Innehållsförteckning för No. 245 från AUTO & DESIGN

"Transformation and innovation. Peugeot design has pursued these two processes in recent years and my intention is to continue along this evolutionary path in a spirit of continuity". Matthias Hossann, Peugeot’s head of design since the end of July 2020, says over the phone from Paris that Peugeot’s styling will continue to follow the approach the whole team has been adopting for some time. "Passion has led us to define a style whose strong identity contains elements that express a resolute character". The Peugeots of the future will boast a design that is even more efficient and strongly characterised by electrification: "Such wraparound volumes are not only beautiful, they also incorporate a fundamental principle of efficiency, especially when it comes to zero-emission mobility". On the subject of electrification, the…

Although some may hastily portray crossovers as mere "elevated" variations on the theme of the everyday hatchback, judging the right balance for the visual features of the project (robustness, agility, modernity of style) and instilling an element of charm into them is not always easy, especially when we are dealing with small dimensions. "In our case", says Tomoyasu Nishi, group manager of Toyota’s design division, "the problem was not one of adding solidity to the Yaris image. We have never cultivated any preconceived ideas about the model and we felt perfectly free to handle it in a new way, exploring more muscular formal qualities without hesitation. Difficulties did arise, however, around one of the terms that were to have guided our work, namely "minimalism": the intention was to go for…

LDA Design has turned twenty. The centre founded by Luciano D'Ambrosio in Turin in 2000 has inaugurated a new headquarters and is celebrating two decades of uninterrupted design activity: "An achievement that fills us with pride, but which for us represents a starting point, not a finishing line. Our work continues with great passion and determination", says Luciano D'Ambrosio. His career in the world of automotive design began about 40 years ago, after a degree from the Royal College of Art in London and a first job at the Ford design centre in Cologne: "However, it was here in Italy that I understood the importance of what I call styling practicality. Design must never be an end unto itself. I worked first at Italdesign, then at Bertone as Design Director:…

“The evolution of every tech product must lead to its simplification, so that it is used quickly and intuitively by as many people as possible”. Elisa Mandich, Head of Whole Vehicle Department at Italdesign, dreams of one day being able to enter a vehicle for the first time and find all the controls on the first try: “How many times have we found ourselves driving a new vehicle and had difficulty interacting with its controls”? From infotainment to lights, from the activation of driving assistance systems to the radio, from air conditioning to the most varied settings. If today technology has meant vehicles have become genuine connected systems, it’s undeniable that principles like ergonomics and intuitiveness, faced with the enormous number of automotive functions, are increasingly difficult to achieve. “We…

2050, a futuristic scenario in which we move around in extreme environments in vehicles suitable for every terrain, use and context. These assumptions were the basis for the projects of the eleventh edition of the Milan Polytechnic Master in Transportation and Automobile Design. A complex, wide-ranging theme that allowed students to work on a two-fold project level: that of the context scenario first, and the actual vehicle afterwards. The scenarios resulting from the creativity of the three teams of students are very different from one another, as are the respective vehicle concepts. These are highly diversified, particularly in terms of formal language, as they are not linked to a specific external partner. This year the brands associated with the projects were in fact proposed directly by the students. This followed…

What does design mean for cars in the new era? Broadly speaking, design is an interactive exploration that reveals the relationship between the user and his/her surroundings. Design is the expression of people’s real needs, so that people live in harmony with objects. Design is about giving meanings to things and letting people accept that they are multidirectional. Design inspires curiosity and allows people to acknowledge their limitations. Since designer Mr. Atsuhiko Yamada officially joined Changan Auto in 2018, there has been great chemistry between him and his good friend Zheng Chen. They have collaborated more and more closely. Together with the design team, they have invented many ground-breaking, innovative products. “After joining Changan Auto’s design team, I became more certain that these people are very different. They don’t take…

The continuous changes in human-vehicle relationships entail unprecedented changes in travelling methods. Guided by the "Dubhe" program, Chang’an Auto pools all its resources to study and reconstructs the relationship between users and cars while looking towards future mobility. In addition, Chang’an continues to understand users’ demands in travelling, to develop cutting-edge products, and constantly envisions the new possibilities of mobility in the future…The realm of mobility is teeming with opportunities. Chang’an is committed to exploring the different combinations of people, environment, and service experience based on vehicles. As a result, the company is redefining mobility and building a new travel ecology. Chang’an design aims to bring the concept of “Experience First” to users in their intelligent mobility experience. The considerate AI Xiao’an, a reliable partner, will debut with a new…

