Tabla de contenidos para 259 - March / April 2023 en AUTO & DESIGN

While designing a new car may not be easy, creating a new brand and building an entire range can be even more complicated. A year on from the debut of the bZ4X – the first model of the bZ, Beyond Zero, brand dedicated by Toyota to its pure electrics – the bZ Compact Suv, a concept car that in 2024 will become a zero-emission production model for the main global markets, was unveiled. “To give it an international dimension, we chose an architecture that is rapidly gaining favour, the SUV coupe”, says Lance Scott, Design Director of Toyota Europe Design Development (ED2), the Japanese manufacturer's style centre in the hills of Nice, France, where the exterior of the bZ Compact Suv was designed. “It's a new addition to the bZ…

“Scandinavian design, safety, technology”. These, according to Robin Page – Volvo's head of design until next May 1st when he will become senior style consultant and will be replaced by Jeremy Offer – are the four key words of the EX90, the new seven-seater, zero-emission SUV that the Swedish manufacturer is proposing as the successor to the XC90. The 2021 Concept Recharge show car gave a glimpse of new shapes and technological solutions and, indeed, several have been kept for the series production too: “Concept Recharge and EX90 bear a very close resemblance to each other. Just look at the front: the completely full grille could be the mouth of a man, while the subtle light signature headlights could be the eyes. We have tried to work deeply on the…

One car, multiple personalities. If the intention of concept cars is to anticipate future shapes and trends, you could say that the latest prototypes of the ‘Sphere’ family are pointing Audi at the world of tranformers: “In a way it' true” says a smiling Marc Lichte, head of Audi design since 2014. “he aim of the Skysphere of 2021 was to express many different characters in a single model: from roadster to grand tourer, even changing its architecture thanks to a 25-centimetre wheelbase extension. The new Activesphere carries on this trend and doesn' shy away from dramatic plot twists.” The first impression of the Activesphere is of a long saloon (4.98 metres) with sinuous lines but with SUV-like ground clearance, off-road driving protection and a coupè-like roofline that slips down…

The “Horizontal Realm” is a vast and pure land for users. The concept car HORIZON, based on digital technology, incorporates the traditional oriental white treatment to deliver a unique and caring emotional space for users. The horizontally extended lines are inspired by the intersection of heaven and earth, interpreting the classical philosophy of the unity of heaven and man. We give the maximum freedom to users in interaction and space layout, so that they can feel the most important sense of belonging and naturally integrate into the innovative technology environment. Tranquility, comfort, spiritual escape - HORIZON combines the symbiotic vision and digital life technology and achieves the perfect balance state, which will be integrated into the details of users' life, or office, or play, or travel. Every user can see…

The yacht design world is rapidly evolving, and the contamination with other design areas, now increasingly common, increases experimentation and stimulates research. With this in mind, IED in Turin launched the Master's programme in Yacht Design at the beginning of 2022 with the coordination of Federica Bertolini, Design Director of Azimut Benetti Group, and designer Michele Albera, whom we met at the conclusion of the first year of the course. “It was a very interesting experience that allowed our students to deal with two customers. On the one hand, Rossinavi, one of the most innovative brands in today's nautical industry, and on the other, Poltrona Frau, a symbol of craftsmanship and Made in Italy tradition”, he said. “The development of the end-of-course theses involved students in a comprehensive and realistic…

CES, aka the Consumer Electronic Show, is back after the pandemic: the annual appointment in Las Vegas with the world of technology and the digital industry opened the year of hi-tech in January by once again proving to be less consumer and more automotive-oriented. In fact, CES is perhaps the last great motor show: a festival where the often distant and improbable future of cars and mobility offer a glimpse. This year in Las Vegas there was less storytelling and more concreteness in the showcase. No flying cars and level 5 autonomous driving, two technologies that for the last ten years were always supposed to arrive in five years' time. A bit like nuclear fusion, which every year for the past 40 years is due to come in 30. Kidding…

