The FCC2 concept unveiled by Fiat Automóveis is the quintessential definition of minimalistic automotive design. Developed under the direction of Peter Fassbender, head of Fiat Style Latin America, the concept was built using nanotechnology and plastics impregnated with palm fibers, sourced locally from the Amazon. It is a modern interpretation the classic two-seat dune buggy.

"I searched for forms that would link the car to nature," exterior designer Manuel Alexandre Fereira (also responsible for the original FCC shown in 2006) explained. He told CDN how the hood was inspired by a bird of prey, which pushes out its torso as it moves in for the kill, and how the thin sliver of glass in front of the passenger compartment allows users to feel the wind on their faces.

The exposed mechanical elements, such the main structure and shock absorbers, contrast with the floating body panels that appear as skin over the structural skeleton. These subtle panels provide the essential body of the design yet also serve to cool the electric powerplant and Li-ion batteries, mounted front and rear for enhanced weight distribution. Beneath these panels sit sectioned, jewel-like and chrome-clad LED head- and taillamps.

Aspects of the minimalistic exterior are also carried over to the interior, created by Rafael da Silva Peixoto and Color & Trim designer Renata Tanure Lobato. The recyclable green plastic makes an appearance on the IP, center console and the seats, which are covered in a water repellant neoprene fabric for durability and fitted with four-point racing harnesses.

As we witnessed at the show, Brazil is a country whose inhabitants value adventurous pursuits but also want a frugal, fun vehicle. Fiat designers have appealed to this desire by creating an organic, humanized design, which is also environmentally friendly.

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This is another concept car that was developed locally with the adventure seeking Latin American market in mind. Designed at GM Brazil under the direction of Carlos Barba, General Director of Design for GM Latin America, Africa and Middle East (LAAM), the Chevrolet GPiX - an acronym depicting the 'Global Image' of the Chevrolet brand - is a compact crossover concept that could also be sold in many other markets as well.

With the top selling cars in the Brazilian market being two-box hatchbacks (the market leader is Volkswagen's Gol), the 4.1m-long GPiX is an evolution in the sense that it adds higher ground clearance to an already successful vehicle typology. The vehicle makes use of GM's brand DNA, noticeably in the face of the car, and there are also certain design cues which are reminiscent of the Opel Astra GTC coupe, such as the shape of the DLO, which doesn't follow the roofline to the C-pillar. The head and tail lamps also have the distinctly Astra-like characteristic of having the top edge on a different plane than the lower area.  

Overall this design was well received as being the ideal vehicle for the emerging Latin American market. Designers liked the proportions of the car, which exhibits a more emotional form than current Chevrolets, most noticeably in the side character line that dissolves into the door before reappearing lower along the rear panel and climbing up over the wheelarch. There is a greater sense of dynamism in the design than is currently seen in other crossovers.

Barba told CDN how it took about eight to 10 months with input from 20-25 GM designers from studios in various parts of the globe to create the concept using virtual reality, adding: "I was free to develop pretty much what I had in mind." And though the concept did not have a finished interior, Barba said that models had been made and all the data had already been acquired, so it would simply be a task of dedicating the man hours to put it all into final form.

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Renault's Brazilian arm unveiled the Sand'up concept, designed at the French automaker's recently opened satellite design center in Sao Paolo, Brazil. The vehicle - which was built in a scant three months, with the first sketches created in June and the prototype taking shape over July, August and September - aims to help the brand explore the needs of the burgeoning South American market.

Based heavily on the Sandero Stepway, the concept retains the donor car's hood, windscreen, IP and overall dimensions - it is only wider by 100mm. Unlike the Stepway, however, the concept features a modular rear roof treatment, which enables it to transform from an ordinary four-seat vehicle to a pickup truck with a bed that extends 40cm. Characteristic elements include the aluminum roof rail arches that stretch from the windshield over the main roof area down to the LED taillamps, and the 'iPod red' accent color.

"This is something we could see on the market in 2-3 years," Studio Chief Designer Vincent Pedretti told CDN. "It is a living laboratory. It's not a concept car but a show car. It is reality."

Pedretti referred to the interior structure, which has been lifted from Renault's successful Clio hatchback but transformed by Color & Materials Designer Adriana Bochiniac Brito. The seats are covered by an Alcantara-like material, inspired by luxury branded sneakers, and are adorned with chrome eyelets to create a 'sports-chic' theme. Exterior designer Yuri Hayek worked on the design of the door-mounted cameras and the steering wheel. Giancarlo Biganego reworked the design of the center console and pedals.

In fact, the only elements that would likely not make it to production are the lexan gull-wing doors, which would have included ambient lighting within the door inners - as there is on either side of the rear seat - had Pedretti and his team had more time. Overall the concept was well received by designers we spoke to, who believed it was exactly the kind of vehicle sought for in the Brazilian market.

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