Back in the mid-noughties, what are now the previous generations of the Audi A3, BMW 1-Series and Mercedes A-Class (in 5 door format) were starkly different. Of course, the Audi and BMW had a degree of similarity, but the 1-Series was more compact than many would have liked in the rear and the trunk. Volvo’s C30 felt like a car from half a segment below and was hurt by its 3-door only format and tiny trunk.
Consequently, the Audi A3 Sportback (5dr) did extremely well in the market – and with a new generation of these products being present at the show, it’s notable how – give or take a few millimeters – BMW, Mercedes and now Volvo have all decided that where the Audi A3 Sportback was positioned, is a very good place for their new generation products to sit.
Essentially, that means a C-segment 5-door hatch, adopting a slightly ‘wagon’-esque rear end and/or roofline. We should probably add the Lexus CT200h to the list of cars in this space too, although in many aspects of design it lags behind.
Of course, Audi are only showing the 3-door A3 here, so we’ll have to wait to find out whether it plans to repositioning the next A3 Sportback. But we wouldn’t bet on that happening. For customers in the market, there are now several very competent and apparently very similar in format cars to choose from.
That’s probably good for sales, but from a design point of view, there’s arguably less variety of format choice now than there was before. The biggest surprise though is how close the V40 feels in terms of quality and premium-ness, to both the A-Class and 1-Series. It’s far from perfect, but it’s easy to see how this car could be a hit for Volvo in the market. It hits the market sweetspot – a quality that many recent Volvos have been missing.
It’s easy to be completely engrossed by the cars at the motorshow. Clearly, they should be the number one priority but, increasingly, stand design is important too, not only influencing how the cars themselves are perceived, but as a way of communicating brand values. Here are a few of my favourites stand details from this year:
Joe Simpson
VW’s Bulli is an exceptionally well-executed piece of design, evoking a spirit of a by-gone era. It’s especially impressive to see VW’s modern twist on the petrol pump with this electric charging unit that stands alongside the car, topped with a vast VW roundel. The petrol pump and station has formed such a strong part of the automotive-inspired architecture of the last century that it’d be sad to think we will lose that with the onset of the electric car. VW shows it needn’t be so…
Continuing the propulsion theme, Porsche chose to show what (isn’t technically) their oldest car, but one that makes a good story all the same. The first hybrid vehicle ever built, stood proudly on Porsche’s stand next to the company’s newest hybrid, the Panamera. Though many observers seemed to prefer its looks to those of the more modern car…
Seat showed off a simple, eye-catching way to display their range of colours, in this circle of mirrors. It’s not a new idea, but the bright and bold Seat palette was more notable for being somewhat more visually arresting than the IBx concept that can be seen behind…
Volvo’s accessories and stand displays often impress, and Geneva 2011 proved no different. Showing the company’s exterior colour range as a display of ‘jeans cut-outs’ made for a sweet and original display in the corner of the Volvo booth…
Audi is a master of stand design. This is a detail shot from the accessory range for the A1. Is it just us or is that checker-pattern reminiscent of fashion brand Burberry?
Elsewhere, the company’s quattro ice-block might be familiar to those who’ve visited an Audi stand before, but that doesn’t make it any less impressive…
We thought one Vision ConnectedDrive concept would have been enough, but BMW brought two Geneva 2011, fixing one to the wall of their stand. The display features a screen that rolls open or shut, depending on what aspect of the car’s technological aspects is being demonstrated…
We featured it in a previous post, but couldn’t resist sneaking in that half of a Renault 4 display again
BMW’s Vision ConnectedDrive Concept is one of the real show stars in Geneva. BMW’s Director of Group Design, Adrian van Hooydonk talks more about the overall strategy behind the concept here. And Head of Interior Design at BMW, Marc Girard has talked us through the interior here and here.
This car had a tough act to follow in the form of the acclaimed Vision EfficientDynamics Concept shown at the IAA in Frankfurt in 2009. Based on pictures released some weeks before Geneva, some were also questioning whether this car would live up the high standards of design and originality set by that car. In photos, some of the resolution and surfacing made this car look a little slab-like. Yet in the flesh the car has a lithe, elegant form and a lightness of execution that belies its complex technology.
There is some surprisingly poor surfacing on show on other cars here in Geneva, but the BMW is not one of them . It might not have quite the level of originality the Vision EfficientDynamics Concept displayed, but it’s still an impressive piece of design in its own right and a logical evolution of a set of ideas. Along with the Mini Rocketman, it illustrates the depth of talent within design at BMW right now. Hidden throughout the concept are a series of incredibly complex, yet ultimately quite background technology features, which we’ll explore in greater depth in a longer design review. For now though, here are some of our favourite detail elements of the car, and our flickr photo gallery.
Director of Design for BMW Group, Adrian Van Hooydonk, talks to us about the BMW Vision ConnectedDrive concept, its technology, and how it builds from the Vision Efficient Dynamics Concept.
The BMW ConnectedDrive is undoubtedly one of the stars of the show, here, Marc Girard – Head of Interior Design, BMW, demonstrates one element of the concept’s technology-rich interior. The passenger interface is a working gestural control unit, with LEDs and sensors woven into the material panel of the IP…
The BMW Vision ConnectedDrive is one of the most enticing vehicles on display at the Geneva motor show this year. In our short clip below, Marc Girard, Head of interior Design at BMW, explains the three layers – comprising safety, infotainment and convenience features – that make up the interior design of the new technological showcase.
