The Cadillac Converj concept was a surprise addition to the new car unveilings from GM. Conceived at GM's Advanced Design studio in the UK under the direction of Simon Cox, the angular exterior aesthetic adorns a vehicle that is smaller than the CTS Coupe concept seen in Detroit last year, with a sloping DLO, plunging beltline and pronounced shoulder giving the 2+2 very dynamic attributes.
Lead exterior designer Robin Krieg told CDN how the concept refines the design language of the Cien and Sixteen concepts by introducing a softer aesthetic, which is no less refined and luxurious. "This proportion for a Cadillac is something new. Cadillac has always been cab rearward," Kreig said, "The challenge with this car was to do something that did not look like an economy car because that is not something that is associated with luxury." Exterior design manager Brian Smith told us how the grille was reworked to minimize drag without diluting the definitive Cadillac identity.
The philosophy behind the interior, designed by Ben Walsh and David Leary and led by interior design manager Jeff Perkins, was to create a lavishly-appointed and technologically-advanced cabin. The transparent center stack contains a touch activated HMI and flows down the IP, while a battery meter seen through the center console emphasizes the futuristic electric powertrain. The essence of the brand's exterior design themes are maintained while applying an 'eco-aesthetic' aspect to the materials.
"Some customers want invisible eco, some want to celebrate it kind of like a rolling billboard," Perkins told us, "For a car in this class you need to have authentic materials: metal, leather, things like that." Ultimately the balance between the two was met by fitting environmentally sustainable and renewable materials as well as the quintessential luxury materials sought by buyers in the premium segment. The IP upper is made of synthetic suede and the brightwork is actually aluminum, not plated metal. The trim is made of recycled wood pressed together, and the carpeting is made of wool.
Based on the company's next-generation A6 platform, the 2009 Sportback Concept is Audi's conceptual - but suspiciously production-feasible - answer to the Mercedes CLS, measuring 4.95m long, 1.93m wide and 1.4m high. Unusually, however, the de rigeur coupe profile has been applied to a five-door hatchback rather than a four-door sedan.
Designed under the supervision of Audi design boss Wolfgang Egger, the Sportback implements the 2008 A1 Sportback concept's six-point, shield-shaped grille and gaping horizontal side intakes with only minor detail changes, most obvious of which being the removal of the vertical grille bars. Egger confirms that this is the 'new face' of Audi.
The German designer talked a lot about the influence of architecture in the design process, highlighting the role of what he calls the 'tornado line' (which runs from a low point behind the front arch, upwards towards the rear) in creating tension in the car's haunches. The sharp character line is also in keeping with other Audi models, but is accentuated here by a glasshouse that tapers quite dramatically towards the rear.
In rear profile the Sportback looks very wide and flat, with a U-shaped glasshouse that resembles that of the TT coupe. The subtle suggestion of a deck spoiler and the concave, inward slope of the rear also hark back to the sports cars of the 1960s, says Egger.
The interior design is equally successful, featuring four generously sized seats, cream upholstery and handsome slatted wood on all of the driver's touchpoints (including the steering wheel rim) and the wide, flat center console that runs below the dash. Unfortunately, the quilted seats don't quite go with the wood theme, detracting slightly from an otherwise cohesive and highly attractive luxury coupe design.
This five-seat, B-class-sized concept signals Mercedes-Benz's intent to put an all-new fully electric vehicle (EV) into production by 2012-2013. The firm will have an electric A-class-car before that, in 2010, but BlueZero will become the name for its bespoke new EV range.
Design chief Gorden Wagener said he wanted to "create a new face for Mercedes electric vehicles" and opted for the 'closed-mouth' front grille partly because "electric vehicles don't need so much air". The Concept BlueZero thus features a clear PC cover over the traditional three-pointed star badge with a body-colored mesh section underneath and grooves either side of the badge that pulse with LEDs to indicate the car's distinct electric identity. The grille also points slightly forward in a nod, says Wagener, to the old Mercedes 300 SL Gullwing.
Nature was a key influence for the flowing exterior lines, as was the communication of light weight and aerodynamics. Two strong indicators of the latter on the BlueZero are the see-through rear wheel covers and the clear polycarbonate Lexan rear hatch.
