Posted by Joe Simpson

The Opel is the third of three urban mobility concepts on show in Frankfurt. While the VW Nils follows a spare, glider-like product aesthetic and the Audi Urban Concept has a minature race car feel, the Opel is more like the kind of thing one might expect when someone mentions the words ‘urban’, ‘mobility’ and ‘concept together in the same sentence. Developed with Kiska, there are some clever, logical elements to its design. We were particularly impressed with the interior package and layout. But as a vision of the future of mobility, its aesthetic is a little too reminiscent of projects we’ve been seeing in this space for the last 10 years or so.

Posted by Joe Simpson

Many we’ve spoken to have gushed with praise over the Peugeot HX1. It’s not altogether clear why initially – can a super-long, super-low luxury sedan really be all that relevant when all around abound new mobility, urban pods? Yes.

Because the HX1 isn’t just a dumb, egotistical display of excess, it’s a brilliant reordering of the MPV paradigm. Rather than placing emphasis on the middle row of seats – as is the norm in every current car that can carry more than five people – here the rearmost row takes priority, with occasional seating provided by a pair of rumble seats that stow in the rear surface of the front chairs.

Peugeot’s concept exterior design language also continues to impress and if the interior presents the idea of land-based private jet travel, the understated, aero-centric exterior is the perfect match.

There’s a subtlety, deftness of touch and depth to the car that it’s no surprise it’s near the top of so many lists.

Head of Interior Design, Amko Leenarts and Senior Designer Adam Bazydlo, present the different zones of the HX1′s interior:

Posted by Owen Ready

The Citroen Tubik concept – all 2x2x5 meters of it – is one of the biggest talking points of Frankfurt ’11 and every word we’ve heard has been positive. There are those who are reminded of the past by the hat-tip to the corrugated H-van, but for those who don’t get the reference there’s plenty more to enjoy.

But as well as the vehicle’s (it’s difficult to call it a van or a car) execution and design themes, the strategic justification behind such a proposition is genuinely believable. Citroen believes that through its Multicity, micro-leasing scheme, much greater derivation of products is key: no longer will all cars need to be all things, to all men, all the time when one can take an Ion to commute and something akin to the Tubik for road trips and family holidays. It’s a compelling case for a thoroughly engaging piece of design.

Here Head of Advanced Design, Carlo Bonzanigo, decodes the concept:

Posted by Owen Ready

We saw the Volvo Concept Universe in Shanghai earlier this year, where it was displayed without an interior. Here in Frankfurt the name has changed, the face has changed; indeed every surfaced has been reworked to create a much higher level of execution.

Here Senior Designer, Conny Ewe Blommé gives us a tour of its now complete interior, with particular emphasis on materials.

Posted by Owen Ready

Smart’s ForVision is a riot in plastic. What was once a material associated with cheap products and children’s toys has become a premium, flexible material (mainly, it must be said, due to the work of a certain Apple computer…).

With the Smart ForVision, we see the design team exploiting the properties of plastic, and rather than trying to hide it or pretend it’s something else, celebrating the flexibility it gives. So the Smart ForVision has lightweight, plastic wheels. A hexagonal-motif that runs around the car as a stencil, and forms the grille apperture. But the real expression of plasticity comes in the doors, which twist and crankle in a way only possible with plastic. From photos it can look too much, but in the metal (sorry, plastic) the car has a real 3D quality.

It’s great to see Smart, a brand that has innovated much with plastics in the automotive setting, really celebrating the material. Check out the video below for some of its best details and design elements:

Posted by Joe Simpson

I talked with Gorden Wagener, Head of Design for Daimler, earlier this afternoon. The designer talked about the new gestural interface the company has employed on its F125 concept (see above), and how it fits into a wider vision about the future of technology in cars. Watch the video for more:

Posted by Joe Simpson

While we’ve already had a brief encounter with BMW new ‘i’ cars 3 and 8, this is the first time we’ve had a chance to have a good poke around the electric B-sector i3 and i8 hybrid supercar.

We’ve just had a long chat with BMW Design Director, Adrian van Hooydonk during which he gave CDN a quick tour of the i3.

Posted by Owen Ready