Table of contents for No. 182 in AUTO & DESIGN

Volvo’s new top brass will speak Chinese. This March, the official agreement handing control of the Swedish brand from the Ford group to Geely was signed. This is the biggest automotive buy-out ever made by a Chinese brand, with the Zhejiang Geely Holding Group paying the American blue oval 1.8 billion dollars for the deal. Geely has been making cars since 1998 and is China’s largest privately owned car manufacturer. Its interest in the Volvo brand goes beyond just the image of the historical brand: know-how and technology are vital for the future of Geely, and collaboration between Ford and Volvo is expected to continue even after the sale. Geely president Li Shufu says that he sees China as a place “where Volvo will have the opportunities to realise its…

“Anyone who surfs will understand the problem well: you’re sliding down the front of a wave, when it either overwhelms you or spits you out into the trough of the next wave. I made a bet with Jean-Pierre Ploué – who has the transverse role of being in charge of both brands of the PSA group – that Citroën will not only remain on the crest of the wave, but will pass directly onto the crest of the next and be carried even further.” Appointed director of Citroën design just a few months ago after years at Renault with Patrick le Quément, Thierry Métroz maintains that the only way to make this happen is to retain the creative dynamism of the brand and its historic role as a pioneer: “audacity,…

The biennial exhibition/event Stile Italiano Giovani is upon us once again, held this year against the prestigious backdrop of the 80th Geneva Motor Show. Over the years, each edition of the competition has drawn increasing numbers of young car designers aged from 16 to 28, intent on showing off their talent and eager to have their creations judged by a panel of experts. The basic idea behind the initiative is to develop solutions for the exterior and/or interior of any car or brand, releasing participants from any constraints and allowing them absolute creative freedom in expressing their vision of the automobile. Of the 20 designs selected, first prize went to the 25 year old Russian Konstantin Taranov for his extraordinary Mobius, an imaginative concept for a means of transport for…

First-aid and personal support. These were the key subjects addressed by the graduate class of 2009 of the Industrial Design course of the UAS of Graz. The last nine theses presented by students, in fact, focused prevalently on civil protection and on the autonomy of people with motor difficulties, although the automotive sector was also well represented. The topic of aid to people in difficulty inspired fully six of the theses which analysed emergencies like earthquakes, floods and fires, and proposed devices with innovative and original solutions to facilitate and speed up the work of fire-fighters, support teams and military forces in the most varied of situations. The aim of two other projects was the wellbeing of individuals with physical disabilities, while the car sector was represented by a supercar…

Some fresh air in the 4x4 sector from Mitsubishi. The Outlander, L200 and Pajero have been tweaked and are poised to resume their places at the top end of their respective areas: “More quality in style”, is the managers’ mantra. The Outlander crossover now comes with a “jet fighter” grille which lowers the visual set-up and adds to the model’s aggressive appearance. A new design for the front area of the bonnet and the bumpers; improved aerodynamics for the rear-view mirrors (now with flashing leds) and the rear spoiler. In the cabin, new upholstery, modified seats, chrome finish. Xenon lamps are among the other appointments. We say goodbye to 4x2 variants and on the 2.2 Di-D engine (which joins the 2.4 petrol) we now have the twin-clutch, sport shift transmission…

No one would ever say that renewing – let alone replacing – a car as successful as the 147 is an easy task. This, perhaps, could in part explain why it has taken Alfa Romeo ten years to design and launch a successor to this automotive icon. In doing so, Alfa has resurrected an equally iconic name, one that has already written two significant chapters in the history of the marque: Giulietta. The car presented at Geneva is the quintessential embodiment of Italian style and Alfa character in its proportions, in the sophisticated language of the surface treatment, in the ergonomics of its interior and, of course, in its engines. A little more grown up than the 147, the new car sits in the gap between the Mito and the…

Not a derivative, but a new sports model in its own right with a very distinct character. This is how the Pininfarina-designed Maserati GranCabrio was conceived from the start, as design director Lowie Vermeersch explains: “When you look at it, you immediately think that it was born a cabriolet, in spite of industrial necessities – a natural feel that is not easy to achieve”. For this very reason, the study stage began with sketches, as it would for an all-new car. “We wanted to explore every possibility, to understand how to give the car its own unique character without revealing the constraints of parentage with the GranTurismo”, recalls chief designer Guglielmo Cartia, who headed the project. “At the same time, however, we wanted to maintain the strong styling cues we…

Mercedes-Benz design has changed a great deal in recent years, a diversification of individual model expressions having ruled the Stuttgart firm’s strategy. All this was a reaction to the traditional Mercedes-Benz scale-down and up-scale policy whereby the Cclass was a smaller E-class, with the S being a bigger brother. But the individuality may have become so provocative that each model character grew too far apart, especially with the wide range of additional models such as the A-class on one side, and SUV’s on the other. So M.-B. has decided to develop a new design direction which they have packed into the F800 Style concept. “You must be provocative and take the risk of getting smashed sometimes,” Steffen Köhl, head of Mercedes-Benz advanced styling, said. “But we have decided to tone…

“Choosing innovation for a project that makes innovation its mission” is how IED Turin director Cesar Mendoza sums up the spirit of the Eye project developed by the students of the Master of Arts course in Transportation Design in collaboration with Tesla Motors, the California-based manufacturer of purely electric cars. “We wanted an emotive, sexy car that expresses its efficiency and bold identity through its design language” continues a visibly pleased Mendoza as he describes this concept which, after its two year gestation process, was finally revealed to the public at the Geneva Motor Show. The decision to work with a partner other than a traditional carmaker was driven by the need to experiment and seek new stimuli, especially for the Master course, which has now been extended to two…

