This is the international debut of the latest Volkswagen ‘Up!' concept, which follows the E-Up! at Frankfurt and its rear engine concept car predecessors from two years previously. Like the E-Up!, the Up! Lite has a front engine and previews a production series due in 2011.
The Up! Lite name belies its low weight; at 695kg it's 50kg lighter than the tiny Smart ForTwo, although this is achieved through the use of aluminum and carbon fiber which surely won't be making it to production given their high cost. The diesel-electric hybrid powertrain (which was previewed in the narrow L1 concept from Frankfurt) won't be cheap either, but works with the car's low weight and remarkably low drag coefficient of 0.237, to make it the world's most fuel efficient four seat car (70mpg / 2 liters per 100km / 65g CO2 per km).
Proportionally the Up! Lite is a rakish three door hatchback with hints of the current Polo in the DLO and perhaps of a reduced height Audi A2 in its silhouette, but with a notably short front overhang which shifts visual mass rearwards. Look closer and there are some interesting design features: an active low set front grille that opens when needed and appears just like a smile, a clam shell hood that slides forwards to reveal fluid refill points at the base of the windshield, and wheels with ten carbon fiber cables in tension to supplement the conventional spokes behind the aero-style hubcaps.
The form language is close to that of the L1 and progresses the emergent more formal ‘product' Volkswagen aesthetic. Broadly there were two views on this from the designers we spoke to: it's great that Volkswagen is taking this more formal direction; it doesn't look modern enough.
The interior similarly relates to previous Up! concepts but introduces new ideas such as a full width IP air vent, gear selector as hand rest for when using the integrated touch-screen based secondary control interface, and exquisite use of materials and colors.
This design is dominated by its mono-space theme that tapers in plan forwards to reflect its arrow-head three seat configuration. Look inside and the rational for the seating layout is the same as the McLaren F1 that pioneered it: to allow seating for more than two in a short length by putting the passengers' legs and feet to the sides of the driver, while the driver's legs and feet sit between the front wheels. But what you also see when you look inside the P-NUT is a very crude model and a design that appears little developed: there was scant detailing and negligible use of color or materials.
The exterior perhaps also suffers from an apparently rushed and/or under-resourced design process, but there is an appealing uniqueness to the concept, some great details and some impressive resolution also.
The front face is perhaps the least comfortable aspect with an overly literal ‘mean face'. This is made of a low set mouth/grille glazing element (that augments forward visibility) connected to the lamps. Just above the DRG is a visually weak point where the tapering A-pillars form two sharp corners with no supporting ‘mass'. But the dramatic tapering A-pillars is unique and also creates a broad front shoulder that tapers rearwards, which lends an appealing robustness to this small car. The shoulder surface is near horizontal with a sharp crease delineating the sheer body-side that on closer inspection has some subtle surfacing and plan shape. The body side's relationship with the shoulder is complemented by a similar relationship with the rocker that also borrows thinking from last year's Honda FC Sport show car in tapering under the car. At the rear there are hints of the fantastic Honda Bulldog concept from 2001 with an upright narrow rear aspect flanked by deep section shoulders.
The P-NUT is a fun little concept, but like previous Honda concepts from the Southern California studio, we can't help but wish it was a little less superficial in its thinking and execution.
This is perhaps the most significant international production design debut of the show. The all-new third generation Sienna follows its predecessors in being a full size MPV with a fairly conventional overall theme as befitting its market aspirations, but introduces innovative functional interior design features and some unexpected panache to the exterior too.
The most explicit interior design innovations are in the second row of seats. Two captains' chairs have leg rests that lift up - much as they do in business class aircraft seating - to afford uniquely comfortable passenger accommodation. And when seating for a third person on the second row is required, a slim but surprisingly comfortable seat can be taken out of its dedicated storage space at the left side of the trunk, unfolded and connected to the left of the two second row seats. The other major new interior feature is the widescreen LCD screen that folds down from the roof and can either provide a 16-inch wide single display (big enough to be viewed from the third row if second row heads don't get in the way) or two displays side-by-side.
