Table of contents for No. 206 in AUTO & DESIGN

Out-of-reach supercars and small city cars accessible to everybody and customisable to the point of exclusivity, almost like the dream cars driven by the fortunate few. These were two of the main sections of the 84th Geneva Motor Show from which we present a selection of production models and concepts (with in depth Design stories in this and the next issues of A&D). Between these two extremes we obviously have an extensive variety of motor car types linked by a number of common denominators: the desire for less convoluted, elegantly sculpted shapes (Ferrari California T, Maserati Alfieri, Mercedes-Benz S-Coupé), sturdily built but visually light with interiors that are often conceived as living rooms, see the Scandinavian atmosphere of the Volvo Concept Estate. Le inarrivabili supercar e le piccole vetture da…

From small utility cars to lively city units targeting premium status: that is the evolution of the French/Japanese sisters, the Citroën C1, the Peugeot 108 (the only one to change its name) and the Toyota Aygo. Based on the refurbished first generation platform launched in 2005, their individual styling language is now much more clear-cut as a result of the specific parts applied to each brand: bonnet, front and rear lights, front wings, bumper strips, tailgate in the 5-door version and, for the Toyota only, the roof. The same genetic make-up, however, for the interiors (defined by PSA/Peugeot design with Toyota), the rear wings and two glass elements that already featured on the previous “triptych”: the rear quarter lights and the rear-window-tailgate that extends to the loading threshold. And all…

The underlying principle for the Aygo is already captivating in the name: J-Playful. “We wanted a car with a unique personality in which the volumes blend with the graphic styling, a fun car thanks to the variety of possible interpretations”, explains chief project designer Nobuo Nakamura, who we met in Brussels the day before the Aygo was launched at the Geneva Car Show. Cordial and communicative, Nobi – as his friends call him – immediately seems in tune with the car’s character. For years Toyota has been backing the ‘J factor’ for its design and this time it really seems to have come up with a winner. “Another important aspect is J-Tech. In particular, we have the younger generations in mind who want a car with the same connectivity features…

Flaunting attention-grabbing shocking orange paintwork and such attractive, futuristic forms that you can’t help thinking that it’s a pity it’s only a concept, the Passocorto unveiled at the 84th Geneva Motor Show is the tenth full-scale model created by the IED European Design Institute in Turin. The project, developed in collaboration with Hyundai, gave the students a brief that every designer would hope for: design the car of their dreams – a car that they would actually want to buy themselves. The project had the 16 students of the Master’s course in Transportation Design working as a tightly knit team, coordinated by IED lecturer and Pininfarina designer Luca Borgogno, who says: “from the very start, the students were extremely enthusiastic to work on the project commissioned by Hyundai, and were…

A brand in constant evolution but deeply rooted in tradition, with unmistakable looks and technical solutions, and a loyal clientele whose passion has forged the foundations for its successes and elevated it to legendary status. There are very few, if indeed any, with an image as strong as Harley-Davidson, which has also been built on the marque’s renowned involvement with its customers through rallies, clubs, organised road trips and merchandising. You don't just ride a Harley, it’s a lifestyle. And this is true for every one of its models, from the classic Sportster 883 to the new Street 750 and its top of the range offerings such as the Electra Glide and Road King CVO bikes, and the quirky but extraordinarily comfortable Triglide. A Harley – from any era in…

The SUV is evolving into something less aggressive and more “crossover”, but shows no signs of losing ground in any of the world’s markets. So having a full range of sport utility models to cover every segment is an increasingly important strategic move - and the T-Roc presented at Geneva shows that this is exactly where the VW Group is heading. “It’s important that every model still has its own distinct personality, like any true Volkswagen”, says VW Group design chief Walter de Silva, as he introduces the concept exploring a possible new compact SUV for the Wolfsburg-based brand. With two successful SUVs already to their name – the Touareg and Tiguan – and two new offerings, the Taigun and Crossblue, in the pipeline and almost ready for launch (see…

The Clubman is the most recent concept for the next phase in Mini’s growth phase. Featuring two more doors and a contemporary aesthetic influenced by aerodynamics and fashion, the concept appears more mature than its production namesake. Longer and wider, the Clubman’s Mini-typical surfacing is tauter than ever before, with crisp edges added over the fenders, the wheel arches and around the head and taillamps. Slender door handles emphasise the length of the bodyside while the Mini-typical round taillamp motif is now encased within a horizontal housing to accentuate the width of the car and its stance on the road. “We tried to dial up aerodynamics front and rear,” says Exterior Design Director Christopher Weil. ‘Air curtains’ in the front bumper and ‘airbreather’ elements behind the front wheels were…

“In a world that is so brand-focused, it was crucial for each of our own offerings to express its values through design”, says Carlo Bonzanigo, Citroën’s chief designer responsible for the C1 project. However much appreciated by the public for its fun aspects, the C1 had to mature and see its quality and content evolve before blossoming into what Bonzanigo defines as “positivity with personality and charisma added, a car capable of creating empathy between the brand and its customers”. From jovial adolescent to resolute, effervescent adult, therefore, without resorting to all that sporty-type gimmickry that we seem to be seeing too much of nowadays in every segment.. To shape this new personality, says Bonzanigo along with externals designer Frédéric Angibaud, a number of key aspects were pinpointed: the pursuit…

