Tabla de contenidos para No. 236 en AUTO & DESIGN

Electrification, self-driving, AI - artificial intelligence. The future is just around the corner and designers must be ready for the big change that will bring about zero-emission or robotic mobility, providing new shapes and increasingly advanced multimedia interfaces, without betraying brand identity. One who knows this well is Gorden Wagener, head of design for the Daimler Group since 2016 and style manager for all the brands of the German group, whom we met at the Geneva Motor Show. «There is a unifying thread that links our four brands, Mercedes-Benz, Mercedes-AMG, Mercedes-Maybach and EQ, and it is the desire to reinterpret the concept of luxury in a different way, constantly following our design philosophy that we call "sensual purity". The most classic products are those of the Mercedes-Benz range, while AMG…

To escape traditional typologies and their related limitations of use, imagining an alternative mobility not so much in its propulsion, which is obviously electric, but in the search horizon of the pleasure of driving. “This is a hedonistic car,” begins with a smile Fabrizio Giugiaro, son of the famous Giorgetto with whom he shares the helm of GFG Style: “A two-seater decidedly high performance hypersuv, with ‘tense’ lines like those of a coupé and equipped with an interior that could evoke atmospheres worthy of a Miura. In short, a product that is so enjoyable that I thought it would be a shame to limit it to roads!”, he continues with enthusiasm. “The idea had already emerged in 2013 with the Parcour, which was developed under the Italdesign brand. In the…

Anyone who has been able to visit the last edition of the Geneva Motor Show, as well as all the other international exhibitions in recent years, has necessarily come across an overwhelming percentage of proposals with zero emissions, many of which are ready to reach the assembly lines or are already in production. «Clean propulsion is increasingly becoming a reality, this is now clear to everyone» says Grégory Guillaume, head of Kia design. «And since many buyers have a number of concerns about such a far-reaching change, most manufacturers aim to reassure them with precise and empirical data, such as for example autonomy. With Imagine, we chose another path: emotion.» This is not a vaguely philosophical and somewhat abused formula, but rather a genuine manifest intent. «Quite clearly it’s the…

"Heritage, Italian style, passion, and the pure pleasure of driving - these are the four concepts that best describe Alfa Romeo. Following a tradition that began with the first races in 1910, we rewrote the rules of the game in 2014, beginning with the development of the Giulia and the Stelvio. At the Geneva Motor Show, we unveiled the Tonale, a C-SUV unlike any other. We want it to be our most significant product in terms of sales volume, a key car for our growth. We are entering a segment that has more than doubled its sales at a global level in the last four years and that anticipates growth of another 40%, reaching 1.4 million units sold by 2021 - 600,000 in Europe alone. We are not launching just…

Looking into the Alfa Romeo Tonale’s cabin you discover references to the past tradition that are more striking than the ones on the outside. "In defining the internal space - recounts Inna Kondakova, Chief Interior Designer - we started off from a specific idea: we wanted boarding onto the car to convey the clear sensation that you are in an Alfa Romeo. Unlike cars from other manufacturers, everything in an Alfa Romeo must rotate around the pleasure of driving. Alfa lovers, or 'alfisti', are extremely demanding and I think we managed to fulfil their desires. On the Tonale, it is enough to see the chalice-shaped steering wheel or the instruments set in two cylindrical elements covered by the typical binocular to understand that you are in an Alfa Romeo: a…

It is not simply a concept car; it is a "revolution". It is not purely an exercise in style; it is a genuine solution for future mobility. This is the Fiat Concept Centoventi, a vehicle that, on the occasion of the Turin brand's 120th year, encompasses many of the stylistic and functional characteristics of models that have made Fiat’s history. The Centoventi has refined elements of the 500, the Panda, the Uno, and the Tipo, adapting them to the mobility of tomorrow and to the new way - now taking shape - of thinking about the car. It is a compact model: its dimensions quite faithfully follow those of the Panda currently in production, and it was conceived for moving around the city - and not just in the city.…

The same modular approach can be found in the interior of the Fiat Concept Centoventi. The concept of 'less is more' finds one of its maximum expressions in the cabin. "We wanted to create an environment that looked as much as possible like an 'empty' house," explained Andreas Wuppinger, FCA's Head of Interior Design. "A free space that the users can fill according to their tastes and needs at every particular moment of their life. And this is where the uniqueness of this concept and its design lies: in its ability to evolve, simultaneously with the changing needs of the user. With this in mind, you can choose from a wide range of add-ons, ranging from the classic cup holder to a baby seat to replace the passenger seat." The…

Of all the boundaries on tomorrow's motoring landscape, one of the most stimulating to emerge is shared mobility, which promises to profoundly change the daily lives of millions of people in large urban centres. "In Paris, for example, many people already move around on electric scooters, pedal-assisted bicycles and even kick-scooters”, explains Pierre Leclerq, head of Citroën design. "This is our answer”. Packed into a length of two and a half metres and tailored for two passengers, the Ami One aims to communicate freshness and accessibility, with a much greater immediacy than a private car: "In all our products we try to imagine a relationship with the end user, focusing on a language that suits his world. Here, however, we didn’t have to define a pop-hearted C3 or C4 Cactus…

