#KIA Unveils Handsome "Imagine" Electric Concept At #GenevaMotorShow [Auto Styling News]

Kia Motors has revealed its new all-electric concept car, ‘Imagine by Kia’, at the 2019 Geneva International Motor Show, and it's quite handsome.

Coherently drawing together elements of a muscular sports utility vehicle, a sleek and athletic family saloon, and a versatile and spacious crossover, the company says the Imagine is intentionally designed to not sit within the industry’s predefined vehicle categories.

"Automotive design is about capturing the heart and making it beat that bit faster for that bit longer. We believe that there’s absolutely no reason why that should change simply because the car is electric,” says Gregory Guillaume, Vice President of Design for Kia Motors Europe. “That’s why our all-electric concept is designed to not only get your pulse racing, but to also signpost our holistic and emotional approach to electrification.:

The concept is KIA's first pure electric four-door passenger car. The Imagine is underpinned by a low-mounted, induction-charged battery pack that powers a compact drivetrain.

Reinterpreting Kia’s iconic ‘tiger nose’ grille, Imagine features a bold new illuminated ‘tiger mask’ that encircles the main LED headlamp units. Separated by horizontal ‘eyelids’, the dipped and main beam units are housed with a single block of clear acrylic glass, creating the effect of piercing eyes floating free of visible support.

The look is "striking" says KIA, but one has to be cautious about analogies to eyes, eyebrows and eyelids on headlamps, as Chrysler's infamous, unintentionally hilarious ads for the 2011 200 illustrated. 

One could easily also compare them less charitably to a raccoon's "mask," although the look is undeniably handsome, and instantly recognizable, much like the headlights of  a Dodge Charger or Ford Mustang, or the menacing tail lamps of a late model Dodge Durango.

From the side, the curvature of the vehicle really is striking, most noticeable, the huge C-pillar, which surely will be either reduced in a production model, because it greatly reduces visibility, even while it looks amazing. But the gently sloping windscreen, sharply bending roofline and long rear window give the car a rakish, masculine shape. A single pane of glass covers the windscreen and the roof, which may or may not survive into production (surely it's expensive.)

There's a shoulder-line crease running along the entire length of both sides of the car, continued in the rear with horizontal tail lamps, which are housed within deep-set tunnels to create a three-dimensional effect, with the looped lights extending outwards as they grow in size.

A single sheet of glass is used for both the windscreen and roof, flowing from the base of the A-pillar and over the cabin to create a vast sky-window, before tapering into a double-bubble over the rear passenger compartment.

The front turn signals, located high up on the sharp-edged hood, feature illuminated glowing elements that appear to float in fins of clear acrylic glass.

In  a world of look-alike SUVs, the rear of this vehicle alone will make it stand out. A symphony of curved glass and sheetmetal, tail lights that look inspiring, and an intended roofline that seems to be being hugged by the C-Pillars, there's no way to mistake it for any other vehicle.

Let's hope SOME of this makes it past the bean-counters and to the streets.

INTERIOR DASH JOKE
Showing that car designers have a keen, even wicked, sense of humor (one hopes!) 21 individual ultra high-resolution screens curve their synchronized way across the top of the dashboard in a layout that is (says KIA) "at the same time both casual and coordinated." According to Ralph Kluge, Kia Motors Europe’s general manager of interior design, "These 21 incredibly thin screens are a humorous and irreverent riposte to the on-going competition between some automotive manufacturers to see who can produce the car with the biggest screen."

#Porsche Stuns With "Road Ready" Luxury Electric #MissionECrossTurismo At Geneva [Auto Styling News]

Porsche has stunned the automotive world and upended the luxury electric car markets with the introduction of its Mission E Cross Turismo at the Geneva Motor Show.

The four-seater, with its low-cut hood and heavily curved wings happens to go from zero to sixty MPH in 3.5 seconds, matching the speed of the Tesla Model X P100D.

It can also be charged by induction, at a charging station or using the Porsche home energy storage system. The road-ready Mission E Cross Turismo (yes, you read that right: ROAD READY!) builds on the Mission E study Porsche presented at the 2015 International Motor Show and uses elements that are close to series production.


Its look is designed to spark emotional memories of the iconic Porsche 911, says the company. Vertical air inlets in the front, known as air curtains, are a distinctive design feature.

Another stylistic highlight are the matrix LED headlights. The brand’s typical four-point daytime running lights have evolved into narrow, three-dimensional glass elements. Embedded in four sweeping wings, these also contain an innovative four-point indicator light.

At the same time, the vehicle has high-performance full beams with Porsche X-Sight technology. The off-road design elements include robust wheel arch protection and door sills, a striking front spoiler and lower rear and increased ground clearance.

The silhouette is defined by a sporty roofline that slopes off to the rear, which Porsche designers refer to as a "flyline." This is reminiscent of the rear of the Panamera Sport Turismo.

Equally distinctive for the brand is the dynamic shape of the side windows. The broad wings and three-dimensional side panels with air outlets behind the front wheels reinforce the sporty crossover character of the concept car, which is 6 feet 6 inches wide.

