2016 #Jaguar XF Gets Nicer Curves [Auto Styling News]

The Jaguar XF was never an ugly duckling by any stretch. But it's clearly outgrown a bit of an early, somewhat awkward phase to become a true beauty.

This is the second generation of the car, which was totally new in 2009, and had a mild refreshing in 2011. Previous exteriors for the XF (2009-2011) actually looked far more generic and arguably less beautiful than this iteration. Or to be blunt, if you squinted at the '09 model, you might have seen bits and pieces of other cars, cobbled together. And it was jarring. Have a look:

The 2009 XF - or is it a Lexus? Or a Volvo? Or a BMW?

It had a clearly Volvo-like grille, seemingly had borrowed 1990s-era rounded Chrysler parts bin headlights, had a side that overly-resembled a Lexus, and even sported a BMW-style "Hofmeister kink" rear-quarter window. These companies must have been VERY flattered by all the imitation.

Much like the early KIAs and Hyundais, this first edition of the model seemed so unsure of itself, that it looked like it had stolen visual cues from other cars. Yes, it's odd comparing Jags to these "lesser" vehicles, but since Jaguar left England, it's looked like the dog's breakfast; this model in particular. And it's a well-deserved criticism.

Thankfully, this 2016 model actually seems far more evolved, and has a bit of its own DNA now, and its identity crisis seems like it's over.

The headlights - which were refreshed in 2011 - look even less bulgy, less round, and over all, more beautiful and sleeker. They are available in an all-LED version featuring daytime running lights. I like the new lower bumper work on the front as well, which looks racy.

The front section extends forward, as if the Jaguar is about to pounce. With the grille jutting out in this way, it gives the entire car a distinctive feel.

The grille itself is more upright, and wider than before, which is far more elegant and erases any comparison with the Volvo's grille. To add this feature, the entire grille and headlamp area of the hood is clearly and visibly chopped off from the rest of the hood in a separate piece of sheet metal. (This shows up more in white and lighter colors, it seems. Darker colors, like this examples here, don't reflect it as much.)

Some reviewers have noted that in an accident, that piece, if it alone is damaged, would be far cheaper to replace. But if you can afford the $57k to $65k price tag of the regular or Premium edition of the XF, then perhaps that's not as much of an issue as if you were forced to pay $2,000 to replace the bumper of a Hyundai.

The side seems much less of a Lexus-thief than before, and a bit more rounded, especially at the rear, which is a hint at tradition. The leaping Jag - missing from some earlier models, to the consternation of longtime Jag buyers - is good to see as a fixture on this XF, as it was before.

The wheelbase has actually been stretched in  this model, giving it more interior room, though the entire car is shorter by less than an inch. That interior, it goes without saying, is sumptuous, with wood and leather galore, great leg-room (thanks to that wheelbase stretch) and many technical bells and whistles - though perhaps too many as pricey "add-on" packages. $300 for an in-car Wi-Fi package is certainly affordable, but when Chevy is offering it for free in a $25k car, it's hard to see why it's an add-on HERE.

The BMW hat tip on the side window also is thankfully gone, with a luscious curved rear panel window in its place, assuring us that yes,  this is a Jaguar. The side vent behind the front wheel is more elegant, and smaller, metallic, and completely horizontal, replacing the earlier one, which was paint-colored, clunky and entirely vertical.

The rear features a dual exhaust, gorgeous lamps and the leaping Jaguar, which adds character and tradition. Though one must say that the overall design looks a bit Toyota-like. A rounder rear window would go a long way towards making this a more traditional Jaguar look, from behind at least.

Overall, the XF has grown up, and has grown into a personality of its own, rather than imitating others. That's a good sign for those who are longtime admirers of the prancing Jag, and may even convince more of them to plunk down 57-65 large for a true luxury car.

