IAA 2013 | BMW i3
IAA 2013 | Opel Monza Concept
Coming back to the German brands, let’s talk about Opel who were showing the Opel Monza. Like Citroen, Opel is using the past to design the future. Monza is the name of a good car that was produced (and too soon forgotten) in the 80’s. The silhouette reminds us of shooting brakes from the 60-70’s. But when you approach the car you see how much it is designed towards the future…
Martin Schaufler has done an excellent exterior design job, understanding and expressing the DNA of Opel. This showcar demonstrates the new design language of GM Europe. The face uses slim lamps to give the boomerang signature. The style becomes simple and smooth, with curves, but not too many. In the center of the hood Opel used one gimmick: a central rib or raised feature line to add some tension. During the discussion with the exterior designer we understand that the Monza Concept represents the GM Design Europe studio vision of Opel/Vauxhall’s future and stands for the following values: German engineering, combined with design and innovation suitable for everyday use. We agree with Martin when he says “the body shapes of the Monza Concept visibly demonstrate efficiency, lightness and athleticism, rather than pure muscle power. The overall package of the Monza Concept maximizes the very spacious and sporty interior in relation to the exterior dimensions of a 4-seater, enabling easy ingress and egress through the “Butterfly” doors”
The interior designed by Boris Ilse, is very futuristic. All shapes seem to be floating in the air…
The sporty, dynamic interior sculpture of user surfaces in the Monza Concept enables flawless connection and combination of vehicle and driver information via the internet with decorative elements which can be fully customized according to the specific needs and driving behavior of the driver. As Boris told us, “the Monza Concept introduces ground-breaking technologies for future infotainment and connectivity possibilities, showing how next-generation Opel cars will address the needs of a closely connected and sharing society.” We can’t wait to see that…
A big screen with 18 LED projectors takes the place of the IP to communicate all kinds of information to the driver from vehicle performance data to multimedia. This technology enables unlimited personalization in terms cluster decoration and IP information display.
This concept seems to represent a ground breaking HMI philosophy, providing new types of information and new ways to display that information. Seeing this LED technology leads us to think that it will allow new ways to shape interiors in the near future…
The modularity of the architecture allows Opel to use any kind of engine, from petrol, diesel and gas, to electrical, hybrid and beyond. With this showcar we can be sure that the return of Mark Adams will initiate a renewal of Opel Design.
IAA 2013 | Renault Initiale Paris
Renault presented an interesting concept: The Renault Initiale Paris previewing the replacement of the Espace…It is not a MPV, but it is not a SUV or a Station-Wagon. Yet it is all of those at the same time. It is a new concept, it is a Renault! The French company is betting on a new type crossover to renew the Espace. It has the same length, but looks longer than the Espace due to the fluidity of the lines. The impressive part is the aluminum/plexiglass roof where a map of Paris is printed. The exterior uses the Renault design language initiated by Laurens van den Acker, but it is not very original as we are so used to seeing the Clio. The interior is much more appealing, with two rows of seats mounted on the central tunnel. It seems that they are floating. On the other hand the third row seems to be attached to the car…We hope the production car will be close to this interesting concept. Like Citroen with the DS brand, Renault could use Initiale as a premium brand…
IAA 2013 | Peugeot 308
On the Peugeot stand, the 308 was introduced to the public. And, based on hearing and reading all the positive comments from German journalists, the Frankfurt debut was certainly no mistake. Basically the Peugeot 308 is seen as a serious challenger to the VW Golf. We think that he design team led by Gilles Vidal has done a very nice job. Volume is very simple. Lines are clean and mastered. One can say that it looks too much like a Golf. But in this category customers want a Golf, don’t they? The use of a small steering wheel, like the 208, is a must, Gilles Vidal told us: “once you have tried this configuration of steering wheel, you don’t want to go back…”We believe him.Knowing that the Peugeot mechanicals are usually good, it will certainly be a best-seller…perhaps beating the Golf? Why not…
IAA 2013 | Citroen C-Cactus
The real buzz of the show was certainly the Citroen C-Cactus Concept. This concept revealed on Tuesday previews two things: the identity of the C-line and 90% of what the future crossover C4-Cactus will be. This Cactus is the conclusion of a program initiated in 2007 with the first Cactus, also debuted at the IAA.
