The Geneva Motor Show is in full swing once again, and as you might expect, green technology is dominating displays from nearly every automaker in attendance.

But the so-called eco-friendly wares on display here in Switzerland are unlike what we’ve seen on the auto-show circuit so far this year. Instead of a bevy of vaporware concepts and commuter cars with as much character as a bowl of dry bran flakes, Europe’s best are proving that responsibility can also be fun and luxurious. From Ferrari’s gas-electric supercar to Lexus’ new hybrid hatchback to Porsche’s new battery-powered SUV, examples of smartly engineered and stylishly designed machines are everywhere. Here are our choices for the most significant cars at the show — the sheet metal you absolutely need to know about.

Mercedes-Benz Twin Turbo 5.5-liter V8

We’re talking about an engine here, not a car. But Mercedes-Benz did manage to stuff it into a rather special new S-Class for the show, so that’s worth mentioning. The new mill is a twin-turbocharged 5.5-liter V8 that produces up to 571 horsepower and 663 lb-ft of torque, making it more powerful and lighter than the 6.2-liter naturally aspirated engine it’s meant to replace. The engine will work its way into the Mercedes-Benz lineup in a number of slots, but you’ll be able to see it first in the 2011 S63 AMG available this summer. The company says the engine will deliver up to 25 percent better fuel economy — serious numbers if they turn out to be true — and feature trick technologies such as start-stop and variable throttle mapping.

Ferrari Hy-KERS Hybrid Concept

It wasn’t so long ago that Ferrari denounced the idea of building a Prancing Horse with a hybrid powertrain. But the company’s tune has obviously changed with the unveiling of the new Hy-KERS Hybrid Concept — a car with, you guessed it, battery packs and an electric motor. As it turns out, this hybrid is less interested in saving the planet than it is in churning out better lap times. The chugging V12 gasoline engine from the Ferrari 599 is joined by a 107-horsepower electric motor, sandwiched between the engine and the 7-speed transmission. That extra grunt pretty much cancels out the fact that the electric system adds 220 pounds, but it should help to reduce the car’s emissions.

Lexus CT 200h

Lexus is moving into uncharted waters with the CT 200h. Historically, luxury buyers in the United States have been wary of hatchbacks and even more skittish when it comes to hybrids. But the Japanese manufacturer seems bent on ignoring those facts with this interesting gas-electric hybrid, a luxury hatchback complete with a drivetrain borrowed from the Toyota Prius. That means a 1.8-liter gasoline engine and a slew of electric bits to keep fuel consumption low. Distribution plans are murky at best, but this one will head to Europe and Japan but, sadly, skip Uncle Sam’s backyard entirely.

Citroen Survolt Concept

We don’t get to enjoy Citroens on the U.S. side of the pond, and that’s a real shame, judging by the company’s Survolt Concept. While this thing is technically just a design study, the company says that the car is meant to be an all-electric performance vehicle with bloodlines that run back to the RevoltE concept that we saw at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Citroen is keeping performance figures to itself, likely because the Survolt relies on auto-show trickery to move under its own power, but the company does say it was built with motorsports in mind. Does that mean Citroen may be looking to add electric racing to its résumé? Maybe, but who cares? We’ll never see it here.

Porsche Cayenne Hybrid

Ferrari wasn’t the only sports car manufacturer balking at the idea of slapping a hybrid drivetrain in one of its creations. Porsche was right there with the Italians saying that the tech just didn’t make sense for its products. Well, so much for that. The company pulled the wraps off a new hybrid version of its Cayenne SUV in Geneva. The truck is the company’s first shot at adding a 47-horsepower electric motor to a supercharged V6 gasoline engine. Porsche says the result is 380 horsepower with a 23 percent bump in fuel economy. How much will it cost you? That’s still up in the air, but it we can guarantee won’t be cheap.

Volvo S60

Face it: Volvo has always been a brand that favored safety over sexiness. Generations of America’s youth have grown up being bused about in big, lumbering Swedish boxes, if for no other reason than Volvo’s widespread reputation for building some of the safest cars on the planet. It looks as if the company is out to prove it can do safe with a pulse by unveiling the new S60. Under the hood sits a turbocharged inline 6-cylinder engine with 300 horsepower and 325 lb-ft of torque, enough to get our palms all sweaty. But Volvo isn’t walking away from its safety-first mantra just because it’s now owned by the Chinese manufacturer Geely — or, for that matter, jumping into the sexy-cars arena any time soon. The S60 also comes with the company’s collision-avoidance system and a pedestrian-safe front end.

Volkswagen Polo GTI

Does anyone remember the first-generation VW Golf? The pint-sized Bavarian hit the scales at a featherweight 1,900 pounds. Compare that to the 2,968 pounds of heft on the most recent version of the Volkswagen compact and you can see how there’s a market for a sub-Golf model. Meet the Polo GTI — the Golf’s smaller, more efficient younger brother. Powered by a turbocharged and supercharged 1.4-liter direct-injection gasoline engine, the little hatch promises to be decently powerful and plenty efficient. So far, VW hasn’t said if the Polo GTI is headed our way, but rumors suggest it may be a good possibility.

Saab 9-5

It’s been a shaky few months for Saab. The Swedish carmaker’s on-again off-again sale to Dutch supercar manufacturer Spyker had fans of the brand biting their fingernails, but the deal went through and Saab was on hand at Geneva to show off the new 9-5. The last time an all-new 9-5 hit the stage was sometime during the Paleolithic era, so the car was due for an update. The sleek new bodywork is expected to define the rest of the Saab stable moving forward, and the company says the 9-5 will receive a number of powerplant options, all of which are turbocharged. The company isn’t saying when we can expect to get our hands on the car, but it should be soon.

Mercedes-Benz F800 Style Concept

Mercedes-Benz tipped its hand, giving us a clue as to what the future of the company’s design will look like with the F800 Style Concept. Though the rear-sliding doors and futuristic interior help the F800 Style stand out from the rest of the show-car crowd, we’re more likely to see some version of the concept’s face on future Silver Arrow products. The new look moves the company away from the angular layout of the current model lineup and returns it to a more emotive state, akin to the SLS AMG. We like what we see.

Audi A8 Hybrid

Audi may be calling its A8 Hybrid a design study, but it’s clear that one more company that once balked at the idea of electric cars is giving hybrids and EVs a serious once-over. Under this flagship’s hood is a gasoline/electric tag team good for 245 horsepower and 354 lb-ft of torque. Most of that oomph comes from a 2.0-liter turbocharged gas engine, but a small electric motor serves up 45 horsepower and can ferry the massive sedan along for 1.2 miles at 40 mph. Not too shabby. The company says we could expect up to 38 mpg — that is, if the car were more than a simple design study.