The Car Design Award, the world car styling Oscar established in 1984 on the initiative of our magazine, was won this year by the design teams of Hyundai for the Prophecy (Concept Cars category), Ferrari for the Roma (Production Cars category) and Porsche (Brand Design Language category). For the first time in the history of the award and due to the limitations imposed by the pandemic, the 2020 edition took place in digital format on the Car Design Award YouTube channel. “Thanks to the online format, we are able to connect from all over the world and congratulate the winning team by zooming directly into the design centre where the car or range of models that won the award took shape”, remarked Silvia Baruffaldi, Editor of Auto&Design and President of…

For the fourth generation Tucson SUV, the Hyundai designers launched them-selves into a courageous stylistic undertaking characterised by what SangYup Lee, head of design, defines as “parametric jewels”, elements of “a challenge in the name of originality”. It is a new look that, in the context of the “Sensuous Sportiness” design identity adopted by the Korean manufacturer (harmony among proportions, architecture, style, and technology), is generated through geometric algorithms made possible by digital technology. The process, called parametric dynamics, uses lines, surfaces, angles, and shapes created digitally to give life to a new aesthetic composed of prominent geometric patterns: those “jewels”. SangYup Lee explains: “Our aim is to elevate the emotional qualities of automotive design. With the all-new Tucson, we are introducing its ultimate evolution and a definitive statement about…

"One look at the new Sorento and I was impressed by how incredibly it has evolved in terms of construction quality and materials". Karim Habib joined Kia in September 2019 as Senior Vice President and Head of Kia Global Design, when the fourth generation Sorento Suv project was already well underway: "When I got to Korea and saw the final prototype I realised that a huge step forward had been made compared to the previous version in terms of style, quality and technology. It certainly looked like more than one generation had gone by between the two models”, said Karim Habib, in remote connection from the Kia style centre in Namyang, Korea. The evolution has involved every aspect of the Suv, says Habib, and can now boast a global design…

In the summer of 2018, Mark Adams, already Opel’s style director at that time, had hinted at it with a smile: “The features of the GT X Experimental concept that we’re presenting could soon appear in production cars” (for the whole interview, see Auto&Design n. 239). Two years later, at first glance, the promise seems to have been kept. At the front end of the new Mokka, just like with the prototype, the showy Vizor unfolds: it’s a kind of big lens in composite material that runs from side-to-side, replacing the grille and encompassing the sensors and cameras, as well as the lights, for assisted driving. “After the merger with the Peugeot group, we wanted, more than ever, to reconstruct our language around a strong and precise identity, but also…

Obsessive research into avant-garde technology and increasingly supercharged performance gives way to design that is attentive to human beings. This is the cornerstone at the basis of the thesis project of students of the three-year Transportation Design degree at IED Torino, developed in collaboration with Suzuki. A design configuration that has pathed the way for creativity to meet the requirements of the briefing: to create a new 4x4 vehicle that was hybrid or electric and that, while reflecting the excellence tradition of Suzuki and in continuity with the legendary Jimny and Vitara off-roads, expressed the anthropocentric values of the Japanese car manufacturer. “Our purpose is to create unique, compact, and user-focused cars. I wanted students to understand the importance of devising products centred not only on style, but on the…

In a revolutionary period in which new technologies evolve with each passing day, people’s focus in daily mobility is gradually shifting from the vehicle to the experience. A car is more and more like a special living being, an intelligent companion with rich emotions. Times and user needs have changed. Changan Auto is gradually transforming from a traditional car manufacturing company into an intelligent mobility technology company. It wants to make smarter cars that suit people’s needs and truly build the car into a more understanding assistant and companion for drivers. Stylish, interesting, and meaningfully combining technology, intelligence, and beauty: its cars give drivers a warmer travel experience. 在新技术日新月异的革命性时刻 ， 人们的出行生活从更注重产品本 身逐渐过渡到更重视体验 。 汽车越来越像一个特殊存在的生命体 ， 是 兼具智力 、 智能以及丰富情感的智慧伙伴 。 时代和用户需求改变了 ， 长安汽车正逐步地从传统制造业企业向 “ 智能出行科技公司 ” 转型 ， 希望制造 “…

