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Geneva Motor Show 2008 - Highlights
by CDN Team
Italdesign Giugiaro Quaranta concept
The Quaranta is an environment-friendly, 4WD super sports-car which celebrates 40 years since the founding of Italdesign. Using a Toyota Hybrid Synergy drivetrain, the design clearly references the 1968 Bizzarinni Manta, one of the first projects undertaken by Italdesign, which was also featured on the stand, freshly repainted in its wonderful original turquoise color. The continuous '1 line' profile is enhanced by a simple graphic treatment where the glass extends from nose to tail and features embedded solar panels. These create a central opaque strip which, although it is a distinctive feature, inevitably disturbs the purity of the graphics. The solar panels are said to generate a power of up to 250W, sufficient for the functioning of the cockpit conditioning system and for recharging the electric battery. While the chamfered front end is pleasant, the rear seems overly fussy and somewhat raw compared to some of the best designs we've seen from the Maestro.
The interior is accessed by a huge lift-up canopy and step-over sills finished in carbon fiber to reach the center driving position. The three-seater layout also incorporates a tiny baby seat behind the driver. The most striking innovation can be found in the multi-control steering wheel which reflects an idea already incorporated in the 1980 Medusa that was also on display: all vehicle driving and control functions are concentrated on the spokes, where the stalks have been eliminated and replaced with keys. Dark brown mottled leather and snakeskin are used on the IP and seats.
Overall, we were disappointed with the Quaranta as a celebration of 40 years of automotive design's most influential design house. The lack of refinement and of really new ideas was drawn into even sharper focus by the older iconic concepts also displayed.
Related Article:
Design Review: Mustang by Giugiaro
The Quaranta is an environment-friendly, 4WD super sports-car which celebrates 40 years since the founding of Italdesign. Using a Toyota Hybrid Synergy drivetrain, the design clearly references the 1968 Bizzarinni Manta, one of the first projects undertaken by Italdesign, which was also featured on the stand, freshly repainted in its wonderful original turquoise color. The continuous '1 line' profile is enhanced by a simple graphic treatment where the glass extends from nose to tail and features embedded solar panels. These create a central opaque strip which, although it is a distinctive feature, inevitably disturbs the purity of the graphics. The solar panels are said to generate a power of up to 250W, sufficient for the functioning of the cockpit conditioning system and for recharging the electric battery. While the chamfered front end is pleasant, the rear seems overly fussy and somewhat raw compared to some of the best designs we've seen from the Maestro.
The interior is accessed by a huge lift-up canopy and step-over sills finished in carbon fiber to reach the center driving position. The three-seater layout also incorporates a tiny baby seat behind the driver. The most striking innovation can be found in the multi-control steering wheel which reflects an idea already incorporated in the 1980 Medusa that was also on display: all vehicle driving and control functions are concentrated on the spokes, where the stalks have been eliminated and replaced with keys. Dark brown mottled leather and snakeskin are used on the IP and seats.
Overall, we were disappointed with the Quaranta as a celebration of 40 years of automotive design's most influential design house. The lack of refinement and of really new ideas was drawn into even sharper focus by the older iconic concepts also displayed.
Related Article:
Design Review: Mustang by Giugiaro
Kia Soul concepts
The Kia Soul concept was presented nearly two years ago in Seoul. But this new Soul concept car in Geneva is a production preview concept car which closely follows the design theme of its predecessor namesake.
The car is half way between a Kia C'eed and a Kia Sportage - a unique vehicle typology closest in concept to the Suzuki SX4 / Fiat Sedici and the Skoda Yeti concept from 2005. The Soul is reminiscent of the Skoda Roomster as well, in its rear three quarter aspect with its upright tailgate and, in particular, its lamp graphic. But the rest of the car is more distinctive and has a nice balance of being strong without being overly masculine.
Gregory Guillaume, chief designer at Kia Design Center Europe, told us how the three different versions of the Soul on display at Geneva demonstrate how diverse the Soul's appeal could be. With various different versions and options possible, this car will be produced local to European markets in the Czech Republic. Guillaume went on to show us "the soul within each Soul" - which is a small video clip displayed within the smaller secondary display in the center of the IP. On the Diva it is a rotating diamond, on the Searcher it is water dropping into a pond and on the Burner it is... flames.
Each car had strong color and trim differences to fit with the basic concept of their ‘inner soul' to making them superficially quite different, though they lacked much subtlety or sophistication in their execution. And although the Soul is a well resolved, distinctive and unique design, the low quality of interior plastics, cheap looking door handles and other old fashioned details detracted from the overall impressive design for Kia, set to tap into the new European crossover trend.