Lightweight design, visual freshness and formal purity are the key characteristics of the MILA Blue, the latest addition to the Magna stable and the seventh technologically pioneering concept car in the MILA family. The car presented at Geneva is the product of a concerted project between Magna Steyr, which created the design and lightweight engineering concept, and other Magna groups, which developed and supplied diverse innovative components. “MILA Blue is not just an important project for Magna Steyr Design, but for the entire Magna group – explains Andreas Wolfsgruber, Chief Designer of Magna Steyr – because it is through creative projects like this that we can demonstrate our design, engineering and production capabilities.” Ecological and always connected – to cater for today’s young, dynamic user – this four-seater A-segment car…

With the Fair now at an end some notes are in order for pinpointing what directions products are taking and the general scenario of ongoing research in the furniture sector. The uncertainty that continues to characterise the climate is offset to some extent by the optimism transmitted by the statistics (13% more presences than a year ago) and the fact that exports remain buoyant. So the Fair is becoming increasingly international, proof of which can be found in the names of the top designers called in by the big firms, and the confirmation of the already well known Nendo (Oki Sato) but also of the less well known and younger, Raw Edges, Doshi Levien, and Benjamin Hubert, who have brought to the production line ideas they had previously only experimented…

A single brand DNA but different personalities for different missions. The product range strategy for the Volkswagen brand already includes four SUVs, which could well be joined by a production version of the T-Roc. These are the existing Touareg and Tiguan models (with the third and second generations thereof already in development), and the CrossBlue and Taigun – so far presented only as concepts, but now very close to definitive production guise. Some of these could also spawn coupé variants, to further accentuate the ‘sport’ in ‘sport utility’. VW is deploying a full-on assault on the SUV world, with plans to cover every segment and every market. Each model is different, but they all share the same balanced proportions, precise, technical look and well-known formal purity characteristic of the creations…

In the late 1990s, when BMW embarked on the project to reinvent the iconic Mini, the main concern was preserving the unique character of the original car created by the engineer Alec Issigonis in 1959, reincarnating its spirit in a contemporary, appealing car. “Mini was first a visionary piece of engineering, but it has also always been characterised by its emotional and authentic design and driving excitement” says BMW design chief Adrian van Hooydonk. “Since 2001, with the relaunch of the brand, the new MINI was to create a unique car with unmistakeable charisma – respecting its history, but at the same time meeting the needs of its present customers.” Starting life as a styling proposal from DesignWorks USA penned by Frank Stephenson, the first generation of the Mini for…

It’s called Parallels and it is the light and sound installation shown at the Milan Design Week this year by the MINI team. Authors are the art and design multidisciplinary studio United Visual Artists (UVA) of London, selected by Anders Warming, head of Mini Design, for their ability to manipulate lighting effects and recreate highly emotive interactive atmospheres. “The eureka moment for us”, Anders tells us, “when we began working with the UVA studio, was when we noticed that they used mathematics, namely algorithms, to produce their colour- and rhythm-based aesthetics”. Visitors find themselves in the presence of a scenario of interactive light where three great circles at the back of the hall, reminiscent of the luminous led rings of a dashboard display, project a tunnel of light that visitors…

“Working on this car was very exciting for me. I was chief designer of the 107 and now I found myself heading up the entire second generation project”, says Ivo Groen, Project Design Director. When taking on projects in cooperation with other manufacturers, PSA design assigns the coordination role to its two brands in turn. This time round it was Peugeot’s turn so Groen was also the PSA design manager who worked with Toyota. “As regards Peugeot, the 107 left a powerful legacy. It was a modern car, much acclaimed and certainly by no means easy to replace. Contrary to the opinion of many, who see in personalisation the key to this project, the 108 focused on raising to premium status an already qualitatively successful product starting from a tried…

Its launch barely made headlines in Europe but for India as well as Renault, the Kwid compact crossover concept stole the Delhi Motor Show last February. That’s because India is seen as the next promised-land car market, which may grow from today’s 2.5 million annual vehicle sales to 10 million after 2020. But to guarantee success in the world’s second largest populated country, a car maker has to adapt products to local tastes and conditions. “When creating a car for India, you have to take into account that half the massive 1.2 billion population is under 25 years of age. And despite low income, they are very smart and individualistic, with high expectations about their future,” Laurens van den Acker, Renault’s senior vice president for design, said at the spectacular…

Once again, numerous automotive brands were represented at the Milan Design Week, both inside and outside the confines of the exhibition itself, and it is now becoming apparent that the relationship between the automotive and product design worlds is not as forced as it once may have seemed – especially considering some of the important design consulting contracts secured with major furniture manufacturers (such as the case of Poltrona Frau and Infiniti, to cite just one example). But there are also signs of efforts dedicated to research (such as the “design gallery” created by Peugeot Lab) and of a desire to explore inventive, innovative themes connecting different areas in a multidisciplinary perspective (Lexus), while others have taken this opportunity to send a conceptual message, as did Walter De Silva,…

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