Nissan unveiled the Qazana concept at the Geneva Motor Show last week. One of the stars of the show, the car was created at Nissan's European Design Center (NDE) by lead designer Matt Weaver under the direction of Alfonso Albaisa, Vice President of Nissan Design Europe.
"Qazana is a concept car and was created specifically for the Geneva Motor Show," Albaisa said. "But it should not be dismissed as a just a design study. It gives a clear direction of how a future small car from Nissan could look."
Inspired by motorbikes and beach buggies, the Qazana was designed to be a more youthful, urban version of the successful Qashqai crossover. Measuring 4060mm long, 1570mm tall, 1780mm wide and with a wheelbase of 2530mm, the show car features interesting design details that blend elements of a sports car and an SUV.
The Duster is Dacia's first concept crossover, blending the design characteristics of a sporting coupé with an MPV. Measuring 4.25m long, 1.64m wide and 1.49m high, the compact multifunctional vehicle includes many innovative design details.
Featuring characteristic Dacia design cues, the front end is adorned with headlamps that wrap over the front fenders, forming a tapering line of light that stretches rearward towards the doors. In profile, the wheelarches and tall doors combine with short front and rear overhangs to lend a powerful stance the bodyside. The wing-like forms of the roof-mounted indicators channel airflow towards the rear, which also features an engraved Dacia logo, emphasizing its robust aesthetic.
Powered by a 105hp 1.5dCi diesel engine, the Duster has an drag coefficient of just 0.30Cd, boosting its efficiency and environmental credentials. Read more about the car in our Geneva Motor Show Highlights and click the link below for an extensive photo gallery.
Swiss-based automotive design company Protoscar SA unveiled its all-electric Lampo vehicle concept at the Geneva Motor Show last week. Called the Lampo (the Italian word for 'lightning'), the two-seat convertible is claimed to be synonymous with the natural phenomenon in that it stands for power, particularly the electric energy that propels the vehicle.
The Lampo's design embodies a philosophy that combines two apparently opposite characteristics: ultimate performance and maximum energy efficiency. The lines of the car are smooth and minimalistic, with a sporty look completed by some efficiency-orientated elements, like the rear wheel covers. The body of the vehicle is finished in contrasting ecological water-based colors developed by BASF coating, underlining the opposing facets of the car.
Steadfast in its aim to develop alternatively powered vehicles through its CleanCar initiative, Protoscar has worked with Daimler for the conception and realization of the BlueZero concept unveiled at the 2009 NAIAS, and also collaborated with Rinspeed and its partners in the creation of the eXasis unveiled at the 2007 Geneva Motor Show. Check out the new car and its development story in the two videos to the left.
Aston Martin revived the Lagonda nameplate at the Geneva Motor Show, just in time to celebrate the brand's 100 year anniversary. The new car aims to increase Aston's global presence, particularly in emerging markets such as South America, India and China.
The four-seat Lagonda concept is a functional luxury car for the near future. Dubbed an 'international tourer' and an 'avant-garde' luxury car, it is claimed to draw inspiration from the brand's past as well as from the visual language of speedboat design, the spacious individualist environment of an upper-class cabin and the bespoke feel of contemporary modern furniture.
According to Aston Martin Design Director Marek Reichman, the Lagonda's design language is a fusion of fluid shapes mixed with hard, constructed lines – an organic, emotional approach that eschews upright surfaces in favor of broad, flowing bodywork.
The Iosis MAX is the third in a series of Iosis concept vehicles unveiled by the automaker. The first Iosis concept, built for the 2005 Frankfurt Motor Show, revealed Ford's 'kinetic design' form language and hinted at the styling of future offerings from its European arm. The second, the five-door Iosis X, pointed at the Kuga crossover SUV unveiled a year later in Frankfurt. And now, with the new Iosis MAX, Ford is providing us a glimpse of its next-generation C-segment vehicle. Dubbed a multi-activity vehicle (MAV), the concept hints at both the new C-Max and Focus due from 2010.
"Our designers have stretched themselves beyond the two previous iosis concepts," says Martin Smith, Ford of Europe's Executive Design Director. "The Iosis MAX proves that cars in the compact MAV class can have emotive, dynamic styling without sacrificing their traditional virtues of practicality or efficiency."
Magna Steyr, a supplier of technologically advanced automotive systems, components and modules, revealed an all-new four-seater electric vehicle called the Mila EV at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show.
Designed to showcase a new fully integrated electric vehicle platform, the forward-looking automotive concept is a five-door, 4m-long vehicle with a 2.5m wheelbase. Created around a design theme coined 'the flow of electricity', the concept features clean, simple surfacing complemented by key design features such as the graphic link from headlamps to side glass and a ‘sensor strip' just below the beltline. The lateral running sensor strip is a functional design element, doubling as a door opener and fuel gauge, which displays the current battery charge.
Powered by a 67hp electric motor and lithium-ion batteries developed by Magna Steyr, the Mila EV has a 150km range and an average charging time of 2.5 hours. Solar cells integrated in the glass roof provide additional energy generation.
Via: http://www.cardesignnews.com
