Nissan's Forum concept is a new take on the family hauler. Laden with innovative details, the show car pushes forward with a new design aesthetic and luxurious appointments not typically found on MPVs.

With an exterior design that communicates movement through soft organic wave forms at the base of the windshield, below the front bumper and in the flowing surface treatment of the body panels, the design is dynamic and emotional. One flowing line departs from the headlamp and tapers off in the middle of the front door, where it is picked up by a second crease that rises slowly toward the rear.

"I wanted to create a look where not every line continues all the way though," exterior designer Joel Baek told CDN. "I thought that was too expected and I wanted to give it more emotion." Dynamic elements such as the full-width head and tail lamps also give the concept a wider stance, while aerodynamic wing mirrors appear more as sculptures than functional devices.

Inside, the large leather seats feature six integrated speakers (courtesy of a collaboration with Bose), a 'turntable' second row, and thick wool carpeting accentuating the premium feel. A floating top surface of the IP and center console gives the interior a sense of space and weightlessness. Other design elements include rear seats that are angled-in towards one another - reminiscent of a similar arrangement in the Roll-Royce Phantom - and a wood panel in the rear door panel that tucks into the door as it opens, allowing the track to reveal.

This concept was one of the more well-resolved and finely executed concepts on show, a testament to the possibilities of developing existing vehicle typology by blending design cues from other segments.

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The Renegade is one of those concepts every designer wants to create: a back to basics, futuristic recreational car for young people. And we've seen Jeep concepts before, several times, that tick some of these boxes. But this is not to suggest that this concept should be lightly dismissed.

Exterior designer Anton Shamenkov took us through how the design was inspired by the original Willys in its basic simplicity, in the openness at the sides and in the rear fender line. He also told us how the car was conceived as part of a water-sports lifestyle and has two integrated sea scooters at the rear.

At the front, the ‘frog eye' lamps are set in black pods on the hood, while the side is dominated by the graphic of the door shut line and the aperture within the door. Picking up from the door shut line is the Willys-influenced rear fender and at the rear are two simple round lamps with a white cross graphic - first seen on the Jeep Hurricane concept from 2005. 

Inside, the water sports theme continues with neoprene seats and a few other interior elements that are also waterproof. Scott Anderson, the interior designer, took us through some notable innovative features such as the soya foam IP that is cut out on both sides to expose the structural beam and provide some additional storage. There is also a steering wheel hub selector for the four wheel drive and Jeep's version of Land Rover's hill decent (called ‘engine brake'), and canvas pull straps for the door openers - a lovely detail.

Maybe one day Jeep will go ahead and make something like the Renegade. Or perhaps they'll just carry on tantalizing us with funky concepts every year or two...

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With this crossover pickup truck concept, Toyota is suggesting a solution to the declining small pickup market. It might well be re-energized with a different type of design and a more environmentally-friendly powertrain.

The core innovation is the car's dynamic and low-roofed crew cab conceptual design - a unique and appealing idea. At the front of the car, the grille is defined not by a separate element but by the body following the contours of the grille frame above the bumper. This is then picked up below the bumper to make a complete hoop grille graphic, but oddly the lower edge is slimmer than the sides and upper edge. There are a few other areas of this design that seem poorly resolved, such as the A-pillar base and the way the side feature lines and the upper and lower DLO edges are set at slightly different angles.

Daryl Harris, interior designer, told us that the "whole interior is about exposed framework to give a lightweight feel". The rest of the concept's design team comprised of project lead designer Alan Schneider; Mona Beattie, color and materials designer; project chief and exterior designer Ian Cartabiano; and exterior designer Matt Sperling.

Overall, the concept of the A-BAT and many of the design ideas have a lot of appeal. But the concept ultimately underwhelms under close scrutiny, with too many of the design elements lacking refinement. There are few strong design features that support its new vehicle typology, an aspect particularly evident when compared to the conceptually similar Land Rover LRX, whose interior is full of exciting and innovative design features.

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