Never before has Auto&Design collected so much evidence from car design managers on how important it is to continue to create physical models. We had further confirmation of this from Katharina Sachs, a thirty-two-year-old German senior exterior designer from Volvo, whom we met at the AgenForm CEMI (European Center for Industrial Modeling) school in Savigliano, an hour’s drive from Turin, where she returned in April for a day of meetings to testify to her experience.

His professional history has its roots in the desks of AgenForm CEMI, an institution founded in 1998 from the collaboration with A.N.F.I.A. (Italy’s National Association of the Automotive Industry Supply Chain) and established itself as a reference training center, attracting students from every corner of the globe eager to pursue a career as a model maker in the transportation design sector. The path of Katharina Sachs, who between October 2010 and July 2011 attended the Industrial Model Technician course when she was just seventeen, is an eloquent example.

As Katharina herself pointed out, her Italian experience at AgenForm CEMI gave her a “deep understanding of 3D design and turning ideas into tangible reality.” In an industry where the transition from virtual concept to physical object is far from obvious, mastery of clay modeling is an irreplaceable bridge. The designer’s hands become tools to give shape to visions, to explore volumes and surfaces with a freedom and sensitivity that software can hardly fully replicate. “I learned how to bridge the gap between idea and practice, between concept and execution, developing both the technical skills and the creative mindset needed to bring projects to life.” Clay modeling is not just a manual technique, but a real training ground for the creative mind. It allows you to develop a sense of space, proportions and flowing lines that are essential for a harmonious and eye-catching automotive design.

The modeling course has also instilled in Katharina a design philosophy rooted in the understanding of the physical world. “It taught me that every material has its own logic and that successful design is about respecting and using that logic rather than insisting on form without understanding its foundations.” After the training experience in Savigliano, which provided her with solid technical foundations, Katharina continued her path with an experience at Italdesign Giugiaro and then with more specific studies in automotive design at the University of Pforzheim. It was precisely the practical experience gained thanks to AgenForm CEMI that allowed her to access that university, where experience in the workshop was a prerequisite.

Joining Volvo Cars in 2017 marked the beginning of a distinguished career that culminated in the leadership of the exterior design of the revolutionary EX30. A success that, as Katharina herself acknowledges, has its foundations in learning the “basics of how to work with volumes and build surfaces” acquired at the Savigliano school, “key elements for successfully transferring design ideas into reality”, especially in an era in which design plays a crucial role in communicating the cutting-edge technology present in cars. Katharina Sachs’ return to AgenForm CEMI was not only an opportunity to celebrate a successful career path, but also a moment of inspiration for young students who, like her in the past, take their first steps in the fascinating and complex world of automotive design.

‘The Concept EV2 anticipates the most compact model in our EV range. A versatile vehicle, a compact and agile SUV that expresses an innovative and adventurous character, unlocking potential for an active urban lifestyle. We created it inspired by the ‘picnic in the city’ concept”. Thus, Karim Habib, Senior Vice President and Head of Kia Global Design, introduced the smallest of the vehicles presented at Kia EV Day on 24 February in Tarragona, Spain.

An unusual concept, but the Korean brand has accustomed us to design proposals that go beyond the usual. ‘Contrasts shape the world we live in, it is no coincidence that our creative philosophy is called Opposites United. We are creative and risk-takers, we constantly challenge ourselves, pursuing original and daring solutions in the search for new ways of doing things. Progress regenerates us,’ Habib continues, also explaining the reason for the “city picnic”. To understand this idea, however, it is not enough to dwell on the sturdy, vertical surfaces of the exterior: you have to access the interior, opening wide the doors that open like double doors in the absence of a central pillar.

‘The character of the cabin can best be expressed by the term picnic box, because it emphasises its versatility. The folding rear seats allow the first row to slide back, extending the space and offering new possibilities for use. In this way, even though you are in a compact car, you have a large free area to use as you wish. Perhaps for a picnic, in fact, sitting on the floor using the cushions designed specifically to be taken out of the seats. ‘We also designed this concept to break the mobility restrictions for compact cars. Mobile seats with removable cushions and accessories for organising the luggage compartment also allow maximum flexibility for transporting one’s belongings as one prefers. The vehicle becomes an ideal everyday companion, the smallest in our EV range but the one with the biggest personality”.