It is a basic car. Simple, sober — just the essentials. Citroen is clearly taking the direction of design simplicity, while some other brands are going different ways… Nobody is right or wrong, each has their own solution for the future.
In terms of simplicity, the first Cactus went a long way. This new concept car doesn’t go quite that far…but still…
The design demonstrates fluidity. Each line has a function. It is a very quiet and peaceful design. Frederic Duvernier, the exterior designer, uses the graphic of the original DS to design the C-pillar. Using the past to design the future without using the same silhouette…(See Beetle, Mini, Fiat 500…), what a good and fresh idea… The main innovation on the exterior is the use of a Citroen patent called AirBump. The bumper is made of a spongy material that includes air capsules that absorbs a deformation of 2cm. On the production car, to be launched in Geneva, the customer will be able to customize the Airbump with a large choice of colors. The showcar had no windows, but naturally they will be on the production car. One detail is that the rear windows will be a ‘crack open’ style instead of the typical roll down…
The Cactus shares its slim headlamp with the C4-Picasso. All graphics are very strong. The interior is very interesting. Once again it is very simple in its use of volumes. The front seat can welcome three people and is in one piece. The production car will have the same room, but with a 1/3-2/3 accommodation. To us the two display screens are a little bit strange, but they might represent the desire to give some contrast to this zen interior. Without this technological touch the look might be too simple and boring. If we listen to Jean-Pierre Ploué, the interior shown is very close to the production model…
Let’s wait! Even though Geneva is just around the corner in March…
IAA 2013 | Smart FourJoy
Staying in the Daimler group, the city car arm of the German company showed the Smart FourJoy Concept which is a preview of what the next generation Forfour will be in 2014. With just 3.49m to carry four people, the FourJoy shares its platform with the next generation Renault Twingo. The FourJoy has electric drive, like most concepts on the floor…The evolution of the style is significant versus the current model, but not so much if you compare with the For-US and FourStars concepts…
IAA 2013 | Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupé Concept
The Mercedes S-Class Coupe shown on Tuesday demonstrates what the Mercedes design direction will be in the near future. With this concept, Mercedes wanted to be in between emotion and tradition. The silhouette is elegant, fluid and muscular, with the latter somewhat emphasized by the extra width in the rear… The interior reeks of luxury, featuring white leather and aluminum. There is no doubt that when Mercedes uses the right materials and color combinations (and we have seen some terrible examples of when they did not…) it is THE luxury brand.
IAA 2013 | Mercedes-Benz GLA Class
The excellent concept introduced in Shanghai is now transformed onto the production car. Let’s say it is not what we were expecting from the press pictures and the concept preview. The concept car presented last April was massive (almost 2m wide and 1.58m height), but the production car looks quite different.It is more like a very low SUV or a raised A-Class, but the design is still very well structured and appealing. Very glamorous too…On the side view, the horizontal kind of V-shape gives a dynamic stance to the body. The front is not aggressive, but serious. If we compare with the A-Class,the wheel arches have been redesigned using a flat surface at the top. This small detail is quite important and gives a better stance to the car. The trunk seems bigger than the A-Class thanks to the redesign of the rear section. The disappointment comes from the interior, where aluminum parts are now made of.…plastic… If you are going to use plastic, just show it…especially if you are Mercedes…
IAA 2013
Every two years, the automotive world meets at the Frankfurt auto show and every time we are always surprised by the magnitude of the event.The photo of the Mercedes hall should convince you and give you a good idea ofthe ambiance…In this report, as usual, we are trying to give you a good overview of the autoshowwe have visited. We are only going to review some of the cars debuting in Frankfurt, as this year there were so many cars revealed. This shows that the automotive industry, even if it things are not going well, tries to put its head above the water…
As you will read in the coming articles, this 65th edition of the IAA was once again very impressive, let’s say “Kolossal” — especially in terms of how big the halls are. But, it was also colossal in terms of design when you consider the number of new cars and concept vehicles that we have seen. In fact, there were so many new cars this year that we had to make a selection of those on which to comment. This is a good sign. The automotive industry is “up and running” again. And Design is the starter…
IAA 2013 – Preview
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