The interior continues the see-through theme with translucent trim materials on the doors and dashboard to show the air-filled lightweight structure beneath. Wagener hopes the design will attract younger customers to the brand, and early impressions suggest it will. The whole ensemble - inside and out - is far removed from Mercedes' current output, and if much of the concept's features are kept for production it would mark quite a departure for the traditionally conservative brand.
Buick's latest mid-size luxury sedan - the 2010 La Crosse unveiled at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show - goes on sale in summer 2009 in the US with the Lexus ES and Nissan Maxima firmly in its sights. In the equally important Chinese market it will take on the Nissan Teana and the more upscale Chinese version of the Toyota Camry.
Changes from Buick's 2008 Invicta concept are refreshingly small. According to exterior design duo Justin Thompson and Richard Duff the production car's roofline has been raised by 24mm, the width narrowed by 13mm and the wheelbase shortened by 70mm to accommodate a V6 engine. The rear bumper is shorter and more upright, 20-inch polished aluminum wheels make way for 19-inch chrome ones and the full-length glass roof has been replaced with metal. The LED front lamps and flush door handles of the concept also unsurprisingly do not make the cut.
However, the essence of the concept - designed side by side with the production car - remains, including the unusual and striking side character line that dips down on the rear door before kicking back up over the rear wheelarch.
The genuinely upscale interior with its cocooning wraparound dash is even more similar to the Invicta concept's - the only major differences being in the choices of material used. Susan Docherty, Buick-Pontiac-GMC vice president, said of the car: "It builds on the success of the Enclave as the next step in Buick's revitalization. And, as with Enclave, our goal is to attract a whole new buyer."
Judging by the quality of the car on display it could well do just that.
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Designed at BMW's Munich studio by Julianne Blasi (exterior) and Nadja Arnaout (interior), the second-generation Z4 roadster marks another sizeable step away from the company's influential flame-surfacing form language towards one that revolves around sleekness and simplicity.
Blasi says a lot of effort was put into minimizing the height of the rear deck, which for the first time has to accommodate a two-piece folding aluminum roof. It's paid off; the overall proportions of this latest version are much more pleasing to the eye than its predecessor's, whose exaggerated frontal mass and truncated rear always seemed out of balance.
The so-called 'shark nose' invokes the CS concept from the 2007 Shanghai Auto Show (and more recently the 7-Series), featuring a double kidney grille that sits higher up, in line with the top of the headlamps, creating a more dynamic down-the-road graphic. The Z4's shut lines show real deftness of touch too, in particular the way that the LED rear lamps follow the arc of the rear wheelarches. As on the old car, the two sets of arches are joined by a characteristically strong shoulder line.
The interior design of the 2009 Z4 focuses on ergonomics, perceived quality and storage space. The U-shaped IP is angled eight degrees towards the driver, and is distinguished by the four rings - described as 'iconic' by Arnaout, who first explored this configuration on the CS concept - that control the car's HVAC system. iDrive makes its debut in this 2009 Z4 range, as does a pop-up navigation screen in the center of the dash. The latter is a first for BMW, and was designed to give the cockpit a "very clean look and feel" when parked on the street, says Arnaout.
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Ford used NAIAS to introduce its 2010 Taurus, a full-size car (D-Segment) aimed at the North American market. During its glory days in the '80s and early '90s, the Taurus nameplate was used on a midsize family car, but now it will become a flagship for the Ford brand. Thus, the design team had to "elevate the game" by creating a car with dramatic proportions, powerful lines and yet a certain sophistication and gracefulness. Vice President of Design, Peter Horbury, says that this gracefulness comes from the line that starts off at the front wheel and then falls downwards toward the rear, which was very much part of the American cars of the ‘60s and ‘70s.
Given the vehicle's dual purpose, it's no surprise that the surface treatment could never be called clean or uncluttered. The front end, while carrying over the three-bar theme from the grille, is inspired by the recent work of Martin Smith's European division, particularly in the treatment of the trapezoidal lower grille. In its shape, the rear of the Taurus borrows a lot from the Interceptor concept of 2007. While this car shares its underpinnings with the Lincoln MKS, the design team chose to implement a new roof design that would give the car a lower stance - a courageous but costly decision.