The interior of the Concept EV2 is also innovative in terms of the materials used, explains Nathalie Bucher, CMF senior designer who supervised the project at the Kia Europe Design Centre (working with the parent company’s studio in Korea) to Auto&Design. ‘Since this is a concept car, it is an opportunity to present the developments of our research. Some materials are already very close to production, while others are at the advanced research stage. The bright light blue covers are made from a polyurethane based on mycelium, a fungus with luminescent properties that we also used by cultivating it together with agricultural waste to obtain another 100 per cent natural material.

The dark red strip that runs across the dashboard is itself completely compostable: ‘It is made from cellulose fibres, so it is a kind of paper. It starts out in liquid form, is placed in a mould and pressed into shape. The embossed surface comes from the mould, there is no processing waste and it is more than 95 per cent organic, placed in the soil it dissolves. The insert at the bottom (with a marbled appearance, ed.) is instead our way of using leather, a material we have chosen not to adopt, but in this case used leather is recovered, shredded and added to an organic resin in an upcycling process”.

Also natural are the linen fibres used on the back of the seats, a shell made from a vacuum-packed and thermoformed composite in which the weave remains visible, just like carbon fibre. The suspended elements that make up the central part of the backrests, on the other hand, is made of 3D-printed polyurethane to obtain an elastic mesh, ‘which is why a natural material has not yet been used,’ Bucher points out, and comes from the same supplier that produces the soles of Adidas shoes, with which it shares the same characteristics of lightness, elasticity and robustness.

A large diagonally weave grille and a closed front crossed by a single, unmistakable, transversal section. Equally identifying headlights thanks to the “Thor’s hammer”, but in two interpretations, one better known although restyled, the other in which the Matrix LEDs make up the T-shape with many small segments. Two different approaches, however, for the taillights: one with the typical vertical headlights shaped around the rear shoulder, the other according to the new style that characterizes its younger sister EX30.

These are Volvo’s two large seven-seater SUVs, the XC90 hybrid and the electric EX90, already analysed by Auto&Design and now tested on the road. And it is precisely by observing them in motion that the two flagships reveal very different character expressions. At a glance, the silhouette of the electric car appears more slender: the EX90 Design Story in A&D no. 259 is 5037 mm long and 1744 mm high, while the XC90 measures 4953 x 1773 mm and their overall width is 2113 and 2140 mm respectively including mirrors.

The XC90 is a great successful classic, renewed not only in technological equipment but also in details that make it more current, bringing it closer to the somatic features of purely electric traction models (to underline in particular the qualities of the T8 plug-in hybrid version, which with 70 km of autonomy in “EV” mode is in fact an electric car in short-range daily trips). A stylistic evolution that on the outside is expressed in the front, with slimmer headlights surrounded by a more sculpted bonnet, a new bumper and new front fenders. 

But it is above all inside that the XC90 comes close to the EX90, with a renewed cabin in materials and user interface. When it debuted in 2015, the second-generation XC90 introduced one of the most advanced and intuitive infotainment systems on the market, with the large tablet-sized central screen positioned vertically in the centre of the dashboard. Now that display is even larger (11.2 inches), borrowed directly from the EX90 and EX30 and like these equipped with an Android system with Google integrated (and therefore with the very practical Google Assistant, Google Maps and Google Play services). The same “electric universe” devoted to ever-increasing sustainability also suggests the new interior upholstery of the XC90, in particular Nordico, a soft and lightweight fabric developed by Volvo Cars made from vinyl, recycled PET bottles and cork, as well as organic material from sustainably managed forests, as well as from certified forests derive the panels of the wood inserts that make the environment comfortable and welcoming,  according to the best Scandinavian style. Luxury, without opulence.

The International Automotive Design Forum organized by Geely Design at the end of the year has become a reference event for Chinese car design and for the entire sector worldwide. After the 2023 edition (entitled “Good Design is Powerful”, with which Geely also celebrated the 10th anniversary of the creation of its design division), the 2024 forum on the theme “Chinese Design – Global Aesthetics” was held at the Shanghai Powerlong Museum last December, dedicated to the impact that aesthetics has on automotive design. The aim was to explore new strategies for integrating different cultural influences to create new designs in line with global trends, while maintaining their own uniqueness.

