Having got a (give or take) ten year jump on most of its rivals (Honda excepted) with hybrid cars in Europe, America and much of Asia, Toyota face a much bigger challenge in China. Not only are most of its competitors readying hybrids and pure EVs (or have launched them already) but Chinese automakers such as BYD have set their stall out big with hybrids and EVs. And the Chinese government has mandated foreign brands develop a separate brand if they want to sell cars in China. It will be interesting to see how it plays out, but we couldn’t help but notice when in Beijing recently that this isn’t stopping Toyota gain a lead in positioning itself as hybrid and future powertrain leader. And that it was doing it with a cartoon, fun graphic quality that seems to fit in with the mascots and good luck charms beloved of Chinese motorist.

The Beijing metro (including whole trains) was absolutely plastered in adverts that (we think) proclaimed the benefits of hybrid. Even including a wrap on the escalator hand-hold that we’d never seen before.

A new ‘cool’ box typology is emerging, that spans the A, B and C segment. combining the best elements of both SUV and MPV forms. The coolbox steps beyond the pure utility and starkness of the cars which created the genre – the Nissan Cube and Scion xB – by rounding off the square edges.

The core appeal is utility befitting of a people carrier, but with the blown fender forms, planted four-square stance and matte black plastic cladding of an SUV.

The first Scion xB, together with Nissan Cube, introduced a very new aesthetic. With little planshape or tumblehome, it epitomised ‘box on wheels’, first becoming cool in the US and Japan during the 90s. 

Fiat’s new third generation Panda uses the ‘squircle’ as its core design theme and motif. The idea of the squircle – a rounded square (or cube), applies to all the cars here. It helps define a new aesthetic language for the practical and robust small car.

Citroen C3 Picasso was significant for introducing this aesthetic within the B-MPV segment. Baring little visual relationship to C3 hatchback model, it has a relatively static, four-square stance. The flat beltline and DLO are significant contributors to it’s more box like and tough aesthetic.

Skoda Yeti is lower and more compact than a typical SUV, but captures much of the genre’s appeal. Hits the market sweetspot by being not too aggressive, quite car-like in size and not overly tall, thanks to its cleverly-managed body-to-glass ratio. Graphics and details such as the roofrails lend an SUV-like rugged quality, core to its appeal.

Hannah McMurray over at www.greencardesign.com has recently posted our latest quarterly insights (from Geneva) on her website along with additional pictures. If you’d like to be added to our Insight Quarterly mailing list, to receive the latest insights and trends from the world of car design, please mail us here.

Last year, BMW sold 286,297 cars in Asia – up from 183,100 in 2009. While most of that growth is accounted for by the Chinese market, in South Korea – where we’ve been spending time recently – BMW has become the fourth best selling brand overall. Still some way behind Hyundai, Kia and Samsung, nonetheless, on several individual months it knocked Chevrolet  (nee native Daewoo) out of fourth place. Certainly the brand’s got traction here. In the fashionable streets of Yangjae-Dong, BMWs are clearly the premium brand of choice, in an array of shades – so long as its a monochrome shade – such as the grey of the 528i in our photo

The production Citroën DS5, set to debut in Frankfurt, has a bespoke and prominent analogue clock integrated into the IP – one of many elements that help to give the car a premium feel

The recently announced Lexus GS has a central clock that takes learning from recent premium watch fashions and makes a far more appropriate statement than the rather sub-premium clock design of previous Lexus in-car-clocks

The Bentley Continental ISR (Ice Speed Record) limited edition has near Mini-like use of red and white detailing on its exterior and this continues in the interior where the Breitling clock has a red face and new graphics to match, and a corresponding, stand-alone special edition watch

The Bell&Ross in-car clock of the Peugeot SR-1 (the brands first collaborated with a “dashboard wrist watch” in the 2006 908RC concept) is the best exemplar of a premium watch brand and bespoke horology design adding equity to a car

Although Bentley re-awoke the in-car-clock as a prominent feature for luxury car interiors, Maserati has been consistently featuring a distinctly shaped timepiece in their interiors for decades – this is from the current Quattroporte

This article first appeared in Car Design Research’s Insight Quarterly (Q3) newsletter, which is distributed to a select group of automotive design individuals. If you would like to join our mailing list and receive the next issue, please email us here.

Towards the end of 2010, the trend for skinny jeans gave way to a new trend for jeans (and trousers in general) which gently flared below the knee. Not quite as dramatic as the flares of the 70s, the lower leg of the trouser flares out in much the same way as a bell, hence the term ‘bell-bottomed’

The bell-bottomed trend is prominent on the new (991) Porsche 911. As well as a pronounced rocker bulge in side profile, the Porsche is significant for carrying this feature round the car, and is prevalent in the lower rear bumper

Audi’s Urban Concept features a gently rising crease in the lower body side, from which the lower side section ‘flares out’ to the base of the car

Ford’s Evos concept features a flared bell-bottom as the car dives forwards. Around the car the lower body section consistently flares, with a jutting chin at the front and lip around the rear diffuser

This article, in its full version, first appeared in Car Design Research’s Insight Quarterly magazine. If you would like to subscribe and be put on our mailing list, please contact us.

Posted by Joe Simpson

An interesting observation at last week’s Seoul motorshow, was just how excited the attendees were getting about the freebie give-aways, and the digitally interactive aspects of the show stands.

Take Chevrolet for instance. It housed a helium-filled, life-size Camaro, that was from time-to-time hovered over the stand, and one of the more interesting concepts – in the form of the MiRay. Yet on-lookers and visitors seemed much less interested in these attractions than they were the giant video wall (cut with Chevrolet bow-ties) displaying a video of a troop of dancing robots, to the backing of some very loud trance-type music. Combine that with the loud DJ set which was booming out of the upturned Aveo, and you had a stand vibe, which had more in common with a flash-dance mob.

Plenty of the visitors we saw there were sporadically breaking into dance, such was the party atmosphere. It was slightly disconcerting, but also entertaining to watch. And proof, perhaps, that, as far as the modern motorshow goes, concept cars and dancing girls are perhaps a bit too twentieth century…

Audi’s LED headlight strips are highly recognisable on the street, but BMW’s ‘Corona Rings’ are a more direct and subtle reference to the human eye

Meanwhile, The Rocketman replaces Mini’s traditional chrome ring with a Tron-esque light-circle.  It neatly relates to the BMW mother brand, but also makes for a more human eye-like appearance:

while below is a link to a small set on flickr

Jaguar’s 75th

And whereas in other soloutions a craned neck often allows you to see the LEDs, fairly poorly concealed, in the BMW you can never see the light source – giving the whole system a slightly magical affect.

Details are crisply accented too

Combine this with BMW’s beautifully executed from Angel ring sidelight ‘halos’, and the rear ‘light pipes’ and you have a coherent, subtle yet confident lighting strategy across the whole car which exudes a premium quality.