Horbury calls the interior treatment "driver centric", because "when the driver is on his own, he will feel that this is his personal car". Attention has been paid to craftsmanship, and designers "sculptured the trims to convey the message of luxury". The latter is particularly true of the steering wheel, with its palm swells and F1-type shifters.
VW's Concept BlueSport was designed at the company's Potsdam studio under the supervision of VW design director Klaus Bischoff and Potsdam studio director Thomas Ingenlath, and is the brand's first attempt at a compact mid-engined roadster, measuring just 3990mm long, 1260mm high and 1745mm wide.
The team - consisting of Chief Exterior Designer Peter Wouda and Christian Felske on exterior, and Peer Witt and Julian Jaede led by Chief Interior Designer Romulus Rost on interior - initially toyed with a more wedge-shaped profile. But according to Wouda, it was felt that a flat, low shape with a strong shoulder line broken up only by prominent wheelarches (covering 19-inch wheels) would lend the car a more balanced, relaxed feel. "Precision is one of the major themes; parallel, ground-orientated lines that you will also find in the Golf, and in all future VWs," reveals Wouda. The face is a relatively straightforward development of the themes already established on the Scirocco, but to our eyes it has found its most natural home here.
The interior design was developed from an initial sketch by Peer Witt, and according to fellow interior designer Julian Jaede was all about "creating something clean and classical mixed with high-tech elements". One example of the latter is the circular gear selector, which is framed within a gloss black center console containing a touch-screen infotainment display and an electronic handbrake. Above that is a row of three circular aluminum HVAC controls that offer a novel and attractive 3D effect: as you turn the knob, a ring of LEDs inside it change from blue to red to denote an increase in temperature. Rounded oblong shapes abound on the interior and are echoed by the engine cooling vents in the rear deck, giving the overall design a very holistic feel.
‘Authenticity' was apparently a major buzzword during the development of the BlueSport. The fabric roof is operated manually, the rollover hoops are of a fixed design and this NAIAS prototype was handcrafted from sheet metal; Wouda says it "drives like a real car". We very much hope to be able to put that to the test ourselves in a few years' time.
The S60 concept shown at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show has been produced to signal that a new S60 mid-size four-seater production sedan is on the way in 2010. The concept also showcases a more upmarket future design direction for Volvo interiors well beyond 2010.
According to exterior designer Alex Chan, the concept's exterior - complete with a much more fluid shoulder line and XC60-esque front grille and lamp graphics - is very close to the production version. The elaborate Viking-ship inspired lamp innards designed by Malte Mossner will be toned down and the back of the car's detailing will be simplified, but the basic architecture will stay intact.
The interior is accessed by an alternative to traditional showcar suicide doors, where the rear door hinges and folds back alongside the car body on a long arm rather than sticking out at right angles. Designed by Lars Falk, the cabin is dominated by a center stack made from real clear crystal that appears to flow from the top of the IP between the four individual seats through to the rear window. Mounted in the crystal is a new kind of ergonomic gear selector that flips up for sportier shifting and the light-filled interior is full of expensive materials including brown saddle leather, real metal, light wood and copper accents to match the exterior color.
Luxurious in an understated Scandinavian way on the inside and more distinctive on the outside, it is another very strong concept that - like the 2006 XC60 concept and 2008 XC60 production car - indicates Volvo's bolder design under Design Director Steve Mattin is really hitting its stride.
The 200C hybrid-electric sedan concept was one of the few surprises of NAIAS 2009. Based on a shortened version of the company's rear-drive 300C platform, it provides a glimpse not only of an electric-powered replacement for the company's popular range-topping sedan, but also marks Chrysler design director Ralph Gilles' vision for the future of the troubled US brand.
The 200C was designed by Nick Malachowski (exterior) and Ryan Patrick Joyce (interior) at Chrysler's design HQ and Advanced Interior Design studios in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It's a handsome and well executed take on the mid-size sedan format, featuring parallel window and character lines that arc gently downwards as they run from a stepped trunk and dissolve as they meet distended front wheelarches. This emphasizes the height of the hood, giving the car a muscular down-the-road graphic in keeping with the 200C's sporting pretensions. A recessed area of sheet metal above the side sills runs in a band around the entire car, housing full-width chrome air intakes and exhaust surrounds at the rear.