With the exception of the classic cat-like flavour that emerges from the bright 'claws' on the front and the low, sleek silhouette, the latest Lion prototype experiments with a design approach that has never looked so far into the future. Even the name, from the Latin 'inceptio' (start, beginning), signs up to a manifest desire for renewal. “It was unveiled at the CES in Las Vegas precisely because it packs a powerful technological punch, combined naturally with a desire to respect the planet”, says Matthias Hossann, head of Peugeo styling since 2020. Behind the creative process are a number of technical features capable of upending convention. First and foremost, the zeroemission STLA Large platform “truly allows unheard of engineering freedom” and is exploited to construct volumes typical of electric cars,…

Refined details, fluid surfaces, and general cleanliness that masterfully loosens the knots of electric architecture, starting with the very short overhangs. While the striking frontal identity of the last two VinFast offerings unfolds through the full-width daytime running lights, which are far more graphic and incisive than in the past, the entire bodywork exudes a sensuality laden with echoes of Italian design. That is, with an almost sporty, but also accessible and reassuring softness. Following the collaboration with Pininfarina for the previous VF8 and VF9, VinFast now relies on the established Torino Design in its quest for a contemporary creative gesture. “Our ability to produce qualitatively remarkable prototypes, comparable to mass production”, points out Roberto Piatti, CEO of the design firm he founded in 2006, underlining the excellence of construction…

When the discussion involves design our thoughts almost always turn to Italy, France, Sweden, Japan… But Spain also exists and a good example of this, apart from the Seat-Cupra, is the work that the Crupo Antolin does from its headquarters in Burgos, where its latest creation, the Vivar, comes from. The Grupo Antolin defines itself as a global supplier of technological solutions for car interiors, but the Vivar is their first offer of an exterior bodywork, which wraps a revolutionary exercise in interior styling. Adelaida Antolín is head of Industrial Design and Color & Trim and she tells us about her Vivar which is “focused on the cornerstones of our company strategy, such as user-oriented design, sustainability and the integration of systems and technologies in the most innovative way, Vivar…

“Seven years after the Genesis brand was made autonomous, we have six models on the road, at least six more will debut from 2025 as part of the new electric car portfolio, and we are boosting capacity because demand is outstripping production. Success beyond our wildest dreams”. Luc Donckerwolke has other reasons to be pleased too. He has recently been promoted to President, a position that comes on top of his role as Chief Creative Officer of the Hyundai Motor Group, which sees him heading up design at Hyundai, Kia and of course Genesis, where he has just completed the trilogy of electric concept cars created to mark the brand's new formal identity. Donckerwolke joined the Korean group in 2016. At that time Genesis was limited to Hyundai premium saloons…

He admits it: the step was a big one. From brands rich in history, tradition and charm, but with decidedly more modest numbers, to an automotive giant. Julian Thomson, however, doesn't seem worried, on the contrary he shows off combative intentions. After a long career that featured first Lotus - he was the one who designed the Elise - and then Jaguar, where he successfully changed the face of the brand with Ian Callum, he landed at General Motors with the demanding task of giving a European twist to the brands of the American group. “A little over a year ago – he says – I was contacted by GM Vice-president of Global Design, Michael Simcoe, with the idea of opening an advanced design centre in Europe, intended to encourage…

“A ll encompassed” is Chang'an's latest interpretation of the intelligent aesthetics of new technology. We use design to eliminate the boundaries between experiences and lives, and pass on the beautiful perception in the exploration to all things. The “vertical force” is the release of self-energy, breaking free from the established rules. The new concept car VIIA is not only a car, but also a highly futuristic, changeable and open free space. The VIIA is composed of three main modes: driving mode, game mode and drone mode. We need a drone precisely because it is another pair of eyes that extends out to lead us to more unseen landscapes; we love games precisely because we have endless imagination and we are eager to explore the spiritual world that is not bound.…

The Chinese automotive industry is expanding apace, the result of more than two decades of rapid growth. Against such a backdrop of progress, the design function plays a part of decisive importance, as does the ability of companies to pinpoint young talents with an international vision who can develop their skills in house. With a view to attracting the interest of young creatives wherever they may be, in 2013 the Saic Group launched the Saic Design Challenge, an international competition dedicated to automotive design and now at its tenth edition. Set up with the aim of exploring new styling and design horizons to heighten the appeal of Chinese automotive products beyond national borders, the competition, which targets design students from the world's most prestigious schools, has evolved into a melting…