VW Tiguan

A nice rear view of the new small-SUV from VW. I bet that light cluster would look really nice with LEDs and hopefully VW will offer it as well as an excellent range of engines, the great DSG gearbox and an interior with improved quality regarding the Golf and other current VW models.

In case the reader is wondering, as I was, why are VW and other European manufacturers getting ready so many new small-SUV when emissions regulations and public approval for lower CO2 are on the agenda? Well, profit of course, since SUV versions are most profitable than hatchbacks or breaks. Car manufacturers like profit. They also like to protect the environment and make the good for the world and children, but they like profit more. I also like an intelligent, sensible woman but I like big boobs more. Simple logic!

2008 Toyota Avensis

The future design trends in the middle-class have a common distinction over current designs: more polarizing. The old-school drawing from Auto-Motor-und-Sport pictured below shows the next Toyota Avensis that will move further away from the current anonymous design. If that means closer to a 4-door coupe we applaud. Other than that the technical bits are predictable: superior reliability; superior real-quality (not just Audi-like photo-perceived quality), and more diesels. Another step in the relentless rise of Toyota in Europe. Relentless but slower than what Toyota achieved in the USA because we, Europeans, are a difficult crowd to please.

update: Seat Bolero

Autoweek magazine presented a couple of drawings of the A4-based Seat Bolero (name not confirmed yet). Please refer to previous blog entry for more info and check the sketches at Autoweek.

A couple of remarks. The design is more angular and chiseled than current Seat language. This might just be perceived because we are looking at drawings, not real cars or CGIs. Also it looks very good which is expected from an Audi A4-derived sketch. But the real doubt is: would the board of director's at VW group allow such elegant, sporty and good-looking desgn to be built as a Seat?...

200? Peugeot 608

A new CGI by French magazine L’Auto-Journal on the 608. The magazine mentions a 2011 introduction but we believe that is too much time, even for Peugeot standards. Other than that the design proposal looks perfect and would be an excellent argument for Peugeot to seriously play in the haut-de-gamme segment. But please, at least an Haldex AWD this time... will Peugeot keep selling us FWD cheapness?

2008 Lancia Delta

The picture shows a design proposal close to the final version of the Lancia Delta. Expect the car to be closely related to the Fiat Bravo in both engine range and platform, including the use of a simple rear suspension unlike their brother, the Alfa 149, that will adopt a multilink scheme. Classy improvements over the Bravo are to be found in a better quality interior, chrome accents in the exterior and overall attention to detail.

Regardless of the success of this model it will be interesting to follow how the management of Fiat-group will handle Lancia brand in the future. So many mistakes have been made in the past but we can hope that the future Lancia will revive as the classy and comfort-oriented brand of Fiat-group, with added personality although hopefully without freakish designs like the current Thesis.

The road to EV future: news on batteries

Recently a couple of news pointed to a strong possibility of real-life EV’s in the next years. Mitsubishi and GS Yuasa Corporation formed a new joint venture company to develop and build large format lithium ion batteries for automotive applications. The cooperative effort will kick off with an investment of about $30 million to install equipment at Yuasa's main plant to produce up to 200,000 lithium cells annually. Key-words here: large format; “to produce”; and of course 200,000. This will be the foundation for the manufacturing of the Mitsubishi i-EV, rumoured to be one of the first real-life electric vehicle available in 2010.

Another company, battery supplier A123 Systems, has unveiled two new batteries specifically optimized for automotive applications. One of the new cells is configured for high power applications in regular hybrid configurations while the other is designed for higher energy capacity for plug-in hybrid vehicles. The relevance of this news bit: A123 offers batteries that are for real, being already sold and tested in commercial applications (cordless tools and backup systems). This gives credibility to their promises of commercially available batteries for automotive applications: hybrids, plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles.

2054 Citroen

The vehicle below is a virtual concept car designed for French sci-fi animation movie "Renaissance". The action takes place in Paris, year 2054, and although the movie is very cool the car itself does not look like what we could drive in 2054. It actually doesn't look very futuristic at all. Regardless of the design, the cars that we will drive in 2050 will probably be electric and with a completely different architecture, probably much closer to the Lexus concept presented in Minority Report.