Related Articles:
Kia Soul concept - Detroit 2006
Who's Where: Peter Schreyer
Design Review: Skoda Yeti concept
The Kia Soul concept was presented nearly two years ago in Seoul. But this new Soul concept car in Geneva is a production preview concept car which closely follows the design theme of its predecessor namesake.
The car is half way between a Kia C'eed and a Kia Sportage - a unique vehicle typology closest in concept to the Suzuki SX4 / Fiat Sedici and the Skoda Yeti concept from 2005. The Soul is reminiscent of the Skoda Roomster as well, in its rear three quarter aspect with its upright tailgate and, in particular, its lamp graphic. But the rest of the car is more distinctive and has a nice balance of being strong without being overly masculine.
Gregory Guillaume, chief designer at Kia Design Center Europe, told us how the three different versions of the Soul on display at Geneva demonstrate how diverse the Soul's appeal could be. With various different versions and options possible, this car will be produced local to European markets in the Czech Republic. Guillaume went on to show us "the soul within each Soul" - which is a small video clip displayed within the smaller secondary display in the center of the IP. On the Diva it is a rotating diamond, on the Searcher it is water dropping into a pond and on the Burner it is... flames.
Each car had strong color and trim differences to fit with the basic concept of their ‘inner soul' to making them superficially quite different, though they lacked much subtlety or sophistication in their execution. And although the Soul is a well resolved, distinctive and unique design, the low quality of interior plastics, cheap looking door handles and other old fashioned details detracted from the overall impressive design for Kia, set to tap into the new European crossover trend.
Related Articles:
Kia Soul concept - Detroit 2006
Who's Where: Peter Schreyer
Design Review: Skoda Yeti concept
Skoda Superb
This second-generation Superb is based on a mildly-lengthened VW Passat platform, with transverse rather than longitudinal engines as before. Walking around the car, there's a slight mixture of character together with odd reminders of several other cars. The front end is quite powerful and classy: the grille is sharper and more strongly defined than other Skodas, with a new six-sided grille outline, vertical grille bars and ends that wrap over into a new surface on either side, not unlike the new Volvo XC60 design. The adaptive headlamps are sharply outlined and feature a small ‘Superb' signature in the corners.
By contrast, the rear appears a little low rent and somewhat unbalanced in character to the front. There's a softer treatment to the surfaces than that of the front end and an overall style reminiscent of the old Megane sedan with rounded taillamps, a flat trunklid surface and the license plate housed low down in the bumper. Furthermore, the car looks slightly underwheeled - even on 17-inch rims - due to the large wheelarch clearances, an uncomfortably heavy C-pillar and a deep rear bumper. A unique feature is the Twindoor trunk, allowing a trunklid or full tailgate opening.
Better news on the interior however. This is an excellent package, with fantastic cabin space for rear passengers. The IP theme is not unlike that of the old S-Class Mercedes, with a wave form and thin wood or aluminium insert strip across the lower edge. The entire IP is made of high quality slush-formed soft-touch plastics, including the center console, lower scuttle areas and glovebox. By contrast, the door linings are largely in hard plastics, except for the door top roll area. The rear cabin is particularly impressive, with such luxury features as vents in the B-pillars, footrests, integrated blinds for the side windows and touch controls for seat heating in the rear face of the center console.
This second-generation Superb is based on a mildly-lengthened VW Passat platform, with transverse rather than longitudinal engines as before. Walking around the car, there's a slight mixture of character together with odd reminders of several other cars. The front end is quite powerful and classy: the grille is sharper and more strongly defined than other Skodas, with a new six-sided grille outline, vertical grille bars and ends that wrap over into a new surface on either side, not unlike the new Volvo XC60 design. The adaptive headlamps are sharply outlined and feature a small ‘Superb' signature in the corners.
By contrast, the rear appears a little low rent and somewhat unbalanced in character to the front. There's a softer treatment to the surfaces than that of the front end and an overall style reminiscent of the old Megane sedan with rounded taillamps, a flat trunklid surface and the license plate housed low down in the bumper. Furthermore, the car looks slightly underwheeled - even on 17-inch rims - due to the large wheelarch clearances, an uncomfortably heavy C-pillar and a deep rear bumper. A unique feature is the Twindoor trunk, allowing a trunklid or full tailgate opening.
Better news on the interior however. This is an excellent package, with fantastic cabin space for rear passengers. The IP theme is not unlike that of the old S-Class Mercedes, with a wave form and thin wood or aluminium insert strip across the lower edge. The entire IP is made of high quality slush-formed soft-touch plastics, including the center console, lower scuttle areas and glovebox. By contrast, the door linings are largely in hard plastics, except for the door top roll area. The rear cabin is particularly impressive, with such luxury features as vents in the B-pillars, footrests, integrated blinds for the side windows and touch controls for seat heating in the rear face of the center console.
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