Interior designer Ryan Patrick Joyce tells us that the interior was all about "clean, organic, asymmetrical design and open space". The Zen rock garden-inspired floor rises up in waves to provide support for the car's four identical bucket seats, which feature intersecting leaf forms that leave natural gaps in the backrests for cooling. Each slim chair is made up of a number of differently colored layers, providing what Joyce calls "great attention to ‘thick to thin'."
The driver sits in front of an EcoVoyager-style single-rim steering wheel and a huge single-surface touch-screen IP that uses a system called 'uconnect' to allow many of the vehicles functions to be controlled via an iPhone. We don't have enough space here to detail its myriad functions, but a full demonstration left us suitably impressed.
Detroit Auto Show 2009 - Highlights
"With the C concept we've tried to show what a smaller fuel-efficient, petrol-engined Lincoln could look like," says Ford group design boss J Mays.
The C, built on the next-generation Ford Focus platform, was one of the surprises of the show, and features a very unusual exterior design. With a high belt line, upright and wide aluminum C-pillar and cantrail, and a low pronounced shoulder that leads to a protruding rear end with full-width LED tail lamps, the exterior aesthetic is reminiscent of the previous-generation Renault Mégane.
Inside, the light and high-quality interior features two three-seater benches wrapped in white leather engraved with subtle floral patterns, and a low floating IP with smart grey horizontally grained wood. Both help to create a strong feeling of space as Mays told Car Design News: "Bottom line, it's got the footprint of a Focus, but the interior dimensions of a ‘61 Lincoln Continental."
The HMI features next-generation Microsoft Sync technology with an Avatar that can talk to driver and passengers and is only two years away, reckons Mays, although not necessarily in a small Lincoln. "We're not making any announcements yet, but we're hopeful and have the technology to do this. I personally think Lincoln needs a car this size," Mays added.
Given how quickly Lincoln now seems to be turning concepts into production reality - the MKT production car also unveiled at the 2009 Detroit show was only shown in concept form 12 months ago - you never know. Either way, the C is another convincing Lincoln concept.
The ninth-generation E-class isn't on Mercedes' Detroit auto show stand - allegedly as its US on-sale date is some way off - but it did nonetheless get its global unveil in the city on Saturday night (January 10) at an exclusive preview downtown.
The car goes on sale in Europe from late spring and features a new squarer interpretation of the 1995 model's quad-lamp front face plus echoes of the 1953 ‘Ponton' Mercedes' – specifically its distinctive rear wing contour, which rises from the rocker line round the wheelarch to the meet the rear taillights.
Design chief Gorden Wagener explains the new look: "The 1995 E-Class was the first Mercedes-Benz to feature the famous 'four-eye face'. This was an important design feature because it created a symbolic repositioning of the brand. With the new E-Class the structure of the front headlamps is adapted to the overall angular design."
Close attention has also been paid to aerodynamics, with the tauter lines helping obtain a class-leading 0.25 drag coefficient. Inside, the solid-feeling cabin offers double the number of trim options available in the previous version, with strong ambient lighting, and open-pored wood and brushed aluminum as well as the more traditional high-gloss fine hardwoods.
The design seems evolutionary rather than revolutionary - a fair decision given that the car has sold 1.3 million vehicles in Europe alone and is clearly doing lots of things very right. But the similarity to Volvo's new ‘DNA' lamp look might mark it down in terms of standout factor.
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The Fisker Karma S (aka Sunset) concept is a logical progression of the design elements previewed on the Karma concept revealed at last year's Detroit Auto Show. With a two-piece folding hardtop and seating for four, the two-door Karma S appears to be better suited to its low-slung proportions and is a more aesthetically attractive package than the the production four-door parked next to it on the stand. Both were designed by ex-BMW and Aston Martin designer Henrik Fisker.