2008 VW Polo

Or maybe 2009 only. The restyling of the current Polo was very well done and the success of the car might allow it to run for a bit more time. Anyway, the replacement is well known since the underpinnings are the same as in the new Skoda Fabia. So no multilink rear suspensions just like in the next Fiesta that will also have a simple torsion beam. It seems the MINI will continue being the only car in this class with a sophisticated rear suspension.

The CGI below is from Auto Motor und Sport and is not reliable. The next Polo will probably adopt the new face of VW (that was already previewed by Auto-Bild although we can't confirm its accuracy yet) so the rather good-looking design below might not be used since it is too "current-VW".

2009 VW Golf Plus

Autozeitung presented a CGI on the next Golf Plus. This will arrive after the new Golf VI presentation. We are not sure about the front design because it should adopt the new face of VW that Walter de Silva will be using for the next Golf and other VW models. BTW, AutoBild has an article about that new front design and although we like what we see so far we need to find confirmation from internal sources. Maybe next week the reader will find in Auto-Future an article on the new front design of VW models, we just need to check with a couple of persons before believing in Huckfeldt CGI. Back to the Plus, the profile of Autozeitung’s CGI of the Golf Plus looks good, it looks like a B-class because probably that was the donor photograph for the photoshop… Anyway, it would not be a bad idea for VW to look inspiration on the success of the B-class.

The Golf Plus sales are not what VW had hoped for. At the beginning of commercialization they were saying it could account for 35 to 40% of overall Golf sales. It now represents 25% so not quite as good as expected. We believe that in order to have more success the Golf Plus should have more space: use the platform of the Touran (that has a longer wheelbase than the Golf), use only with 5 seats, keep the same width and lower the roofline. This would make for a more spacious car than the Plus but at the same time more sporty and elegant than the Touran.

The road to EV future: Toyota Endo

We love Endo and we think it should be available for everyone, you know, for medical purposes... No seriously, other than slang for marijuana Endo is the name of a concept car from Toyota that is rumoured to be presented in its definitive production version at Frankfurt motor show. It seems the Aygo was not small enough so Toyota will present this litlle thing that will compete with the Smart. We like small cars but our interest in this vehicle goes in other direction. While we are anxiously waiting for the first rea-life-widely-available-EV from Mitsubishi or Subaru, and knowing that next year Toyota will make the new Prius available with Li-ion batteries, we are guessing the Endo could also be available in full electric mode. Actually, we are not just guessing, there are some signs in the radar tha suggest that possibility. The begining of the next decade will be very interesting for the future of automobile, that is the EV future.

2008 Alfa Romeo 149

Some recent juice on the highly awaited Alfa 149: the design is now frozen and the first prototypes are on the streets testing. It is expected to arrive in the first half of 2008. Doesn't sound like much time for testing, right? Well it seems Fiat has this software and development practice that allows for less prototype testing and more simulation. Or, if the reader is interested in buying the car, better wait for 2009 and let the first buyers participate in the process...

More info: the car has most of the underpinnings shared with the Bravo (another reason for doing less testing), except for the rear suspension that will be of multilink type. This will have effects on luggage space that will be less than the 400L found in the Bravo.

Mercedes super 4-door coupe

The spectacular BMW CS concept previously presented (just check Bangle 2.0) will not be alone in its fight against super-luxury 4-door coupes such as the Porsche Panamera and Aston Martin Rapide. We are pretty sure Mercedes will present something similar in a size above the S-class. A previous CGI from Autozeitung previews how the car could look like. The reader can see it below and guess what… it seems impossible to design a 4-door coupe that doesn’t look fantastic. All of these uber 4-door coupes from the real luxury brands are great but we wonder when something in the size and price of a Passat will arrive for the rest of us common folks. Precisely, the latest rumours on the 4-door coupe derivative of the VW Passat suggest that it’s late.

Peugeot 308 out in the open

Just weeks before the first official pictures are presented the new Peugeot was found uncovered in French auto-route. Thanks to the person that posted the pic in Peugeot forum. A bit of inside info: does the reader find the new PUG gorgeous?... well the interior will be spectacular in both design and quality.

Bangle 2.0

Just a couple of weeks ago I was checking some Opel Vectra spyshots and noticed what looked like a Bangle-butt in the rear design. Then thought to myself: “if a brand like Opel starts copying such design feature maybe it’s time for BMW to introduce a new design language… of course, something freakish,… perhaps asymmetric…”. At the time didn’t anticipate that Bangle was going to mess with the front grille!...