For the past 130 years since the invention of grilles, they have all been shaped and remained in straight outlines without exception, despite designers’ wildest creations. Even the NEV models evolved like gas-fueled cars with masks on. In the past, designers needed to take account of a series of thorny issues: thermal management of the engine rooms, the layout of engines, the overall air intake of grilles and thermal management analysis etc. As thermal management of engines matures, the design of grilles may no longer have to follow the old rules. Over the years, Chang'an entrepreneurial engineers have designed vehicles with greater power while managing to give more space for designers to create freely and boldly. This laid a foundation for the breakthrough of borderless grilles. The UNI-T model is…

Seven years ago, presenting the new generation of Mercedes-Benz S-Class, Gorden Wagener defined it as “the best car in the world”, as well as the “greatest expression of modern luxury”. So how do you present the heir of that perfection? This is how: it is “the car that redefines the large sedan segment”. How? Developing that philosophy of design that Wagener has defined “Sensual Purity” - beauty and cleanness of lines - “at a higher level”, explains the head of design of the Daimler Group, but in a “more modern contemporary” way. “It is more elegant than the previous model and expresses status and prestige, but in a sovereign way. We designed it around our info telematic system MBUX”. Making it, in short, “the first digital S-Class. Yes, this is…

After selling 6.5 million cars since the Logan’s introduction, Dacia is taking a big leap forward with the new Logan, Sandero and Sandero Stepway. The cars have moved to a modern Renault-Nissan alliance CMF-B platform, with the latest small gasoline engines, and technologies such as electric steering and back-up cameras. Dacia’s design teams, led by David Durand, sought to express a new technological modernity with the brand’s straightforward, “less is more” ethos. “We had a very strong sense of what we wanted, because our cars are very simple, honest, and tough-looking,” said exterior designer Erde Tungaa, who also designed the Duster. Even so, Tungaa said, “It’s very challenging work to figure out a good balance between practicality and modernity.” Specific goals included a greater differentiation between the Sandero, aimed at…

In addition to aspiring to the highest level in terms of comfort and quality, Volvo cabin design in Gothenburg has always experimented with pioneering passenger protection solutions. And if on the one hand the result is at times limited to purely aesthetic-decorative choices, such as the eye-catching wording "since 1959" on the belts, on the other it is an approach involving in-depth ergonomic research and, above all, a general human-centric style that the designers are very much attached to. That’s why a chat with Claudia Braun, who has been managing the Color&Trim department of the Volvo and Polestar brands since last June, offers us some interesting insights: "Today we want to be responsible not only for people’s safety but also for the environment. This may seem obvious, but for us…

A collaborative effort, like a number that have occurred in several sectors recently, to re-start with confidence and looking towards the future. Nine international designers were tasked with creating a table and chair of wood in order to tackle the reorganisation of domestic spaces at this particular juncture marked by the pandemic. Relying only on digital communication, the pieces were designed and executed during the days of lockdown. Thus, these pieces restore a process (documented with photos, videos, and drawings) that saw designers interact, remotely, with the craftsmen of the English company Benchmark, the well known brand of the recently deceased Terence Conran - founder of Habitat and the Design Museum - and Sean Sutcliffe. The American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC), at the forefront in the international promotion of American…

Looking to the future, in the intelligent age of the Internet of Things, Changan Auto no longer positions itself as just a traditional carmaker. It aspires to transform itself into an intelligent mobility technology company that applies intelligence and other innovative technologies to various daily mobility scenarios, providing drivers with pleasant experiences thanks to technology. In June 2020, Changan Auto officially announced its new brand slogan: “High-Tech Changan, an Intelligent Companion”, to provide customers with a new experience in the era of intelligent technology. In order to better communicate with drivers in the intelligent era, Changan Auto has upgraded its brand image. A natural, visual experience of science and technology, coupled with professional design, is integrated into its visual brand. Following the trend of digital experience, we reduced unnecessary, complex,…

The role of the consumer in society is constantly changing, and will continue to do so while the consumer intuits, adopts, and waits for another trend. Designers, as the creators of trends, must innovate with their design, to create an even more outstanding and forward-looking vision. Change is never easy. However, if one word were used to define the designs in every era of Chang’an Auto, change would be that word. A time of new designs provides Chang’an with an opportunity to reform high-quality mobility services. In the storm of reform, a multitude of young designers, as well as renowned ones, keep bringing their talent and innovative ideas to the company. China is fertile ground for new trends, fostering reformers, challengers, new schools of thoughts and new ways of thinking.…