The S retains many of the design attributes of the Karma sedan – including its front and rear fenders, grille aperture and front and rear fascias – yet it is a more emotional design. And its two-piece folding hardtop retracts within the trunk without the rear end appearing overly bulbous. In fact, the decklid is exactly the same height as the four-door's – a feat accomplished by optimizing the curvature of the roof and altering the chassis at the rear. The only notable changes fore of the A-pillar are a sportier insert in the front grille and fenders that include an air vent to release hot air from the small ICE unit (the exhaust is a thin outlet below this).
Inside, refinements introduced during the process of bringing the Karma to production have had a similarly positive effect on the S. Created by exterior design director Alexander Klatt, the environmentally sustainable seat covering is adorned in materials that would typically be found on luxury furniture. The exterior form vocabulary was carried over to the interior, which features extensive use of aluminum. Detailing includes stitching around the steering wheel (also repeated on the center console) and an instrument hood with the same cross section as the diamond-shaped air intake – a theme that also appears on the door panels.
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Chevrolet describes its second-generation 2010 Equinox production vehicle - unveiled in Detroit and on sale in mid-2009 in the US - as a compact crossover. Exterior design inspiration comes from the Malibu sedan and Traverse crossover. Signature Chevy design cues include wraparound front headlamps, dual round rear lamps, and dramatically flared wheelarches. Wraparound rear side glass that forces the C-pillar to angle back toward the cabin combines with a raked windscreen - whose base has been moved 75mm further forwards than the previous car's - to create the illusion of a sleeker, more car-like profile.
It has the same 2857mm wheelbase as before but is 25mm shorter and 25mm wider with an increased front track for better ride and handling.
The Equinox's rocker panels are also integrated into its doors to improve ingress and egress while protecting, says Chevrolet's US PR, "pant legs that could brush against dirty rockers".
A wraparound IP, perforated leather seat trim and blue ambient lighting for the controls and certain storage areas bring the cabin firmly upmarket. In the back, the rear seats now move fore and aft by a considerable 203mm for more legroom or luggage space as necessary.
GM's global design chief Ed Welburn says the new model "blends function and style into a very sporty, yet upscale compact crossover". He's obviously a bit biased, but this compact SUV is nonetheless a big improvement on the last model in terms of both ambition and execution.
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Kia unveiled a two-door concept based on the recently released Soul at the 2009 NAIAS. Inspired by basic, utilitarian vehicles like the International Scout, the more dramatic four-seat Soul'ster concept features an elemental design which brings the functionality of the vehicle to the surface, particularly in the interior.
As the first vehicle born out of Kia's newly opened design center in Irvine, California, the Soul'ster aims to further the reach of the five-door Soul by offering a three-door vehicle with removable roof panels. The Soulster has the same length, wheelbase and height as the production Soul (with identical H-points) but is slightly shorter. While the overall design aesthetic from the A-pillar frontwards is shared with the Soul, the concept car features a shortened windscreen and an entirely different design from the door cut rearward.
Lead exterior designer Mike Torpey told CDN how the goal of the concept was to create a back-to-basics vehicle that would resound with adventure-seeking youth, at an attainable price point. "The Soul has always struck us as a vehicle that had tremendous potential beyond its initial incarnation," Torpey said, referencing utilitarian vehicles that had become overly complex because of the multitude of features that had been added, ultimately escalating cost.
The functional grey and white interior, designed by Brian White, takes mechanical elements such as the window crank and manual seat adjustment lever and incorporates them as design elements, while exposed screws throughout the interior allude to the vehicle's pragmatic nature. A square steering wheel also enables the instruments to be more easily read. The four seats, cantilevered from the center console at the front, are covered in durable neoprene and vinyl material and feature mesh cutouts with chrome surrounds. With a hard, color-impregnated plastic backing, they have been designed to be both luxurious and rugged.
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From April 2009, the 2010 Honda Insight aims to start stealing environmentally focused customers from the Toyota Prius with prices set below that car and the current Honda Civic Hybrid. The petrol/electric hybrid production car shares plenty with the pre-production concept shown at the Paris Auto Show in October 2008, but much of the exterior excitement and interior quality appears to have been jettisoned in order to achieve those cost savings.