The spectacular concept seen below is the new flag that signals the introduction of another evolution in BMW’s design language. The amazing object is a concept car that predicts a future 4-door coupe although it will not be in direct competition with the CLS. The new coupe will be bigger than a 7-series and pitched directly against the Porsche Panamera and Aston Martin Rapide. The relevance of this news bit (probably most of the readers have seen the concept) is in the following inside information: although the car will not end up looking exactly like the concept, the most controversial feature will be carried over for the production version and other cars from BMW. That’s right, that front design is for real! Apparently current front designs of BMW were not menacing enough…

Another interesting bit is related with marketing strategy: BMW did not want to appear to just follow Mercedes CLS so they didn’t make a 5-series based CLS competitor (although we believe it will arrive sooner or later). Furthermore, the 7-series based super-4-door-coupe is believed to be out of reach for Audi since Porsche would not allow its newly-owned brand to compete directly against the Panamera. It will be interesting to see how the now strong position of Porsche in VW-Audi group will influence future decisions on future cars.

Saab 9-3 restyling + AWD

Saab is getting ready a restyled 9-3 that will give the car a similar front design to the 9-5. That has not been a very successfull design although in fact the 9-5 is now a very old model having difficulties to compete with other cars in that class. Interestingly the 9-3 will also introduce the availability of AWD, probably of Haldex-type. We wonder if such new technology would not justify a deeper model change? The restyling does not seem enough to give new life to this model.

A completely new interior design is not expected altough it would be important due to the lacklustre of the current design. The 9-3 achieved a very strange feat: altough being based on a mainstream car platform (the Opel Vectra) and pretending Saab to be a sort of premium brand, it managed to have interior design and quality that is actually worse than on the original Vectra... We never understood this but such strange event might be related with the lack of direction, focus, strategy, etc. of the Saab brand in GM group.

3 Megane III

Pictured below are three CGI of possible interpretations of the Renault Megane III. These were presented by French magazine AutoPlus some weeks ago in an article that stated that the design of the next Megane was not frozen yet and that these were the alternatives on the table. We don’t consider AutoPlus a reliable source so did not bother too much about the article. However, this can be seen as an interesting exercise: how about putting ourselves in the decision-making position, pretend we are Mr. Ghosn when deciding (and BTW, the design of the Megane III is now frozen so this is really just an exercise) and choose the best version from the designer’s proposals. It’s very easy for enthusiasts, when seeing pictures of a new car, to say “this is wrong, they should have done this or that…”. Decision-makers have a much more difficult task because they have to think 3 years in advance and consider how the competitors could look, what are the design and technology trends, they have to think in the future, the auto-future!

The first proposal (the blue one) is highly unlikely. It has the new Renault face (like the other proposals) but the glass in the C-pillar is wrong. In the current and close future of cars in the European compact class the litlle window in the C-pillar doesn’t make much sense. Golf VI, Peugeot 308, next Astra, current Megane… only the Focus has a small one already assumed in its design language. Others like the Mazda 3 have it but these are not big-mainstream so don’t expect the next Megane to have the litlle window.

The second proposal is also wrong. Unfortunately, too good to be true. The design is more caricature than real life and we don’t expect Renault to be that brave. Particularly, the small greenhouse and large metal area in the profile are very un-French. We can see people in consumer clinics bitching about that “pas de lumière… on se sent claustrophobe…”.

The third (the red one) is the closest to the final version. A more mature evolution of the current Megane adequately rounded in the most controverse features of the current model. A more composed design for a more composed car thanks to the new super-platform, already found in the Nissan Qashqai, that beyound multilink rear suspension and possibility of AWD will really stretch French superiority in suspension design and active and passive safety. Classier, safer, more mature… fitter, happier, more productive.

Caricature design

The nice sketch you see below is not of a future VW model but it is indeed one of the official sketches done during the design development of the current Golf Plus. Doesn’t look much like the final design, right? Unfortunately this is a very common event, the initial sketches are fantastic but very exaggerated, almost like caricatures.

This brings us to the idea, what if car manufacturers would be able to bring to life those caricature features of initial sketches? We can remember two cars where that actually was done: the Chrysler 300C and the BMW 1-series. The exaggerated proportions (very high shoulder line for example) and the way these cars look with big wheels are signs of this approximation. Both are great successes, design-wise and also in sales and image. So just maybe this features will be found in more new models… The frequent reader of auto-future might have noticed that sometimes we like to follow or anticipate new or future trends (like our EV-future series), and this time let us trademark caricature design, just in case.

