the 2016 edition seeing premières of the McLaren 570GT, the Ferrari GTC4Lusso (replacing the Ferrari FF), the Lamborghini Centenario (a homage to Ferrucio Lamborghini) and the Aston Martin DB11. But the Bugatti Chiron definitely created the most hype at the event, with its 1,500hp W16 engine, 0 to 62mph (0 to 100km/h) acceleration in 2.5 seconds and top speed of 261 mph (420km/h). This supercar is set to sell for around $2.6 million (€2.4 million).

Related: Bugatti Chiron supercar photo gallery

This year's concept cars brought plenty of innovation and power to the show, with the Pininfarina H2 Speed, a 500hp hydrogen-powered vehicle, and the Techrules AT96, a hybrid car totaling 1,000hp. DS presented a fully electric 400hp sports car -- the E-Tense Concept -- while Opel showed a futuristic-looking coupé called the GT Concept and Volkswagen previewed its T-Cross Breeze convertible SUV.

Finally, the Geneva Motor show saw the Renault Alpine make its official comeback with the Alpine Vision. This show car is the forerunner of an upcoming commercial model scheduled to be presented by the end of 2016. Its sleek, modern design is inspired by the legendary Alpine A110 Berlinette, but the new model comes with a power-packed turbo engine built by Renault Sport.

Note that the Opel Astra was named "2016 European Car of the Year" ahead of this year's Geneva Motor Show.

The 86th Geneva International Motor Show runs March 3-13, 2016 at the Palexpo exhibition center in Geneva, Switzerland. Website: salon-auto.ch