Rewriting an icon is never an easy task. “A special challenge,” says Laurens van den Acker introducing the fifth generation of the Renault Clio in Geneva: “We had to protect what was working, i.e. the attractiveness and genetics of a car that in 2018 managed to sell even more than in 2017, but we had to improve everything else.” How? “By making the car more balanced,” answers Van den Acker, head of design at the French company: “It had to be beautiful not only at a distance but also close up: when opening the door you would have to say 'Wow!'. So an external evolution, to maintain the DNA, and an internal revolution, with upper segment technologies and finishes. So, here's a completely new Clio: recognizable, iconic, but with more…

"The aim was clear: to give fresh design life to an icon through essential, modern lines, without betraying its spirit". Klaus Bischoff, head of design for the Volkswagen brand, immediately goes right to the heart of the ID. Buggy, the concept car project the German manufacturer presented at the last Geneva Motor Show. In their approach to the project, the designers drew their inspiration from the past with explicit reference to the Dune Buggy of the ‘60s, but with the great styling freedom offered by the MEB platform, the one dedicated to Volkswagen group electric vehicles. "The operation can be summarised in a principle we have called "Retro-free". This has allowed us to cite the historical model without replicating it. We have thus created a product whose feasibility and authenticity…

It all started with a manga story. In the year 2025, Coner, a talented IED student with a brilliant soul and also a dreamer, developed a passionate interest for environmental issues and decided to balance his life between the city, where he studied, and the countryside, where he grew a small vegetable garden, which earned him a living by selling tomatoes directly, delivering them with the help of Tomo, his custom built four-wheeled companion. "The comic strip tells how Coner's imaginative mind gives shape to Tomo, which in Japanese means 'friend', a sort of motorized 'extension' of the boy, who helps him in his exploits. An electric car in an innovative package, meeting his needs and able to perform a variety of functions," said Alessandro Cipolli, coordinator of the two-year…

Alfa Romeo’s new stylistic route started in 2016, when the Giulia was presented, and was followed shortly after by the Stelvio. New Giorgio platform, new engines, a long awaited return to rear-wheel drive and a well-deserved positioning amongst premium vehicles, where the 'House of the Snake' (from the Alfa shield emblem) has arrived with the clear intent to play on equal terms with the German competitors. But Alfa Romeo has even more ambitious projects. It made the announcement exactly when the Giulia was launched and it reiterated its point with the last industrial plan: the Alfa Romeo range will develop with many more models. And this is where the Tonale Concept comes in. The concept car was presented during the last Geneva Motor Show - much to everyone’s surprise, since…

Developing a "democratic" car has meant "reconsidering" the classic approach to design. We wanted to remove elements before we added any, simplifying lines and features. The whole idea was to allow the final customer to personalise the vehicle as much as possible, beginning with a simple base. The starting point was the concept of the "white box", which evolved into the "white canvas": a clean slate on which the designers sketched the lines of the base elements only. Alongside these, it is the customer who will later add the accessories they wish. But this highly innovative process did not lack references to the past. "Faithful to the brand's tradition, the Centoventi's design develops across several superimposed volumes", explains Daniele Calonaci, Senior Designer for the Centoventi project and now Chief Exterior…

In addition to democratization and customization, another element that had a deep influence on the development of the Fiat Concept Centoventi was the way the vehicle communicates with the 'outside world'. This is true both in terms of car sharing and ownership. "The Fiat Concept Centoventi is designed to 'generate' communication all around it, going far beyond the 'simple' connection with smartphones," explained Peter Jansen, Head of UX at FCA. "To do this, it uses the large screen located on the tailgate, as well as the instrument cluster, which is the main interface between the car and the driver. The part of the cluster facing towards the outside even allows you to communicate with anyone outside the vehicle and while the vehicle is stationary". These new solutions allow the Fiat…

The Range Rover Evoque launched in 2010 wrote an important chapter in the story of the Land Rover. "Apart from its excellent market results, this was a vehicle that triggered a change in our culture”, explains Gerry McGovern, Chief Design Officer of the British brand. "In recent years, our design philosophy has rested on four cornerstones: modernity, relevance, sustainability and, last but not least, desirability. In the luxury and premium world to which our cars belong, customers don't just buy products because they need them, but because they want them”. The Evoque has been an object of desire since it was first unveiled as the LRX Concept at the end of 2007, before taking to the road virtually unchanged. Its uniqueness derives from a design language of great aesthetic taste…