Mercedes C-sportcoupe

The next Mercedes sportcoupe follows a new trend in compact cars: upgrade to a new car without really making a new car. That is, keeping the most part of the platform unchanged and only making new panels and interior. This is rumoured to occur with the next Mercedes compact but also with the Peugeot 308 and VW Golf VI, for example. If one considers the level of sophistication that cars in this class achieved it seems rational to keep development cost low by keeping the most part of the underpinnings unchanged. Other key feature: compact cars have grown up a lot in recent years - there isn't much more margin to keep increasing width and length of cars in this class. This is another point for relaxing on the development of completely new platforms.

So the next Sportcoupé will be just a major restyling of the current model. The platform and underpinnings are kept the same but a new skin will appear with a front design more closer to the new C-class W204. This will keep development costs very low and Mercedes can sell it for less money. But they won’t cuz they are in this business for profit and this will make them earn a lot of money.

2008 Alfa Romeo Junior...

... or maybe Alfasud. How should it look like?... it should look gorgeous and agressive as a true AlfaRomeo. Based on the platform of the Grande Punto it could be the retro-car of Alfa Romeo. However, since all classic Alfas are RWD we think it is difficult to have iconic status in a Grande Punto package,... unless maybe if we consider the first Alfasud a classic!

BMW mid-engine Z10 (Not)

Pictured below is a conceptual drawing of a future (in the words of site topspeed) mid-engine BMW Z10. The news is from some weeks ago and was received here with satisfaction, physically expressed in the form of drooling. The drawing has some McLaren F1 inspiration which is interesting and appropriate considering that the vintage supercar had a BMW V12 engine. Although very happy with the idea we were sceptics about it since no information was available on future BMW mid-engine cars but… there is a new top management at BMW so maybe they had new ideas and our dreams would come true. Since then several inside informers have been contacted in order to try to find some truth in the rumour but … nothing! Three well informed and reliable persons have clearly stated that there will be no mid-engine F430 fighter from BMW. Front-engine super-GT SLR competitor yes! Mid-engine, no!

Such was the disappointment that we asked again but no. Too much investment, no recent experience with mid-engine, not enough possibilities for sharing components with other models, etc. Considering the success of the Audi R8 as an halo model and the future F430-like mid-engine from Mercedes-McLaren we wonder if BMW is doing the right thing. Maybe if fans support the idea and strongly ask for it… The only thing for sure is that the folks at topspeed had a dream of a future supercar from BMW and decided to draw it themselves.

2008 Ford Ka

Small and with a Ford face, that must be a CGI of the new Ka. This small car joins one of the fastest growing segments in Europe fighting the infamous triplets (C1/107/Aygo), the new Twingo and the Fiat 500. The Fiat 500 will be a twin model of the Ka being both based in the same platform in a joint development and manufacturing program of Fiat and Ford. Incidentally, the European market and the small car segment seem to be popular for collaborations between different manufacturers... we have the PSA/Toyota job on the triplets and now the Fiat/Ford partnership for the Ka/500. A future trend for other market segments and manufacturers?... In any case the Ka will have a hard time in the market particularly considering the success of established players like the triplets and the supe-cute and iconic status that the Fiat 500 will have.

2009 Seat Bolero...

... or maybe Toledo, the name is not 100% sure although highly probable. And it makes sense, because the 4-door saloon disappeared from Seat's catalogue being replaced by the pathetic thing that the Toledo currently is. A new name will signal a new car, different from the current Toledo in design and architecture because, surprise... the new Bolero will use the platform of the current Audi A4. This means longitudinal engines and optional torsen AWD. More, not only the platform is used but also the design is highly inspired in the A4 model with only changes in front and rear to respect current Seat design language. Incidentally, the Bolero name was already used in a concept car from 1998 that is a sort of 4-door coupe. Google for it and the reader will notice how beautifull that concept was and wonder with Seat did not build it!

So what about the picture below?... we had to illustrate this with something so don't worry it will look much better than that. The important news bit is that the new car is for real (that means approved by VW group management). It might also mean that VW group still cares about Seat... maybe they won't sell the brand to the Chinese after all. Oh dear, nasty rumour this last one!