The CR-V has been given a makeover. The latest generation of Honda’s SUV further accentuates its vocation as a distinct on-road vehicle targeted at an extremely discerning clientele which, in addition to state of the art technology, also demands attractive design. Safety has been further improved with the adoption of ACC adaptive cruise control, which automatically maintains the safety distance from the vehicle ahead, and the CMBS collision mitigation brake system, which uses warning sounds to alert the driver if the distance from the preceding vehicle drops below the safety limit At the front, the majority of the modifications concern the design of the grille and the bumper. The 17” rims are also new, while the rear bumper has been revised to maintain coherence with the shape of its front…

High speed rail systems are being designed and built all over the world. Today, China alone accounts for approximately half of the world’s rail transport turnover, and the country plans to construct around 30,000 Km of new lines (double the current total in Italy) in the near future – most of which for very high speed trains. The market is a hotbed of activity: in addition to Europe, the decision of numerous other nations in the Americas, Middle East and Asia to build high speed lines will make the design and manufacture of new high speed trains increasingly lucrative propositions. What will the trains of tomorrow that use these lines look like? Industry and designers are hard at work: Pininfarina has recently presented a high speed train concept for 2020,…

The first Giulietta saloon, presented at Turin in the spring of 1955, was designed by the Alfa Romeo Centro Stile and was a child of its times: a very boxy effort dominated by the classic Alfa vertical grille. Its instant success was also due to the class-beating performance offered by its twin cam engine. The higher performance Giulietta t.i. (Turismo Internazionale) version was released two years later. Both variants were replaced gradually by the Giulia, presented in 1962, with the former continuing to be sold until 1963 and the t.i. surviving until 1964. Meanwhile, Alfa created the little sports car that was to earn the Giulietta name legendary status: the highly popular Sprint coupé penned by the Turin designer Nuccio Bertone and presented a few months ahead of the saloon.…

When the time came to decide on the theme of the concept car for the Geneva Show at the end of the summer of 2009 there was no hesitation in Pininfarina. “In 2010 we would be celebrating our 80th anniversary so we wanted to do a car that would represent our history. It came naturally to choose a spider and the Alfa Romeo brand”, says chairman Paolo Pininfarina, “and there was the added reason that Alfa would be celebrating its centennial”. Pininfarina’s link with Alfa goes way beyond the usual company connections. “The Giulietta was the car my grandfather drove. It was a very important car in my opinion because it represented accessible luxury, the first “popular” Pininfarina. Then there was the Duetto, an icon for Italian styling all over…

With the DS High Rider concept presented at Geneva to preview the forthcoming DS4, Citroën demonstrates a new way of interpreting the essence of a coupé. After the DS3 presented in 2009, this is the second step in the brand’s venture into its new range of upmarket models – the DS series – with which the French carmaker hopes to gain a foothold in the premium category. With its own unique style and architecture, the High Rider represents, according to Citroën MD Frédéric Banzet, “a modern vision of the coupé with compactness and sophistication as its core values, which opens the doors to a new form of motoring enjoyment”. “The new DS series is distinctive”, explains Marc Pinson, head of style for the project, “but each model is autonomous, with…

“The quintessence of aesthetics and driving pleasure” – BMW’s marketers proclaimed the arrival of the new 5 Series at Geneva in a flurry of hyperbole. BMW design chief Adrian van Hooydonk, however, talks about the sixth generation of the 5 Series in much more straightforward language: “The 5 Series is extremely important from a design standpoint. It is the essence of the BMW brand and, as such, has to be 120 percent a BMW. It has to be the perfect combination of sportiness and elegance, and we did our utmost to make this happen”. The proportions were the subject of particular attention: “I believe that this is the best proportioned saloon on the market”. The front and rear overhangs have been shortened, with a corresponding increase in wheelbase, and the…

The new Touareg? “It’s as if it has been going to the gym every day”, says Volkswagen brand design chief Klaus Bischoff. “It has lost weight, a good 200 kg, and the aim was to be able to see this greater lightness. The effects of the treatment can be seen in the cleaner cut forms, the neat, dynamic lines which highlight the muscles”. The more athletically responsive appearance was one of the objectives set for the new Suv which has been completely redesigned compared to the first generation. A slim line that contrasts with the greater plan dimensions: length and width (4795 and 1940 mm) have grown by 41 and 12 mm respectively, “and yet the vehicle looks more compact”, continues Bischoff pointing to the more scooped out side panel…

“Cars are female”, Gabriele D’Annunzio pronounced at the beginning of last century. So for the design of a de luxe, high performing saloon for Geneva, it was only natural for I.DE.A. Institute to seek inspiration from an Italian woman whose beauty is admired all over the world, Sofia Loren. A symbol of glamour to which the car that bears her name pays tribute. The Sofia is an important project, not just because it confirms the return of the Turin firm to the Geneva stage, following the presentation of the design study of the sporty Era in 2009 (after an absence of ten years), but also because compared to the Era it addresses a different theme, proof of a fertile creative bent. “The Sofia”, explains the head of the Style Centre,…

Both chronologically and aesthetically, there is very little separating the ix-onic prototype seen at Geneva in 2009 from the new ix35, allowing Hyundai to reinforce its presence in the compact SUV segment with a declaration of individuality. As explained by Hyundai Motor Europe chief designer Thomas Bürkle, the ix35 applies the new language of “sculpted flowing lines” destined to become the hallmark of the Korean carmaker. Built at Zilina in Europe, the ix35 is longer, wider and lower (4410, 1820 and 1670 mm) than the Tucson it replaces, and makes a strong, elegant and distinctive visual impact. Defining the flank is the ‘double z’ feature emphasising the coupé-like rising waistline and the dynamism expressed by the narrow gap between the arches and the tyres (17” or 18”), while the large…