Volkswagen Neeza concept
The only foreign manufacturer to display a concept car at Auto China 2006 was Volkswagen, unveiling the Neeza crossover concept. As one of the first major overseas manufacturers to enter the Chinese market more than 20 years ago, it's evident that Volkswagen is again intent on leading the motoring trend in China by displaying a Coupe/Wagon CUV, with strong Chinese automotive styling flavor. Built on an extended A-platform - as used on the VW Concept A and Golf - Neeza was developed by the local VW design studio in Shanghai.
The name Neeza comes from a Chinese folk tale of a little boy named Ne-Zha, who fought against the evil spirits with magic weapons, and VW claims "His unequalled will, his youthful and foresighted spirit and courage reflect the idea hidden behind the character and the name of the concept"
Overall styling is sleek and extremely fast, with the proportion deceiving many people to a point where, until the unveiling of the vehicle on Saturday, many automotive designers actually thought Neeza was the brother version of the Audi Q7. However the Neeza is much smaller, lower and sleeker than the Q7, and displays virtually no characteristics of an SUV.
Clad in a Flame Red body color, its proportion is very well resolved. And much like recent Volkswagen concepts, Neeza also displays restrained details where it makes clear that designers were intent on showing the overall surfacing of the vehicle, more so than the details. Apart from the front lower grille displaying the flowing �Oriental' line, they have managed exceptionally well in letting the details support rather than dominate the overall styling.
What would have been a fine concept car was let down somewhat by the overall interior design, with an impression that the interior was almost an afterthought in the overall design process. The door trims and dashboard lacked the exaggerated tension, volumes and refined details that you would expect from a concept car.
While there has been no official response from VW regarding future production plans, Neeza indicates we should expect a bright future for the region's automotive design in the future.
Changan Xingqing concept
Xingqing, which means �clear sky', was inspired by the romantic atmosphere which fills people when looking up to the sky and seeing the stars on a clear night. Measuring at 3500mm x 16500mm x 1550mm on a 2365mm wheelbase, this entry level compact minivan CUV is targeted at young urban professionals, whom the company would describe as "using this car to commute during weekdays, as well as enjoying the outdoor life on the weekend."
Styled in Italy, the Xingqing concept and the theme is much like that of the Fiat Multipla from more than a decade ago, focusing on interior functionality and the user interface of the driver and passengers, more than flashy exterior styling. While this is a compact mini, seating arrangement allows up to five adult passengers and their luggage as well.
The simple and almost �abstract' interior surprised many, with almost no details apart from the steering wheel visible around the cluster and the center console. Overall use of the interior space was equally impressive with functions such as a fully opening tailgate which effectively turns into a tent, fold-and-dive rear seat, and a B-pillarless clamshell door allowing for easy ingress/egress and to load large equipment.
The exterior design, which in effect was styled to support the interior functionality, has its share of strong characteristics. The overall form of the vehicle is a one-box minivan with excellent stance. Details such as the headlamp located around the A-pillars, clever use of the orange and black two-tone around the sill area to create dynamic stance, and a Y-shaped front grille were all executed well.
While a vehicle such as this won't have much chance of making it out of the auto show display booth, the Xingqing concept definitely was a pleasant surprise to many with clever ideas and well-resolved design.
Hafei Loujun
Hafei Loujun was one of many compact minivans on display on this year's Auto China 2006. Located in a rather obscured area of the main 1A hall at the show, Loujun in many ways deserved a better stage. Surprising many of the observers, Loujun was designed by Pininfarina, and the overall styling displayed solid volume with crisp and refined surfacing.
Standing just around 4000mm, thus in a tough position to compete against of Japanese minivans, the key styling theme of Loujun was to give a solid stance. With 17-inch alloy wheels supported by large wheelarches and a pronounced sill volume running from the front to the rear bumper, the vehicle indeed stands firm to the ground.
A single, robust shoulder line running down from D-pillar and wrapping around the vehicle acts as the styling 'anchor', that defines the boundaries for details such as the headlamps and radiator grille. The rear-end styling is simple and effective, where the shutline boundaries, which runs around the rear fender sets the boundary lines for the tailgate opening, tailamps and the two-tone rear bumper.