The exterior profile and rear view is very similar to that of the current Prius, with the same wide C-pillar (although the Insight's is wider still) and two-piece glass tailgate. In the Insight's case the latter is separated by a solid bar that restricts rear vision, as on the European Civic hatchback. Front and rear lamps are no longer so shapely or LED-infested as the Paris concept's, although the front lights do feature some unusual hexagonal frames. The car also has an unusually low shoulder line that rises towards the rear to create a wedgy feel.
Inside, the car is basic with cheap-looking (and feeling) orange peel-effect plastics on the dark blue upper and light grey lower IP sections and door trims. Lifting the old-fashioned feel a little is a sporty and modern-looking three-spoke steering wheel and circular HVAC button cluster (both featured on the OSM concept shown at the British Motor Show in July 2008). The otherwise austere interior is also boosted by a flip-out satnav screen in the center of the IP that reveals the CD slot, as seen on upscale versions of the company's production CR-V.
The Insight does represent a new era of affordable - circa sub-$20,000 - hybrid motoring, but we fear it will be a purchase based more on eco credentials than design desire.
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Staying very close to last year's MKT concept in terms of exterior shape, the luxurious six-seat MKT production crossover is Ford's attempt to inject life into the Lincoln brand. As Gordon Platto, Lincoln's chief designer puts it: it's also "for people for which SUVs don't fit their lifestyle anymore". Based on an updated and enlarged version of the Ford D3 platform (derived from Volvo's P2 platform), the MKT is basically an estate version of the MKS or, if you prefer, the Lincoln brother of the Ford Flex. However, no body panels are shared with the Flex (not even the door frames), because the MKT has a fully differentiated top head that includes a fixed or moveable vista roof.
The exterior is characterized by the massive bow-wave split grille with the star logo in the middle, as seen on recent Lincoln concepts and production cars, but also by its kick-up in the chamfered beltline and bustleback rear. The concept's zero-offset bumpers have been kept. According to Platto, the car (or should we say truck?) gets its stately side proportions from a 1/3 - 2/3 ration between the DLO and the sheet metal. The liftgate is made of magnesium, which yields a 9kg weight saving. Impressively, most versions will stand on 20-inch wheels.
Inside, the MKT is true to the 'rolling plushness' aspired to by the Lincoln brand, and offers what it calls 'three rows of luxury'. The fit and finish is impressive, and the glitzy crystal-like instrument cluster, with its accentuated impression of depth, well resolved. While it might not give Mercedes R-Class much to worry about, the MKT looks like a worthy addition to the burgeoning prestige crossover market.
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Lincoln MKT concept - Detroit 2008
Honda only got to enjoy the ‘hybrid limelight' for a single day at the NAIAS before the company synonymous with the technology, Toyota, hit back with the unveil of its third-generation Prius hatchback (due this summer).
The new car keeps the second-generation's distinctive ‘dynamic triangle' hatchback profile, with its large C-pillar, four-pane window graphic and familiar two-piece glass tailgate. However the A-pillar has been extended forward and the highest point of the roof moved almost 100mm towards the rear. This emphasizes the wedge shape, increases rear headroom and improves the car's aerodynamics - now down to 0.25 Cd. The front face has been refreshed too, with more angular headlamps and a new narrow two-vane grille either side of the central badge, bringing it stylistically in line with the Matrix, Aygo and Yaris.
The interior has also seen significant change. More spacious than the outgoing model, the cabin gets a new interpretation of the arching floating center stack first featured on the Auris. The surface of the stack's insert and other trim elements feature a surprisingly good-looking and unusual grey slate-effect treatment. The slim center air vents are well integrated into the sweep of the IP design too, but this Prius showcar - like the new Honda Insight - does suffer from some cheap, tinny plastics, in the door trims especially. European models may get a higher standard specification. The Prius also offers numerous new options, including a sliding glass moonroof packed with solar panels that can absorb enough light to power the aircon.
Overall, the design direction of the new production Prius was generally regarded as a pleasantly proficient surprise that should help keep it ahead of its new Insight rival.
With other Japanese carmakers either missing or in a very subdued mood, NAIAS 2009 was Subaru's chance to shine. While undeniably bright in its burnished ‘Ultimate Silver' paint job, we can't help thinking that the Legacy mid-size sedan concept marks yet another opportunity missed for the quirky Asian brand.