There are other interior design innovations: a centre console can be slid backwards to reach second row seating, air vents in the roof for all three rows, and numerous useful functional details like hooks to hang bags off and power sources for all rows.
The previous Sienna dressed its spacious package in a typically Toyota and typically MPV orthodox form, but this time Calty has given the Sienna a more fore-square stature from a dynamic DLO, higher hood, large wheels and imposing DRG. It has also introduced some well resolved, but more entertaining, surfacing and details that successfully puts some distance between the new Sienna and its prosaic predecessors. This is very accomplished design.
The production version of the Cadillac CTS coupe concept which was unveiled in Detroit last year faithfully follows the show car's theme. As with the concept, the production coupe shares the CTS sedan's front end forwards of the A-pillar, oddly with no changes - not even to the detailing within the grille. Clearly this must be a cost driven issue, although the design in isolation doesn't appear compromised by this. But it does seem to be a missed opportunity to further differentiate the coupe from its sedan and wagon siblings given its more premium and sporting identity; given how different the car looks from the side and rear (thanks in part to a wider rear track and higher decklid); and given that all of its competitors have different fascias, grilles and even lamps and body panels.
The design does keep the same crisp panel creases and corners of the CTS Coupe concept, which must have posed serious production challenges and is a credit to Cadillac; witness in particular the treatment at the base of the A-pillar.
Another nice detail from the concept that we see in this production version is the line that takes off from the top arc of the DLO and runs down the C-pillar to become the dividing line between rear lamp and rear fender.
The rear continues to be faithful to the concept and is the most interesting aspect of the design with a lot of plan shape as the sides taper inwards and as the back surface of the car is angled in a V with a center spline to visually reduce the length of rear overhang. The twin, centrally positioned exhaust pipe integrated into the lower bumper area and a high level central brake light doubling as a spoiler are also great details.
Just as with the concept, the production CTS coupe was well received by the design community. But we hope Cadillac might soon find the handful of dollars necessary to give it a different grille and wheel designs to its sedan sibling - it deserves it.
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Cadillac CTS Coupe concept - Detroit 2008
The international debut of the new Hyundai Sonata coincided with the North American market introduction of the Tuscan and of the expression ‘fluidic sculpture', which the company is using to describe the new design language of these and forthcoming vehicles from the Korean brand.
The new Sonata follows its predecessor in targeting the Toyota Camry and US market Honda Accord, but differs markedly in having ‘fluidic sculpture': a far more expressive and curvaceous aesthetic. Central to this are the two single sweeping lines that define the top of the DLO and run from the headlamp through the shallow upper shoulder to the rear, a theme reminiscent but distinct from the Mercedes Benz CLS. The lower line innovates in having a chrome seam running from the headlamp through the hood shut line and along the base of the DLO. This sits above an unusually shallow shoulder which itself is defined by a sharp bone line that fades out in the C-pillar. Below this is a similarly sharp bone line that sweeps up from behind the front wheel and takes over from the upper bone line to form a broader shoulder as it runs into the rear. Between these bone lines is a mix of concave and convex surfaces that were impressively well resolved and continued around the front and rear of the car also.
The interior also has some of the ‘fluidic sculpture' of the exterior, notably in the center stack. The use of more matt finish wood appliqué and vertical vanes to air vents are also nice elegant touches, but otherwise the design is quite orthodox.
This new Sonata is a very attractive and distinctive, and a design that despite its complex surfacing has impressive levels of surface refinement. But what we think is most significant is that it shows Hyundai's new found conviction in taking its own route. Whilst its predecessor was a handsomely conservative and quite derivative design, here is a handsomely expressive design with will not be mistaken for any other car on the road.
The Crosstour is based on the same platform as the Acura ZDX that we covered at the New York Auto Show when it debuted in near production form earlier this year. Whilst the Acura has a coupe-meets-crossover identity, the Honda has more of a tall fastback identity; it is clearly closely related in name and design to the Accord sedan, just as the BMW 5 GT is clearly related to the 5 Series sedan. This identity is underpinned by quite conservative form language consistent with the Accord sedan and coupe and lacking the assertive quality of the Acura.
