Chevrolet describes its second-generation 2010 Equinox production vehicle - unveiled in Detroit and on sale in mid-2009 in the US - as a compact crossover. Exterior design inspiration comes from the Malibu sedan and Traverse crossover. Signature Chevy design cues include wraparound front headlamps, dual round rear lamps, and dramatically flared wheelarches. Wraparound rear side glass that forces the C-pillar to angle back toward the cabin combines with a raked windscreen - whose base has been moved 75mm further forwards than the previous car's  - to create the illusion of a sleeker, more car-like profile.    

It has the same 2857mm wheelbase as before but is 25mm shorter and 25mm wider with an increased front track for better ride and handling.

The Equinox's rocker panels are also integrated into its doors to improve ingress and egress while protecting, says Chevrolet's US PR, "pant legs that could brush against dirty rockers".

A wraparound IP, perforated leather seat trim and blue ambient lighting for the controls and certain storage areas bring the cabin firmly upmarket. In the back, the rear seats now move fore and aft by a considerable 203mm for more legroom or luggage space as necessary.

GM's global design chief Ed Welburn says the new model "blends function and style into a very sporty, yet upscale compact crossover". He's obviously a bit biased, but this compact SUV is nonetheless a big improvement on the last model in terms of both ambition and execution.

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Kia unveiled a two-door concept based on the recently released Soul at the 2009 NAIAS. Inspired by basic, utilitarian vehicles like the International Scout, the more dramatic four-seat Soul'ster concept features an elemental design which brings the functionality of the vehicle to the surface, particularly in the interior.

As the first vehicle born out of Kia's newly opened design center in Irvine, California, the Soul'ster aims to further the reach of the five-door Soul by offering a three-door vehicle with removable roof panels. The Soulster has the same length, wheelbase and height as the production Soul (with identical H-points) but is slightly shorter. While the overall design aesthetic from the A-pillar frontwards is shared with the Soul, the concept car features a shortened windscreen and an entirely different design from the door cut rearward.

Lead exterior designer Mike Torpey told CDN how the goal of the concept was to create a back-to-basics vehicle that would resound with adventure-seeking youth, at an attainable price point. "The Soul has always struck us as a vehicle that had tremendous potential beyond its initial incarnation," Torpey said, referencing utilitarian vehicles that had become overly complex because of the multitude of features that had been added, ultimately escalating cost.

The functional grey and white interior, designed by Brian White, takes mechanical elements such as the window crank and manual seat adjustment lever and incorporates them as design elements, while exposed screws throughout the interior allude to the vehicle's pragmatic nature. A square steering wheel also enables the instruments to be more easily read. The four seats, cantilevered from the center console at the front, are covered in durable neoprene and vinyl material and feature mesh cutouts with chrome surrounds. With a hard, color-impregnated plastic backing, they have been designed to be both luxurious and rugged.

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From April 2009, the 2010 Honda Insight aims to start stealing environmentally focused customers from the Toyota Prius with prices set below that car and the current Honda Civic Hybrid. The petrol/electric hybrid production car shares plenty with the pre-production concept shown at the Paris Auto Show in October 2008, but much of the exterior excitement and interior quality appears to have been jettisoned in order to achieve those cost savings.

The exterior profile and rear view is very similar to that of the current Prius, with the same wide C-pillar (although the Insight's is wider still) and two-piece glass tailgate. In the Insight's case the latter is separated by a solid bar that restricts rear vision, as on the European Civic hatchback. Front and rear lamps are no longer so shapely or LED-infested as the Paris concept's, although the front lights do feature some unusual hexagonal frames. The car also has an unusually low shoulder line that rises towards the rear to create a wedgy feel. 

Inside, the car is basic with cheap-looking (and feeling) orange peel-effect plastics on the dark blue upper and light grey lower IP sections and door trims. Lifting the old-fashioned feel a little is a sporty and modern-looking three-spoke steering wheel and circular HVAC button cluster (both featured on the OSM concept shown at the British Motor Show in July 2008). The otherwise austere interior is also boosted by a flip-out satnav screen in the center of the IP that reveals the CD slot, as seen on upscale versions of the company's production CR-V.

The Insight does represent a new era of affordable - circa sub-$20,000 - hybrid motoring, but we fear it will be a purchase based more on eco credentials than design desire.

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