Mercedes' "Vision Tokyo" is Designed Appeal to Millennials When They Hit 40 [Auto Styling News]

Mercedes Benz is hoping that by the mid-2020s, Millennials in their 40s will have paid off enough student loan debt to be able to afford their new self-driven, tech-heavy "Vision Tokyo" minivan. But the concept and its technology seems to raise the question, "Why," rather than answer any existing problems or needs of drivers.

The concept, based on the earlier design study F015 Luxury In Motion concept, was unveiled recently at the Tokyo Motor Show, and it certainly looks like it would appeal to Millenials - as well as their GenX older siblings.

Mercedes describes the vehicle as a "lounge" vehicle and, "a chill-out zone in the midst of megacity traffic mayhem." And its exterior design advertises these facts in every possible way.

From the Bass-shaped mouth to its massive 26-inch tires, it's rakish windshield and curvaceous hindquarters, the Vision Tokyo isn't subtle. With healthy doses of neon accent lights (perhaps not so healthy) from the grille to the tires to the tail, this car WOULD be noticed on any street in any city. Perhaps it's too much for the suburbs but make no mistake -  this is a party wagon. 

The grille on the concept acts like a light show, with LEDs designed to pulsate to the vibrations of the music being played inside, though why exterior viewers who can't hear the music will respond to the pulsating neon lights would need to see this is a bit of a mystery. And pulsating LEDs pulling up behind your car at night would probably appear more like a police traffic stop than anything else.

How this would be street-legal, or even well-advised, remains to be seen. (And no, these will not ever, ever, ever make it to the production model.)

The tech, of course, is why this exists. This is designed to be a zero-emissions, plug-in hydrogen-fuel cell vehicle, with holographic multi-media technology inside its generous interior which is meant to entertain while it drives itself around town. One wonders if  the technology will understand that most users will simply want to be driven in circles, while the party continues inside.

Mercedes estimates that it will have 600 miles of total range, 120 of which would be battery-derived. So, it will allow for a lot of cruising on  those megacity streets. 

So we're left with an awesome shape, and a lot of bells and whistles. When we take away all the non-street-legal and ill-advised neon and LEDs, and add a proper gas or diesel engine, this concept may very well see the streets around the year 2025.

More: https://www.mercedes-benz.com/en/mercedes-benz/innovation/autonomous-driving/

2016 #Cruze Vastly Improved Over Boxy Predecessor [Auto Styling News]

The 2016 Chevrolet Cruze has debuted and it looks like a vast improvement over the 2015 model, which had a rather dowdy, clunky and boxy in appearance. 

While it's perhaps unfair to accuse designers of lifting design cues from other models (NO! Of course they would NEVER do that!) it is easy to see echoes of the Cruze's competitors in this design, including the Toyota Corrolla and Honda Civic.

Other influences come to mind, such as the Fusion-style tail lights and trapezoidal grille, which is very attractive here, as they are on the Fusion. The headlamps are vastly improved over the rather boxy 2015 version's and the entire front end (which features the split Chevy-style grille work that is now typical of the brand) is smooth and attractive. The hood's curvature, which continues along the windshield, slightly mimics the Honda Civic, and is nice here, too.

One could also be reminded of the Chrysler 200 here, especially of the front lights and "pinched" front end, and yes, the 200 definitely IS in this car's class, despite the 200's silly pretension that it's a 'luxury car.'

If anyone knows what the Ford Fiesta looks like, echoes of that curvy vehicle can be seen in the almond-shaped rear quarter panel, along with some rather odd double bands that break up that curve, which I suppose keeps it from looking exactly like a Civic. 

The rear quarters also resemble the Civic's, though the tail lights (and the licence plate zone) are an imitation of the Ford Fusion's, which, again, isn't a bad thing. The angle of the rear window and other elements here look much the same as the 200, and the side panels remind one of the Civic.

 There's no question this is a better looking Cruze, and it's a serviceable and definitely contemporary design. But as this review should have hinted at by now, it looks an awful lot like several other cars, and it's unclear whether this derivative styling choice will help it rise to the level of the other designs, or simply fade into all the others in bland similarity.