Many industry experts, together with the Vice President of Geely Auto Group Chen Zheng, addressed the themes of the Forum: internationally renowned designers (in particular, Giorgetto Giugiaro, Andreas Zapatinas, Atsuhiko Yamada), professors from major Chinese universities, representatives from the world of culture and the specialized press (including Auto&Design). After the event, we asked Chen Zheng what conclusions he gathered from the day.

Which is your feedback about this year’s Design Forum?

In the era of intelligent electric vehicles, the Chinese automotive industry is capturing global attention. This year’s forum, themed “Chinese Design · Global Aesthetics,” has echoed this trend in a profound way. Design serves as a powerful force for brand elevation and acts as a bridge connecting culture, emotion, and value. By exploring ways to integrate the Chinese culture heritage with shared elements of global aesthetics, we aim to infuse new vitality into industry innovation.

Did any remarks emerge, in particular, that have impressed you and that you and your designers will keep in mind in your future creative activities?

I found Giorgetto Giugiaro’s insights particularly inspiring during the forum. Despite his advanced age, he emphasized the crucial role of courage in breaking conventions and embracing innovation. Additionally, Andreas Zapatinas highlighted how innovation often emerges from challenges and constraints. I fully resonate with this viewpoint: innovation frequently arises from what we may initially perceive as “mistakes.” It necessitates stepping outside our comfort zones, confronting obstacles, and identifying breakthroughs within existing rules and limitations, thereby transforming the “impossible” into viable solutions.

We have listened with great interest to the extensive research work on the roots of Chinese culture you have conducted together with academic institutions. How will this aspect be combined in the future with the increasing presence of advanced technology on board?

Our research findings have already been well integrated into our designs. For instance, we have applied the philosophy of “Design must be intentional,” derived from the Chinese classic work “Zhou Li – Kaogong Ji,” to the Geely Galaxy Starship 7 EM-i. This approach allows us to blend Chinese culture and aesthetics seamlessly into modern design. By putting theoretical concepts into practice, we are able to gather valuable market feedback, which helps us iteratively refine and enhance our approach. This continuous cycle of cognition in practice not only validates our theories but also enables more profound and extensive application.

“Sho-Sho-Kei-Tan-Bi”. To define the design approach used for its first global BEV model, a brand as deeply rooted in Japanese culture as Suzuki could only express the concept in its mother tongue. Presenting the world première of the e Vitara in Milan, President Toshihiro Suzuki explained to the international audience that “Sho-Sho-Kei-Tan-Bi means to make everything more compact, using fewer resources, light, fast, with more beauty. The e Vitara is a strategic model, a very important milestone for us as one of the efforts to become carbon neutral”.

Long-standing experience in 4×4 vehicles
The concept from which the work of the Suzuki design team in Japan started was “high tech & adventure”, with the aim of blending the sophistication of an EV with the robustness of an SUV. The brand’s long-standing tradition as a manufacturer of compact 4×4 vehicles was fundamental in setting the design, with a final result that is unprecedented but clearly identifiable with the Suzuki aesthetic.

Strong design with a hint of SUV heritage
Kimitoshi Sato, Design manager of the Automobile Styling division, explains: “At the beginning, we conducted several explorations to define the exterior design and capture the right character of the e Vitara”. ‘Emotional Versatile Cruiser’ is the image that guided the research. From the numerous sketches in the first phase, two proposals were identified and then developed into two scale models, says Sato: “Each proposal was characterised by a strong design theme, with a fresh aesthetic, the typical toughness of the SUV and also a hint of Suzuki SUV heritage”.

A bold and futuristic front
Both hypotheses were developed in 3D virtual and physical 1:1 models, until the final one was chosen. The detail refinements and aerodynamic optimisation then began, all the more important as it was an all-electric vehicle. “We wanted a design reminiscent of a wild animal, but also inspired by the digital”, Sato continues, describing the highly sculpted design of the body. “The front end is clear, bold and futuristic. Clearly Suzuki

Comfort off and on road
The “high tech & adventure” concept was also pursued for the interior, highlighting the dual personality of this car: made to be driven silently on the road as well as tackling off-road routes. “It is a futuristic and robust aesthetic”, notes Sato about the solution chosen from the four initially hypothesised, two of which were then developed from the virtual dimension to the physical model. Also impressive are the suspended console and the compartment below with indirect lighting, the same as on the door panels.