Subaru design boss Osamu Namba says, "Harnessing sharp body lines gives the exterior a sense of sharp dynamism". It certainly has presence; sitting on a 81mm longer wheelbase than the current car and measuring an extra 97mm in length, the 2010 Legacy will move up half a class into Toyota Camry/VW Passat territory. Much of the design effort has gone into disguising the car's mass: between the raised hood and trunk is an unfashionably deep DLO that perches on top of a very strong shoulder line which joins the car's overtly flared wheelarches. The latter are intended to underline the car's all-wheel-drive nature. But in light of their prominence and the car's almost cartoonishly large wing-themed grille and stacked headlamp arrangement, the decision to decorate the doors with tiny rear-view cameras seems particularly ill advised.
The Legacy concept's wing motif has been carried over rather too literally to the design of the center console, which dominates the dashboard like the black obelisk from Kubrick's sci-fi classic 2001: A Space Odyssey. "The inside is designed to excite the senses," says Namba, who describes the interior as combining "high definition with a feeling of comfort." While we like the integrated Mercedes-style electric seat controls and touch-screen infotainment strip in the rear armrest, the blue-polarized cream upholstery looks tacky and the obviously production-ready interior moldings feel hard to the touch. Subaru will have its work cut out convincing people to defect from more mainstream sedans when the Legacy goes on sale later this year.
Touted by Lexus as the ‘world's first dedicated luxury hybrid', the HS 250h will launch next year as a bridge between the company's IS and ES sedans and provide its most fuel-efficient offering to date when it hits US showrooms this summer.
At first glance, the HS appears to be a modified IS - the rear end is very similar indeed, with slightly larger two-piece light clusters behind clear lenses (very much an eco design cue these days) and a finned undertray that rises up and cuts into the rear valance. On further examination, however, you can see that the HS has a much more cab-forward design than the IS, with longer rear doors, a taller, longer glasshouse and an A-pillar that sits much further forward, almost above the centre of the wheel. From this the hood rakes down quite steeply to a front end that bears quite a striking resemblance to the new Honda Insight's, made up as it is of a covered grille consisting of three horizontal silver bars and framed by a pair of diagonally slanting lamps, forming a single strip that visually joins the two front fenders.
Given that the HS is front-wheel drive (a first for Lexus) and bears an identical wheelbase and proportions to Toyota's Avensis sedan, it seems safe to assume that this is not a bespoke platform.
The interior neatly divides the IS and ES in terms of passenger space, and sports carbon-neutral eco and biological plastics that make up around 30 per cent of the visible trim. Gadgets include a pop-up satnav screen and a customisable ‘remote touch' controller situated on plinth that extends from the bottom of the center console - a setup common to the latest RX hybrid 4x4. This aside, the dashboard and other hardpoints are of a conventional appearance and clearly derived from the Avensis.
Chinese brand BYD (Build Your Dreams) is doing just that, and in short order. From a standing start back in 1995, BYD is now the second largest rechargeable battery manufacturer in the world and chose Detroit to unveil its first fully electric vehicle, the e6.BYD plans to put the five-seat EV into production in China in mid-2009 for taxi fleets, selling to private customers half a year later before entering the US and European markets in 2011.
With a high roof and long body, the e6 has the look of a supermini-sized MPV in the vein of an old Mitsubishi Spacestar. Exterior design features include a grille with a solid 'closed mouth' (as found on the Mercedes BlueZero concept), a central crease on the hood pointing back to a raked windscreen, and a shoulder line situated unusually close to the belt line.
Inside, the car is dominated by beige with a shiny dark grey upper IP and a dash-mounted auto transmission. Locating the batteries under the floor has resulted in a rather cramped rear footwell, but the car's high ceiling means six-foot-plus passengers can still get comfortable.
The exterior is passable if unremarkable, but the sharp edges to the center armrest cover are representative of the generally poor quality of the interior fit and finish. Still, this car is not really about styling, but rather affordable electric motoring. BYD says its ferrous battery technology is safer, more durable and cheaper than the equivalent lithium-ion design currently being touted as the future by the rest of the car industry. With 30 percent of the world's cell phone battery market already in the bag, BYD looks set to cause a shake-up regardless of its design shortcomings.
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