But look closely and there are some interesting, if not very exciting, design details. The doors run all the way to the bottom of the car, hiding the rocker, and have small linear indentations that resemble robust separate rocker protectors of some SUVs. The grille is also unique for Honda: it had chrome finish horizontal vanes that fade out beyond the core graphic, more plan shape that corresponds to the creases on the hood, and is far deeper than on other Accord variants. Along with shallower headlamps than on the sedan it makes for a quite imposing DRG. Another unusual feature is an additional lower glazed panel in the tailgate - a Honda design signature we first saw on the ‘80s CRX as well as on the current European Civic and the Insight.
The Crosstour is an innovative package that may appeal to those downsizing from an SUV but for whom a sedan is too serious or business-like in its image. Regrettably, bar the strong DRG this innovative package is cloaked in a conservative design that makes for an ambiguous and not very enticing proposition.
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Acura ZDX prototype - New York 2009
Design Development: Acura ZDX
Although debuting at the Texas Fair six weeks ago, the LA Auto Show was the international show debut of this important new production design from Toyota.
The original 1984 4Runner was little more than pick-up with a simple top, but successive generations (the new design signals the fifth generation) were proper dedicated SUVs, albeit still based on a Toyota pick-up platform.
In LA, it was clear to see how the new design embraces its robust SUV identity more than its immediate predecessors to distinguish its rugged appeal from the similarly sized, but more urban, Highlander. This can be seen in the more upright screen and near straight lines that demark the DLO, in the soft blown rectangular fender volumes and in the chunky forms of the grille and lamps. The new 4Runner also continues to have a third side window separated from the main cabin glazing by a thick body color C-pillar; a design feature unique to the 4Runner in Toyota's SUV range. The core front graphic of the 4Runner stems closely from the RAV4 and Highlander, but has a more aggressive demeanor, and the way the lamps in particular stand proud of the core body surface is reminiscent of the FJ Cruiser.
The interior shares much the same rugged identity as the exterior with a lot of near straight lines and chunky forms. Some interesting details include: the top of the instrument panel being on the same surface as the hood; an extensive overhead console interface for selecting different off-road functions; and chunky vertical elements in the center stack, steering wheel and door grabs - albeit finished in cheap silver painted plastic.
Like the Sienna that also debuted in LA, the 4Runner is another new Toyota with a more expressive and confident aesthetic than its predecessor and with an overall design consistent with its identity and position within the Toyota range. It seems Toyota is on a roll.
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Toyota Sienna - Los Angeles 2009
The Boxster Spyder differs little from the normal Boxster it is based on, but it was none-the-less an interesting new design debut in Los Angeles.
The main design difference from the standard Boxster is the Spyder's ‘bikini' roof that gives a very different silhouette: raking downwards more to the rear and extending further rearwards in a way reminiscent of the Porsche Panamericana concept from 20 years ago and of the first generation Lotus Elise, too. The tent-like way it reaches to the red tie-down points, recessed rather crudely on the top sides of the rear deck, is also very different to the neatly integrated hood of the standard car.
The other main design difference to the standard car becomes evident when the roof is removed: the rear deck extends further forwards to reach the roll-over hoops just behind the seats with two bulges similar to those of the Carrera GT. Between the bulges is a bridge where the high level brake light is positioned and further aft on the deck is a fixed duck-tail spoiler. But these elements, and the roof tie-down points, disturb what could otherwise have been a handsome expanse of sculptural body.
Other design differences with the Spyder relative to the standard Boxster are slight: its red seat belts utilize the same material as the door pulls (saving at least 50 grams in weight), and its ultra slim front running lights and mesh side grilles round out the other very minor aesthetic changes.
It's surprising how appealingly different the bikini roofed Boxster looks given the slightness of the changes compared to the standard car. Essentially this is a very superficial variant that would have been conceived amidst the major sales slump that came with the economic downturn. But as well as being a means to draw attention to the Boxster late in its model life-cycle, the Spyder remains a fun design. This begs the question: when should we expect a 911 Spyder?
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