Sophistication and outdoor
While the interior proposes dark colours (black and brown, or “total black”), the exterior is available in seven colours, including one created exclusively for the e Vitara, the metallic Land Breeze Green: another expression of the quest for sophistication combined with the outdoor vocation that has always featured in Suzukis.

(Full article in A&D no. 270)

Forget the Jaguars as you have known them so far, the next Jaguar cars will be all electric and above all profoundly different. This is demonstrated by these images, which Auto&Design publishes in preview, for a new four-door GT that lives up to what has already been announced by the JLR group with the Reimagine strategy: starting from 2025, Jaguar will transform itself into an all-electric luxury brand, with unique and distinctive vehicles built on an newly-developed platform and characterized by a visionary design.

Proof of this are these photos of the first camouflaged prototypes, in which important dimensions and proportions can be observed, with an imposing front, a long bonnet and a short front overhang compared to the more pronounced rear one. The prototypes have traveled tens of thousands of kilometers in both virtual and real tests and will soon travel on public roads around the world as well as the appropriate test sites. The first “reimagined” Jaguar – the name has not yet been announced – will be built in Solihull, UK, and will be based on a specific electrical architecture called JEA (Jaguar Electric Architecture).

Meanwhile, the next phase of Jaguar’s transformation will be unveiled at Miami Art Week on December 2, 2024, where the debut of the Design Vision Concept will take place, a sort of haute couture creation that will showcase the brand’s new aesthetic-formal philosophy. Auto&Design will tell the story in the next issue, don’t miss it.

“We are here to turn dreams into reality and light up the senses: we give adrenaline a shape”. Visiting the Centro Stile Lamborghini is always an exhilarating experience, and Mitja Borkert’s passion is as contagious as ever. He welcomes us into the presentation room to tell us the origins of the Temerario go way back to 2016, the year Borkert took the helm at Lamborghini Design.

The origins
The first project he worked on with his team, he says, was the Revuelto, Lamborghini’s flagship V12: “We also had to think about the successor to the smaller Huracán, however. It was important to make sure the two cars were clearly distinguished, starting above all with the wheelbase that gives rise to the size impression we defined with our engineers. At the time the Temerario did not yet have a name and the design was unfinished, but we developed a mock-up that was always close to the emerging Revuelto”.

A new design language
Two supercars with separate missions, one following in the footsteps of the Countach, Diablo, Murcielago and Aventador, the other ‘younger’ one, heir to the Gallardo and Huracán, but this time “Lamborghini down to the last screw”, says Borkert. The Temerario is in fact built on a new high-strength aluminium spaceframe. A new design language was therefore needed for a car created from scratch, “but it had to be unmistakable”, Borkert points out. “I have adhered to one core principle since I first set foot in the company: every Lamborghini must be immediately recognisable as a “Lambo” and incorporate the brand’s DNA, but it must also deliver the unexpected.

Symbolic motifs: the hexagon and the Y
Lamborghini’s legacy of mid-rear-engined super sports cars is deeply embedded in the brand’s DNA. Proportions remain paramount as always, with the Countach silhouette – wedge-shaped, peaking at the centre – serving as a foundation for striking graphics. Notably it is the hexagon that emerges as a recurring motif, featuring prominently in the tail lights and exhaust outlets. The hexagon is one of the most symbolic and enduring symbols of Lamborghini design, its origin being traceable to the Marzal concept. Over time, it has evolved into the Y-shaped symbol seen in many of the brand’s recent models. One example is in the Revuelto headlights.

“Feel like a Pilot”
The interior slots into the Revuelto’s ‘Feel like a Pilot’ philosophy, designed with great attention to roominess, particularly headroom: “It’s a sports car that can also be driven on the track with a helmet on, a crucial point because the designers are always looking to make a Lamborghini as low as possible. So we scaled up all the proportions so as to raise the roof and achieve the perfect Temerario”.

