Design Development: HK H600 concept by Pininfarina

This spring, Pininfarina presented a trio of environmentally friendly vehicles developed for the Hybrid Kinetic Group, a Hong Kong listed company with serious intentions of becoming the world’s leading clean energy car company – and one that has its sights set on overtaking Tesla in due course.

Hot on the heels of the H600 sedan’s world debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March, the unveiling of two electric SUV concept cars at Shanghai in April underlined Hybrid Kinetic Group’s intent. What sets the three HK cars apart is twofold: one aspect is the incorporation of micro-turbine generators as range extenders to enhance their electric drivetrains, and the other ace in its pack is primary design input from Pininfarina.

The 7-seat SUV K750, 5-seat SUV K550 and the H600 sedan share a common design identity

Of course, Pininfarina is no stranger to working with Chinese companies; it has developed partnerships with several manufacturers in recent years including Chery, Changfeng, Brilliance, BAIC, JAC, Hafei and South East Motor (SEM). This has been aided by the 2010 creation of Pininfarina Automotive Engineering Shanghai (PAES) to establish a satellite design and engineering facility. Today this is a proven outpost of commercial development and design for Pininfarina, with a multicultural team of 20 people in Shanghai to oversee the design house’s Asian projects.

The H600 sedan was the first project of the HK trio, sketches starting in June last year. The project was led by Guglielmo Cartia, a seasoned Pininfarina design manager, assisted by Nazzareno Epifani for exterior and Francesco Cundari for interior design.

Key initial sketch by Nazzareno Epifani

Exterior

For many designers, what sets Pininfarina apart from other design houses is its use of clean, simple surfaces based around some very classical proportions, resulting in handsome yet understated designs. That was certainly the template employed by Leonardo Fioravanti, Paulo Martin or Lorenzo Ramaciotti, who penned many classic Pininfarina designs of the past. And indeed, the first impression of the H600 is that it is similarly calm and understated, a far cry from the overwrought surfacing abounding elsewhere (and particularly at Chinese OEMs).

Developed sketches by Epifani

“The car is very iconic, very particular in terms of other cars in this segment,” says Guglielmo Cartia. “We had the opportunity to create the project depending on the layout definition. The proportions and volumes are typical Pininfarina. The proportions are the first impact of a car from a distance and give the car a good basis. The position of the wheels, the relation of bonnet, cabin and tailgate – these elements were all settled at the start.

“It’s a very simple car, with few lines and elements but very well-managed volumes. That is our heritage. Don’t forget, this car is very big – it’s difficult to manage these volumes with these dimensions. [By] staying simple, you have more chance to create a timeless beauty. With complex shapes and complex designs, the risk is that it looks old very quickly.”

Nazzareno Epifani confirms that three scale models were done initially followed by one full-size polystyrene ‘volume’ model to check proportions. “We made a few minor changes on the model. After that we went directly to the final model that was finished by September – very rapid,” he says.

Final milled model, September 2016

Cartia emphasises that Pininfarina has developed a robust process for these fast projects that allows development of the design almost completely digitally, with very little physical adjustment done on the final milled model. Formerly, the company used Alias throughout, but for a few years now it has adopted polygonal modelling – such as Maya or 3ds Max – for the initial stages.

“For us it’s very important for the first stage of 3D creation because it allows you to design like a digital clay model. The Sergio concept was entirely polygonal modelling, but in other cases we use it like clay, then we develop further using Alias,” Cartia says.

“There were no modifications at the final stage except some slight adjustment to surfaces to give a more human touch, where something appears missing from the digital model,” Cartia continues, going on to explain that the final exterior is an intersection between the upper and lower volume, and the intersection itself creates the theme of the car when seen from the front, side, or rear.

This intersection is highlighted at the front end by use of a polished aluminium line extending along the front fender crown. “It’s the HK signature, part of the brand DNA, also used on the Shanghai cars,” he explains. “It’s iconic, it gives a strong personality to the car and a new way to create some brightwork that we usually find on this type of car but competitors normally do it in a conventional way, focusing on grilles and small details. We want to create something a bit different but [which] can match the dynamism of the car, so the result is one line that underlines the proportions of the car.”

Front mask is inspired by Chinese ceremonial lions

The DRG was inspired by the expression of Chinese stone lions, but unlike on many EVs, the dominating grille is actually functional. “The shape of the mouth is functional; the turbines need air and we need to satisfy this requirement. So it’s very different from a pure EV,” says Epifani.

Interior

The interior design started in parallel with the exterior development, with five designers involved in initial sketch work but just a couple once the theme was selected in July. As in several other recent Chinese limousines, the rear seat takes the form of a large sofa with plenty of room to stretch out for the chauffeur-driven owner. “We want to give the rear passenger the maximum space for legs and head,” explains Francesco Cundari.

Early interior theme sketch

“There’s wood all around you, a very luxurious feeling. The seats are floating; we took inspiration from the 1960s, from the Charles Eames chairs. For designers like me, these are masterpieces,” Cundani continues.

The team also took inspiration from Pininfarina’s own 1957 Lancia Florida II by Battista Farina, with its pillarless barn doors and the full leather interior. “That’s the DNA in our studio, our heritage,” says Cundani.

The interior followed the keywords for the overall project concept of elegance, purity and innovation. “It’s a very pure concept, like furniture in an empty room,” Cundani continues. “The console is also a floating style between the seats. The wood surrounds you from the floor to the upper part of the door – it’s all around you, like a shell. It’s futuristic, a clean space with just these floating seats.”

The HMI centres around a full-width screen that stretches across the IP with the various zones differentiated. The driver’s side houses displays for turbine speed, remaining power of the battery and charging information, while on the passenger side there is a comfortable zone with a social media display to check, update or write messages. The centre stack is dominated by a large vertical touchscreen, sitting proud of the wide screen, which makes it possible to control all vehicle functions. Two screens on the back of the front seats also ensure infotainment for the rear-seat passengers.

“At the beginning of our concept, we presented the interior in a light colour – ivory or beige – but we found out that such a light colour is associated with funerals in China, so the client preferred to go with a darker colour,” Cundari explains.

As with the exterior, the design was developed digitally, with initial models milled out of foam by September 2016, followed up by ‘Epowood’ milling for the final sign-off models in October when the show car build was started.

The Geneva motor show prototype was completed in December 2016, allowing the team to divert attention towards the K550 and K750 SUV models to be readied for Shanghai in April. The project was undertaken during the final months when Fabio Filippini was still Chief Creative Officer at Pininfarina, but since the start of this year, Carlo Bonzanigo has taken over this role, having previously been at Citroën.

The production H600 has an impressive claimed specification: this 5.2-metre limousine boasts a top speed of 250km/h and a 0-100km/h sprint time of 2.9 seconds, courtesy of a 600kW (805hp) power output. Its full range is quoted as over 1000km in range-extender mode.

Guglielmo Cartia sums up the project: “The car will not only be sold in China but in the USA and Europe, so it was important to find a nice balance between our Italian DNA and that of a brand new company: a balance between international taste and Chinese taste.”

Hybrid Kinetic H600 by Pininfarina

Project started: June 2016

Project completed: December 2016

Design Vice Director, Pininfarina: Guglielmo Cartia

Lead exterior designer: Nazzareno Epifani

Exterior CAD: Alberto Filosi, Davide Ferraresi, Umberto Moschini

Lead interior designer: Francesco Cundari

Colour and trim designers: Linda Crema and Jessica Maglietta

Interior CAD: Alberto Filosi