Opel Agila

Pictured below are a recent spyshot of a future Opel small car and a CGI. Let’s call it Agila since it’s the name of the equivalent vehicle in current Opel’s lineup. Note that Opel is trying to establish their own fashion in car dressing with the use of black net in the lateral windows… most prototypes use black plastic or tape, sometimes Peugeot-Citroen use a sort of plastic bags to disguise the cars, Toyota uses some ridiculous things that look like cardboard bits and recently Renault started dressing their cars in white. Not sure if black net in the windows is the new black of prototype-disguising fashion but I think the test-driver must feel very sad in that thing.

The new small-Opel is a tall vehicle obviously engineered to maximize space. Other followers of this trend include the Renault Modus, Honda Jazz or Peugeot 1007. None of these cars is a great sales success… actually the most popular small and cheap cars in Europe are the triplets 107/C1/Aygo that are of the small and cute type. The new Twingo is also small and cute as well as the next Ka and Fiat 500 that is small and super-cute. And it makes sense that young people buying their first car search for a cool design instead the practicality of a bigger luggage space. This means that the next Agila will not be a sales success. Probably product planners didn’t research properly or had the necessary vision when they chosen this type of design but I’m sure they have figured out by now that their next small car will not do well. And they must feel sad because of that.

Of course they could have asked Auto-Future for advice and we would give it for a nice chunk of money (because it’s Opel, for most of other brands we would do it for free). But when the design of the car was frozen (probably about one and a half year ago) this joint didn’t exist yet. This blog made its first anniversary in March 6th. Actually I forgot about it and didn’t signal or commemorate the event. I feel a bit sad because of that. So today we have a sad test-driver, some sad product planners and designers and a sad blog writer. Why not having a look at sniffpetrol site for some fun?... but guess what, the bloke that writes in that joint did the February issue and promised the next month issue for March 9th… and until today nothing! I hope he’s ok!

2007 Mazda 6

The next Mazda 6 is very close to public presentation. It will be greatly improved over the current (and important) version. We wonder if Mazda should take more risks with the new car… what was once fresh when the original 6 was launched could now become boring and predictable… specially since so many competitors in this class are taking a very emotional approach in design. Well, that was just a thought, because the next 6 will start from a basis of very happy customers of the current model so probably the more strong design evolution can wait for another generation.

2008 TSX/Euro-Accord

Expect news on the next Euro Accord/Acura TSX very soon, maybe on New York Auto Show. Interestingly it is not sure yet if the European model will be the same as the Acura TSX or the American Accord. The design of the coupe concept of the next American Accord could very well fit European tastes... and the later concept cars from Acura have been very strange... Just hope Honda gets the proportions right this time: the current Euro Accord is too narrow for the common practice in European cars which hurts its road presence.

2009 BMW 4dr. coupe

A very nice interpretation has surfaced on the future CLS from BMW. Noticed how these 4-door coupes look so good?... it seems designers just can't ruin this type of car. The future BMW will use the platform of the next 5-series so it might arrive later than 2009. It just seems the CLS caught everyone off-guard, even BMW.

The road to EV future: battery manufacturers make it to mainstream press

The keywords here are mainstream press. But going back a while, when did auto-future realized the great prospects for electric vehicles. I guess it was when rumours of a future Toyota Prius with Li-ion batteries surfaced. And when were we sure about it? Just a few days ago when Toyota’s boss confirmed the new battery pack for the next Prius. This is the main reason for this EV week: now we know for sure that EVs are for real and will arrive sooner than later.

Of course, now the mainstream press is giving attention to the subject so we were happy to find an article on The New York Times about A123Systems, one of the key battery manufacturers for the next EV revolution. They are now an important company because they signed a contract with GM for the development of automotive batteries and also, in a business full of illusionary claims, because their battery chemistry delivers their promises and is already being used (and abused) in electric tools (Black and Decker/Walt). Now we just need to wait for manufacturers to ride that “robustness improvement” curve and we will have real-life EVs available (and plug in hybrids) to dramatically change future transportation.

The road to EV future: Mitsubishi i MiEV prototypes

Mitsubishi and Subaru seem to have engaged in a race to deliver the first real-car-series-production-EV. A few days after Subaru showing the R1e in Geneve, Mitsubishi announced the delivery of prototypes to electric companies in Japan. In this case Mitsubishi also commited to sell a production version in 2010 for about 17000 US dollars, a rather interesting price. Well, the race is on, and now that we are sure the EV future is going to happen we anxiously wait for other competitors.