A range of over 400 colours

The sitting position is nevertheless decidedly low, in an environment characterised by a light dashboard embellished with iconic elements. Once again, the hexagon predominates, from the controls to the air vents. No less important is the contribution of the Art & Colour Atelier, the style centre department that deals with materials and colours. And speaking of colour, the Ad Personam programme offers over 400 of them. “We are the wizards of colour”, jokes Borkert, who with his team also likes to rummage around in other areas when the opportunity presents itself. Lamborghini has grown a lot in the last twenty years, there are prestigious partnerships such as the Lamborghini 63 yacht made with Tecnomar and the Ducati Streetfighter V4 Lamborghini motorbike.

(Full article in A&D no. 269)

Lynk & Co has collected over 6000 pieces of feedback from its customers to shape the 02, its first “full-EV” unveiled today in Milan. The 02 is a hatchback with aerodynamic shapes, designed in Gothenburg by the global design studio Lynk & Co directed by Stefan Rosén. “Our users have a very high awareness of design and therefore high demands on quality and premium experience, and they also wanted more fun technology. Our design team took this into account from the very beginning,” says Rosén, explaining that the 02 is also the result of the second-generation Lynk & Co design language, based on what was expressed in The Next Day concept car. “The 02 is a new type of car, with a design without borders, bold and dynamic but very spacious and practical. We were inspired by fashion, technology and architecture to embody the urban spirit of the “feel electric”. At the heart of everything we do at Lynk & Co, there is simplicity, openness and timelessness.”

The 02 is 4.46 m long, 1.84 m wide, 1.57 m tall (wheelbase 2.75 m). It is built on Geely’s Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA) and has a 66kWh NMC lithium-ion battery, enabling up to 445 km of zero-emission driving on a single charge.

The exterior design of Lynk & Co 02 is characterized by bold, modern lines and a dynamic silhouette. The grille is minimalist and equipped with an active shutter that contributes to the high efficiency of the 02. A crisp design line of the “The Next Day” concept runs across the front of the car like a beam of light, gently guiding the eye along the side of the coupe crossover. The lower part features a technical look with the high-gloss black active air intake at the front, floor-level side paneling, futuristic wheels and robust wheel arches. Instead, the top section exudes a softer, human-centric feel with an elegantly tapered rear end that creates a dynamic profile, emphasizing that the 02 is more than just a coupe.

In the cabin, the two-layer dashboard is positioned forward to enhance the 02’s sense of spaciousness. A flowing line on top of the panel is reminiscent of an airplane wing, extending seamlessly to pass through doors. The aircraft-inspired oval steering wheel continues the “aerodramatic” theme of the exterior on the inside. The highlight is of course the on-board technology, with a 14.5-inch HD screen.

Why is the new Renault 5 seen on the road so attractive at first glance? “Because of its proportions,” explains Gilles Vidal, Renault design director, whom we met in Nice on the occasion of the test drive dedicated to the Car of the Year jury. “To achieve the ‘instant falling in love’ effect the right proportions were first top priority and we obtained them thanks to the work of our engineering team. On such a compact and electrically powered car, this was an even bigger challenge than with a combustion engine, but our Ampere Small platform allows us a lot of flexibility.”

The formal reference for the car body – which is 3922 millimeters long, 1774 wide and 1498 mm high, with wheels positioned at the four corners of the silhouette, equipped with 18-inch wheels for all versions) comes not only from the 1972 Renault 5, but also from the Super 5 and the 5 Turbo, “three cars that people remember”, says Vidal,  but the way in which he and his team have reinterpreted every single detail expresses a modernity and an aesthetic taste capable of captivating even the youngest audience who have no personal memories of the historic R5s. 

We drove a Renault 5 E-Tech Electric Pop Yellow (together with Pop Green one of the colors directly inspired by the Seventies, but with a glitter effect that can only be discovered up close, while from a distance they look like pastel paints) and it is a catalyst of attention: many turn to look at it, at stops passers-by approach to take pictures with the car. The ride is very pleasant, the small R5 is easy to handle, precise in its trajectory and ready to overtake, with four driving modes that can be selected from the MultiSense button – Comfort, Sport, Eco and Lost – which in turn can be further modulated with different settings. Also remarkable is the range offered by the 52 kWh lithium-ion battery with NMC (Nickel Manganese Cobalt) chemistry combined with the 110 kW / 150 hp motor: up to 410 km WLTP.