Photos: Porsche.com

#VW Shows Off Sexy #Arteon At Geneva Auto Show [Auto Styling News]

The lackluster sales of the Passat/CC has led VW to replace it with a dramatically styled replacement that - lo, and behold - will actually go on sale later this year as a 2018 model! (*In Europe. Probably later in the USA.)

Shocking, perhaps, that a concept (itself based on the GTE Coupe Concept from 2015) will actually go on sale, unlike the numerous iterations of the 1960s VW Bug, the latest of which we won't dignify with a comment. What's even more shocking is that this is a really beautiful design.

Dr. Elmar-Marius Licharz, head of the mid- and full-size vehicle lines for Volkswagen, raves about its design.

"The car looks simply great – it both arouses emotions and creates desirability," he said. "Many of the details of the show car have made it into real production."

Yes, it does. The company is calling the car a "fastback," which technically means a car's roofline merges smoothly into its tail in one, smooth, seamless curve. Indeed  that's the case here, though if its meant to evoke the old VW Bug, that's not the case, but it's still beautifully wrought. (The Type 3 Fastback sedan of the late 1960s is a better analogy, as the company points out.)

The name Arteon is a portmanteau of "art" and "eon," the suffix that cleverly signifies all high-end luxury models within the Volkswagen brand worldwide. The Arteon’s integrated grille, LED headlamps and daytime running lights with chrome trim that connects all three elements presents the new “face” of the Volkswagen brand.

Compared to the outgoing CC, the Arteon is longer and wider, while its fastback profile allows for a true hatchback trunk. It’s also space efficient, with up to 55 cubic feet of cargo space when the rear seats are folded down.

LED taillights and 20-inch wheels combined with a SEXY shoulder line that runs the length of the body, highlighting the Arteon’s sporty nature.

THE AUDI PROBLEM
The car does have a problem, however, and it's a problem I call "the Audi Problem."

The company's website says, "while the Arteon offers a premium appearance, it will not carry a huge price tag." Lichartz is quoted as saying it's "the perfect car for people who appreciate great style and great value for money. That is how we are challenging premium car makers without becoming one ourselves." While Volkswagen assuredly is NOT a luxury car company, it's sure approaching one when it puts out such a high-end vehicle as this, and one like the much-maligned CC.

And the problem with all that is that Volkswagen HAS a luxury brand: Audi. And it undercuts sales of new and even used Audis when it puts out a "near-luxury" luxury car such as this.

Audi has long struggled to get itself back on top after a decade or two of floundering sales with cars that looked like, well, flounders. This car, admittedly beautiful and luxurious, is part of Volkswagen's "Audi Problem," because it most assuredly cuts into sales of its A3 entry-level car - which strangely resembles, and perhaps, the Arteon even RIVALS with its gorgeous sheetmetal curves

As KIA is learning with its poorly selling upscale K900 model, a non-luxury car company is NOT a luxury car company, nor can it be. Leave that to the upscale version of your brand (or in the case of KIA, *build* a luxury brand) and then don't try to compete with it.

#Bentley Set To Unveil Sexy 6e Electric Supercar [Auto Styling News]

Making its debut at the 2017 Geneva International Motor Show in mid-March, Bentley's EXP 12 Speed 6e concept represents a bold statement on the future of electric cars, and of luxury mobility.

Designed to transform the EV sector in both concept and execution, the EXP 12 Speed 6e fuses the unrivaled hand craftsmanship for which Bentley is famous, with electric performance, heart-stopping design and the range of a true grand tourer.

Bentley aims to create the world's first true luxury electric sports car, Will they succeed? The exterior screams, "Yes, they probably will."

The exterior body is a sleek expression of sports car design, inspired by contemporary architecture, aircraft fuselages and the geometry of the natural world. That's what Bentley's press release states. What it really looks like - in many respects - is the latest version of their Continental. Which isn't bad news by any stretch. Both are utterly gorgeous.

In a clear evolution of Bentley’s design DNA, it takes the brand's trademark muscular haunch and powerline to exhilarating new heights. The short front overhang, long bonnet and wide, planted rear aspect all contribute to an unmistakable sense of speed, while the iconic matrix grille features an exquisite smoked stainless steel finish. Contrasting copper highlights offer subtle acknowledgement of the car’' status as a fully electric vehicle, while an illuminated ‘6’ logo can be seen through the grille.

The tail lamps are smooth ovals that will punctuate the darkness and look like nothing else on the road. That's important, when many luxury vehicles resemble their own company's sub-luxury cars because they raid their parts bin, or somehow ending up like pricier Hyundais.

Throughout the car, form coexists with function to support a more sustainable future. The twin hood scoops, for example, are actually functional, acting as heat sinks to keep down the temperature of the car's batteries and drivetrain, without the need for additional cooling tech.

Like the Tesla and other electrics, the 6e boasts neck-breaking acceleration and all the latest tech inside. Will this be enough to give the automaker an advantage in the luxury market as well as the electric market? Hard to say. All that can be said is this is one sexy beast!