The road to EV future: the big picture of battery development

The graphics below represent the best form of visualization of why we are hearing so much about Li-ion batteries; development of plug-in technology; series hybrids and electric cars. And why we give so much attention to these issues here at auto-future. Because we will the technology available for all those developments in a close future: we will have Li-ion batteries available with adequate power density at affordable cost. Arguably we might have it today but in reality we have two curves to ride. One of cost reduction that is closely linked to the graphics below. The other is concerned with the increase of robustness of the technology and this is where more effort is being spent and why we will have to wait for the beginning of the next decade for the real growth of EV offers. Meanwhile please take note of the following: Toyota just confirmed that the next Prius (expected for 2008) will have a Li-ion battery pack. This means a simple thing for the future of automobile: electric cars… series hybrids… Li-ion technology?...It will happen!

The road to EV future: Subaru R1e

We were delighted to see the Subaru R1e in the list of novelties for Geneve auto show. Unfortunately Subaru was only displaying the car and hinting at a possible future commercialization. So nothing solid and official yet. This (or other small Subaru) are one of the best bets for a future large scale production of a proper electric car. Subaru says it’s testing a fleet of Li-ion R1e with Japan’s electric company.

There was some disappointment regarding the EV field on this year’s Geneve show. Not many new hybrid models or concepts and the biggest novelty, the Toyota Hybrid-X, is not only very ugly but also Toyota did not give many details about technical details. The only thing we know for sure is that Li-ion batteries are in the program for a 2008-2009 model and that the next Prius will be able to run for about 9 mile on electric-only mode. Nothing was confirmed about it having plug-in ability.

2007 Audi A4

The new Audi A4 is expected at Frankfurt for immediate commercialization in Europe. Pictured below are a couple of recent CGIs, the left one from Autozeitung and the other from Auto Motor und Sport. Mind you, the one on the right is more reliable.

Much has been said about this new car, the main reason for this contribution is related to the technique and platform. The new Audi A5 confirms some of the rumoured improvements in the new platform (common to both the A5 and next A4) that were referred in previous Auto-Future reports (here and here). The reader can go back to those references but simply stated that means: smaller front overhang and more power to the rear-wheels: good. Bigger front overhang and FWD: bad. The new Audi A5 confirms the improvements and these mean good news for Audi customers. In the drawings below one can compare the new A5 vs the current A4. Although not as good as the current luxury references from BMW and Mercedes (the new C-class has a front overhang of only 765mmm), the next A4 should be a major improvement over the current car.

Peugeot 308 as seen by some crappy mobile phone

We love our cultural differences in Europe. Noticed how we never get this kind of scoops from German manufacturers?... because Germans don’t let folks walk around in their factories with mobile phones. But in the case of Skoda, manufactured in Tchek republic, we had a few weeks ago a major scoop with photos of a new car being published. And the PSA factory in Spain has been a major source of scoops, again with folks photographing and even getting videos with mobile phones of the Picasso. And what about Italians? Well the new Bravo had so many events of this kind that Fiat gave up and stopped bothering about hiding the car. The official presentation of the Bravo was a simple pro-forma since everyone knew how the car would look like.

Unfortunately people are still using crap mobile phones for this so the images you see below don’t do justice to the car design. It will look much better in catalogue photos (well, of course!) and believe me, it will look much much better in the streets!

BMW M3

Humm... not much left to hide! What do we have here?... a F1-inspired rear extractor born in the wind tunnel or some freakish thing?

Peugeot 308

“Wow what’s this, is Auto-Future trying to fool us with a picture of the 207?” Well, it certainly looks like that although the reader is really seeing one of the latest computer generated images of the highly expected Peugeot 308. The image is based on some 207 picture but it is also, according to inside information, the most similar to the real thing. Hummm… does Peugeot really hires designers or they only have a couple of blokes redesigning the same car over and over and just changing the size?

Anyway, the truth is that the 308 will look like the 207 only a bit fatter. And, again according to people that have seen it, it will really look like a current Peugeot 307 with 5 people and some luggage… this meaning that it will be a modernized version of the current car with the height reduced for a bit more sporty feel.