But what makes you fall in love even before having ridden it are the many style details and the list is really long, to which we could add the wide range of dedicated accessories to customize the R5. To stay on the theme of the car’s magic number, we mention five, evocative references reinterpreted in current elements we observed on the Iconic Cinq trim: the 5-shaped light charge indicator on the bonnet, where there was once the asymmetrical ventilation grille; the headlights, all full LED (the front ones include the French flag and when the driver approaches, a “pupil” winks in a luminous greeting sequence, “it was important to give the car a soul, to make it communicate with people,” says Vidal); the rectangular “box” of the digital dashboard, in Seventies style like the pop graphics designed specifically for the instrumentation; the two-level dashboard in front of the passenger upholstered in a leather-like material with vertical stitching in yellow, a colour taken from the very pleasant 100% recycled fabric that covers the seats and front door panels. And finally, a divertissement: the gear selector lever on the steering wheel that takes the appearance of a lipsticks of the luxury French perfumery brands. 

Design story in Auto&Design no. 266

In Korea it is a little easier to recognize pure electric cars at a glance: they all have a blue license plate. The Kia EV3 doesn’t need this detail to stand out on the road, though. Its design – as we tell in the latest issue of A&D in the interview with Karim Habib, Senior VP of Kia Design – makes it a unique object in the panorama of compact electric SUVs. “We were inspired by concepts that were not typically automotive, also taking inspiration from other disciplines, such as architecture,” Habib explained to us in Milan on the preview reserved during the Design Week.

From Italy we then went to Korea to test the EV3 on the road and discover the details of its design resulting from the Opposites United philosophy. An approach that eschews obvious aesthetic-formal conventions, with which Kia has been able to create a new generation of models with a bold and distinctive design, and which earned Karim Habib’s team the Car Design Award 2024 for “Best Design Language”.

The EV3 is consistent with its larger sister EV9, with which it shares the main characteristic stylistic features – in particular the branched “star map” light clusters, the “tiger face” front, the wheel arches with black moldings that make them look squarer – but interpreted in an original way on well-proportioned volumes for its decidedly smaller dimensions:  the EV3 measures 4300 mm in length and 1850 mm in width, for a height of 1560 mm.

On board we appreciated the modern and accurate design of the spacious environment, as well as the materials – strictly sustainable – pleasing to the eye and to the touch, in particular the recycled fabric that covers the band that crosses the dashboard and the soft mesh used on the headrests. Also in this case, the design was inspired by non-automotive disciplines, as shown by the armrest between the front seats from which a small table slides forward, as practical on the road as it is when stopping, perhaps during a charging session. Charging that is not so often imposed: the range promised by the NMC batteries is 430 km for the 58.3 kWh version and 605 km for the Long Range with 81.4kWh batteries.

We tested this latest version in the intense but flowing traffic of Seoul, recording consumption of around 16.5 kWh / 100 km to travel a stretch of about 50 kilometers, a decidedly reasonable value although the speed limits and frequent speed cameras on the highways that connect the capital to Incheon, the area of our test, do not induce excessive acceleration. The route proved to be ideal for appreciating the Adas with level 2 autonomous driving that allows you to follow the vehicle in front and maintain the trajectory without gripping the steering wheel: just touch it with two fingers to confirm to the system that the driver is alert.

The i-Pedal 3.0 intelligent regenerative braking system is also excellent, with four levels of intensity selectable from 0 to 3, which we imagine promises a lot of driving fun on a hilly route full of curves. In traffic, we meanwhile appreciated the Smart Regenerative System, Hyundai Motor Group’s intelligent regenerative braking 3.0 capable of scanning the road and intervening in case of need by interacting with the regenerative braking system.

An exploration during the stop makes you appreciate the EV3 also for the practical aspects. In addition to the aforementioned table that is available between the front seats, the numerous storage compartments are well designed. The total volume of the trunk is 460 liters, plus 25 liters of “frunk”, the compartment under the front hood, ideal for storing the charging cable or other objects according to everyone’s needs. The loading sill is flush with the opening of the tailgate, but a very large compartment is hidden below the shelf. And the V2L function, usually reserved for electric SUVs in the larger segment, offers the possibility of powering external devices.