Perhaps the 4G LTE Wi-Fi that's offered with this and other Chevy models will tease buyers back into the bow-tie brand. But that's sure a heavy weight to put on one unique feature, even if Millennials sure love their Wi-Fi.

#Mercedes Teases "Luxury In Motion" Autonomous Driving Concept

Mercedes Benz has released it's "Luxury In Motion" autonomous driving concept car and it truly looks like it would be a spectacular vehicle.

Mercedes says:

"The Mercedes-Benz F 015 Luxury in Motion research vehicle makes the future tangible with the revolutionary concept of autonomous driving. A luxury sedan with total connectivity between vehicle, passengers, and the outside world, it's a preview of how the self-driving car of the future could evolve into a platform for communication and interaction."

The shape is predictably futuristic, bringing to mind the 2056-era vehicles of "Minority Report." Clearly, with autonomous driving, the interior is expanded, and the windshield is positively rakish, almost 40 degrees, since the idea is to make the most of the interior space.

A video of the vehicle - which no one is under any illusion will be coming to a showroom anytime soon, or in this configuration - portrays autonomous driving as a peaceful and serene event, with video screens embedded in the doors, and an automatic table expanding from between the seats with the slightest touch of a hand.

Of course it seems to take a minute and a half to expand upwards, reminding one of the futuristic-looking "electronic curtains" that closed in a mere seven minutes with the touch of a remote, portrayed in 1950s films showing how wonderful the future would be.

The four occupants (including, apparently, the "driver") are shown casually speaking with one another as the front row is turned backwards to face the rear occupants. This would seem to be the dawn of a new age of personal interaction in vehicles, until one realizes that the car would definitely be Wi-Fi enabled (since Chevy Impalas in 2015 already are) and the four would be heads-down in their smartphones, or Google Goggles, or whatever is big in 2025.

This kind of fanciful vision is par for the course for such speculative concepts, and we have to bear with them. Still, if the Mercedes of 2025 looks anything like this, we're in for some beautiful vehicles. Not that all but a few would be able to afford such a beast.

The Shocking #Concept Car Roots Of The 1996 Taurus [Auto Styling News]

An editor over at the CarBuzz facebook page asked "What The Hell Were They Thinking: 1996 Ford Taurus?"

One possible explanation for their apparent lapse of judgment? Good intentions gone awry.

Four years earlier, the Ghia Focus concept (1992) was an incredibly influential and thought-provoking design. And one must say, quite a radical one.

Based on "organic life," it was clearly ODD, but it had a point to make. The gill-like structures on the hood and back end, and a swooping, curvy rear with lights in strange places that resembled a strange rash were all animal-like in appearance. A rope-like devise that stretched from the front of the door to the trunk was obviously not ever going to make it to a production vehicle, but was meant to tease the eye and draw it to the rear of this beast. The raw beauty of it - perhaps too raw - was undeniable. It is almost Porsche-like. Certainly Ghia-like.

Whether the concept could have survived in the marketplace in this form is certainly is debatable.

But of course, as with many concepts, by the time this concept's influences began to make it into production in REAL cars - notably the 1996 Taurus -  it was FAR from what the designer had hoped it would be. Blame the bean-counters and the unimaginative executives for this.

And yet, perhaps overall, their interference on this one may be a good thing, This may have been too shocking of a design for 1996. Or even 2006.  But it's also a shame that the production '96 Taurus came off more like a dead fish than a car inspired by nature. It DID dare to be different, but in all the wrong ways, and was widely ridiculed. The concept pointed in a better direction.

The headlights of this concept vehicle could be easily used today on any car. Stripped of its odder elements, the shape would today be seen as a revolutionary and welcome challenge to Porsche, and with a proper engine, could actually make good on that challenge.

The most recent Ford Fusion shows that the company is fully capable of producing a beautiful vehicle that actually sells - and one that doesn't stray far from the original concept.. Perhaps slapping a new grille and proper tail lights on this gorgeous concept would be a market-pleaser as well.