Top picks from the British Motor Show

Take our photo gallery tour to see motoring editor Sharon Walters' top picks from this year's British International Motor Show at London's ExCel Arena.

After a successful launch, the Ford Focus EcoNetic has won WhatGreenCar's Car of the Year Awards 2008.

The results of the awards were announced in the Greener Driving Pavilion at the show. What Car's group editor, Steve Fowler said: "Beside the environmental benefits, it's family-friendly, great to drive, fuel efficient and safe, too, as its five-star Euro NCAP rating goes to show."

Building on the strengths of a car that has taken the market by storm, Nissan's new seven-seat Qashqai+2 is firmly in the spotlight after making its world debut at show.

With the focus firmly on its crossover line-up, Nissan also launched its all-new Murano together with a special edition Qashqai sporting 18-inch alloys and featuring a specially designed Bose audio system.

Elsewhere on the Nissan stand visitors can see the Denki Cube electric-powered concept, the Micra 25 and Note Accenta S special editions.nextpage

Alfa Romeo's sporty compact, the Alfa MiTo made its UK public debut at this year's show. The first compact Alfa Romeo for more than 35 years, the sporty and agile Alfa MiTo signals the new energy and direction for the Italian sporting marque.

Blessed with styling cues from the sublime Alfa 8C Competizione, the Alfa MiTo is expected to win over style-conscious young drivers when it goes on sale here in January 2009.

On sale early next year, with pre-ordering beginning in October, prices start at £10,975 on the road for the entry level 1.4 16V 95 bhp Turismo, and rise to £14,975 for the 1.4 TB 155 bhp Veloce.nextpage

Nissan went big on one of its most popular small cars, the Micra, by staging a special parade to mark the little supermini's 25th anniversary, but also pointed to the future by putting its Denki Cube concept on show.

The concept is a development of the Cube production model, created to showcase Nissan's electric-powered vehicles.

The Denki Cube is powered by the latest state-of-the-art electric vehicle technology, which is likely to be seen in a Nissan production car within a couple of years. nextpage

Peugeot has a wide range of its ever-green cars on display at show. The 308 RCZ Concept, making its UK show debut, has only recently been confirmed to enter production and won't actually be on UK roads until 2010.

Its attractive appearance is a product of the design inspired by the 908 HDi FAP Le Mans Series race car, with its double-hump roofline for low-drag aerodynamics.

The lightweight carbon-fibre roof also saves weight and helps achieve low-emissions of just 160g/km CO2.

Such is the special interest in this car a special hourly reveal is planned during the entire show.nextpage

A new, high-specification 'Autobiography' model made a global debut at show. The Range Rover model line-up for 2009 will feature the most luxurious top of the range production Range Rover yet.

Taking the name 'Autobiography', it replaces the model previously reserved for bespoke versions of the luxury 4x4.

John Edwards, Land Rover UK managing director, said: "The new Autobiography derivative and additional 2009 model year features enhance what is already, the most complete luxury 4x4. Where better to showcase this than on our home soil at the British International Motor Show?"nextpage

For a totally green approach, Norwegian electric vehicle firm Think revealed the world's only crash-tested and highway-certified electric car.

The Th!nk is a two-seater urban run-around with a top speed of 65mph. It can also seat two children in the rear, requires just an overnight top-up of electricity, and can travel for 126 miles on a fully charged battery.

Here's the car's real virtue - over 10,000 miles' use, the total cost of electricity used to power a Th!nk will be around £100.

British buyers can get their hands on one next summer, but will have to wait until nearer the on-sale date to learn the price.nextpage

Saab's concepts, the Saab 9-4X BioPower, and the Saab 9-X BioHybrid, drew many admirers, and they signal the firm's commitment to both its future product portfolio and the use of BioPower technology.

The use of bio-fuels has sparked some controversy, and car makers used the show to call for a sensible debate with the Government over bio-fuels as an alternative to oil.

Manufacturers also say that claims that growing crops for bio-fuels is causing food shortages around the world are misleading.