driving in the future might still be enjoyable
If we end up with electric cars that look this good,
Nissan Esflow
don’t want anything too big. The likes of the Nissan Qashqai, Ford Kuga, Kia Sportage and, even more compactly, the Nissan Juke, have shown that there’s an appetite for this type of vehicle among buyers, so other manufacturers are now playing catch- up in an attempt to cash in on the new segment’s popularity. So it was that we saw a number of concepts previewing potential new models in the coming years from Renault, Seat and Mazda. The Renault Captur followed on stylistically from the DeZir concept at last year’s Paris Motor Show, and previewed the kind of design we’re likely to see on the marque’s cars in the next few years. Highly conceptual in its use of orange bungee cords on the seats and in the rear, and boomerang-like shapes at the corners, it’s certainly a looker. Let’s hope it’s not watered down too much if Renault decides to go ahead with building a crossover. The Seat IBX moved forward the development of the
brand’s design language under ex-Lamborghini designer Luc Donckerwolke, following on from the IBE concept unveiled last year at Geneva. Precise lines define the concept, which the company says “will have a profound impact on every one of our models” in the future. It certainly looks very clean and exactly defined, so it will be interesting to see how it will look if it goes to series production. And if comes equipped with something like the hybrid powertrain Seat says it is fitted with, it will be a
radical departure for the Spanish carmaker, one that will win the brand many more new fans. The Mazda Minagi also combined a new vehicle segment
for the brand with a suite of new technology, in this case called SkyActive, which, the company claims, has been “developed to build harmony between driving pleasure and outstanding environmental and safety performance”. The Minagi also features a new Mazda design theme, called Kodo, said to mean “Soul of Motion”, which offers “a powerful and emotive sense of pent-up energy and vitality, helping the vehicle stand out in a sprawling urban cityscape” (designers, eh?). It’s likely to inform not only any production crossover, but also other models in the range in future years. Another segment that saw a number of new concepts appealing to the family market was MPVs. Possibly the most significant was the Vauxhall Zafira Tourer Concept, which was a strong indication as to the look of the new Zafira production car, likely to be unveiled in Frankfurt later this year. A hugely successful model across Europe, the Zafira has shifted a lot of units for Vauxhall (or Opel, as it’s known in Continental Europe) since it was first introduced in 1999. The concept suggests that the new iteration will be equally successful, with its sleek, flowing lines – especially if it can match the abilities of the class-leading Ford S-Max, as Vauxhall/Opel hopes it will do.
April / May 2011 | driving
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