The Polestar 1 is an impressive hybrid supercar with which Volvo’s offshoot brand launched in October 2017. According to Thomas Ingenlath, the Polestar 2 “is built on our design DNA, but is also our first fully electric higher volume car.” Mr. Ingenlath is Volvo design chief and CEO of Polestar, the company based in Gothenburg that designs the new electric car brand. “Everything about this car has been designed and engineered with passion and dedication”. The Polestar 2, a premium fastback based on Volvo’s CMA (Compact Modular Architecture) platform, certainly posed some challenges for its designers: Mr. Ingenlath went on to say that “fitting the battery in a SUV is easy, you just put it beneath the passengers. In this case we had to develop a fine-tuned solution with our…

Elegance and sportiness live together in the DaVinci, the electric concept car presented by Italdesign at the Geneva Motor Show. "We were looking to create a true Gran Turismo of pure Italian design and without too many extreme lines or elements. We let the proportions speak for themselves, and they are truly fantastic”, says Filippo Perini, who has headed up Italdesign's Innovation Design, and hence its style, department, since 2015. The DaVinci development process lasted a total of 64 days. "We started out in December with this project whose very special name celebrates the genius of Leonardo. Our company takes its humble inspiration from his diversified, multifaceted work. We can do a pure sports car in 9 months, as happened with the Zerouno, or do research into the mobility of…

It’s called el-Born, after the name of one of the most iconic districts of Barcelona, and it marks the entry of Spain (in other words Seat) in the race for electric mobility. It was a concept item at the Geneva Motor Show and, with the same name and minimal changes, it will be mass-produced from next year. It is electric, of course, is based on the MEB platform of the Volkswagen Group, but it has a sporty temperament. "It is a perfect paraphrase of the emotions conveyed by Seat styling language in the new scenario of electric vehicles,” explains Alejandro Mesonero-Romanos, head of design for the Spanish maker. “Our team of designers took the challenge of making our first all-electric car a really appealing one very seriously. I think that…

The Toyota Supra revealed this year is the fifth generation of the iconic nameplate and the first all-new model in 21 years. It’s also the first time Toyota has collaborated with BMW to develop a vehicle. “The starting point of this was not specifically ‘the Supra project’,” Nobuo Nakamura, who was named project chief designer of the A90 program in 2013, starts by saying. While Toyota’s CALTY studio in California was designing the FT-1, he and his team were also initiating the collaboration project between BMW and Toyota to share the development costs and build the new Z4 and Supra, respectively. “I knew we had to share the basic platform with BMW. They had a plan but it wasn’t fixed yet. The first year we took time to fix the…

Two modes of Italian Design: the sculptural and the "democratic" are central to FCA. And it should come as no surprise that a German designer with a wealth of American experience is taking charge of both. Klaus Busse, who manages design for FCA's European brands, has passionately immersed himself in the intricacies of one of the most complex automobile traditions. Busse can then, with his intimate knowledge, point out the two "different approaches" behind two quite spiritually different concepts that Turin's Centro Stile (design centre) presented in Geneva. One is the Alfa Romeo Tonale, a Csegment compact SUV; the other is the Fiat Centoventi, which celebrates 120 years of the Turin brand with its name and promises an exciting future with its form - if, or rather when, it enters…

“There are many tales to be told about the Alfa Romeo Tonale,” states Scott Krugger, Head of Design at Alfa Romeo. “We are a mixed team by nationality and background, but we worked on a shared objective driven by our passion for the brand’s history and prestige. We set off from tradition to create a car that would be different from both the Stelvio and the Giulia. A car that nevertheless is an ‘Alfa’ from every point of view.” Alexandros Liokis, Lead Exterior Designer, explains how the Tonale’s exterior look was born. “Unlike other car makers, we were able to focus on a simple design, made out of just a few lines. Because just a few strokes can highlight the connection with the past. We played with a sequence of…

“Fiat celebrates 120 years of history this year, always keeping up with the times and constantly searching for innovative solutions for democratic mobility. The Fiat Concept Centoventi is one of the tributes we wanted to celebrate the anniversary of the brand, thus becoming a new milestone in our history. Centoventi represents Fiat's vision for the future, based on democratic and electric mobility, and responds to the needs of the 'new generations' for more than just urban mobility. Centoventi is essential, but not cheap, it is 'Affordable But Cool', ABC as we call it, and embodies Fiat’s own concept of 'less is more'. Centoventi turns 'less' into 'more', in that it is the car you are not expecting, less bulky, less expensive and less overloaded but, at the same time, more…

You can trace the slender common thread of a deeply interwoven theme in both FCA concepts presented at the Geneva Motor Show: care in the search for materials. Rossella Guasco, who manages the Color and Trim (C&T) department at Fiat and Alfa Romeo’s EMEA Design Centre, is particularly proud of the results: “With the Fiat ‘Centoventi’ Concept, we felt completely free to invent something unique. We were immediately able to work alongside the team that took care of design in the strict sense. It was a project that lasted more than two years, that allowed us to think about every single solution.” “Several internal components are made of a foam material without any cladding”, add Danila Giordano and Simona Carnino of C&T. “The product is called XL Extralight, is three…