2009 Opel Astra

Autozeitung magazine presented an article on the future Opel Astra and VW Golf VI, actually, they also call it Golf "five and a half" just like Auto-Future. Anyway, we found the Astra photoshop very atractive although one needs to have in mind that Autozeitung's CGIs are usually very nice but not very reliable.

Also of interest is the information that the 5-door version of the next Astra will be a notchback instead of a hatchback. So a 2-1/2 volume car like the previous Astra H. This is interesting considering that every car in this class is now a hatchback with a thick C-pillar. Could this be a way of Opel to express their leadership in this class? (Yes, the Astra sells more than the Golf in Europe). The article also refers a multilink suspension in the rear (about time!) and that it will be a world car with the platform spreading for models in different continents. So another step in the trend for global platforms as explained in a previous article at Auto-Future.

Mercedes GLK

We, EU folks, are known for being generally environmental conscious. That is, we embraced diesels long ago, we don’t drive big cars, we like fuel efficiency and even our politics seem to care (just check the latest proposals for emissions reduction in Europe). So why oh why so many new SUVs from European manufacturers? Well, one thing is that some of these small SUVs are meant for the NA market where crossovers and smaller SUVs are gaining momentum. But we also like our not-very-off-road-capable-but-very-nice-looking-tall-machines… only we do it smaller and more eco-friendly. So we have the BMW X3 (and possibly a future X1), the next Focus SUV, a future small Renault SUV, the VW Tiguan and also the Mercedes GLK.

A new impression of the small Mercedes SUV has surfaced. It shows a really boxy design that I think fits well with this type of car. It looks a bit like a smaller GL. I always imagined that the perfect design for the Land-Rover LR2 would be just a scaled down version of the big Range Rover. It didn’t quite turned out like that although it still is a good design. The GLK has that scaled down feel of a much more expensive car. Not that the GLK will be cheap…

The road to EV future: Toyota Hybrid X

In the next month at Geneve car show Toyota will present a hybrid concept that "proposes a new design language for hybrid models and will act as a technology showcase for future hybrid cars". Well if Toyota says so it will be an interesting concept to follow, can we expect a preview of the next Prius design, the display of plug-in technology or even a series hybrid concept?

Other than that we can also take other things for sure. Namely that every next motor show will present new concepts of hybrids and electric cars. Volvo will present a series hybrid C30 concept also in Geneve and we can expect for other manufacturers to follow. Particularly interesting will be the Tokyo show at the end of the year where I'm sure several interesting novelties will be shown and maybe even real production cars either fully electric or predominantly electric hybrids.

Future vehicle platforms

CSM worldwide has used a crystal ball to predict the top 10 vehicle platforms in 2012. We think this is a bold move considering how far we are from 2012 but hey, it’s the future and that word is in the title of this joint.

Today the VW group is well established as the king of platform sharing. The PQ35 (that’s the current Golf underpinnings) is a fine example of optimization of resources and cost cutting. Just marvel at how a humble Seat Leon is transformed in a posh compact like the Audi A3 while sharing everything except exterior panels and some tactile-pleasing plastics. Accountants at VW-group love it, people-that-can’t-quite-afford-a-1-series-or-a-Merc-sportcoupe love it, and we love it too: those nice metal-polished door handles and chromed air vents… brilliant engineering!

But, for the 2012 prediction CSM says the Toyota Camry platform will be established as a real world car, spreading through more than 20 vehicles including bi-fuel, gasoline, diesel, hybrids and possible hybrid plug-ins (according to CSM the next Prius will also be based on the Camry platform). Also note as in 2012 the Ford C1 platform designation changes from “Euro Focus” to “Global Focus”. That means more Euro-Fords for America.

Ford Focus III

The current Focus is a great product. The only thing Ford needs to improve is the design and add an extra layer of desirability. The photoshop presented below follows that theme and is clearly inspired in the new Mondeo's design. Make it look like this and add some flair in the interiors and the Focus III will be an even greater success than the current model.

2007 Hyundai Arnejs/FD

Let’s start this entry with the related cousin, or actually, brother of the Hyundai: the Kia Cee’d. The Kia has been tested by European magazines and is getting some good reviews. It rides and feels like an European car: ride quality (multilink suspension), interior quality, space, mechanical credentials (7 year warranty) and a small diesel, everything one might expect from a native European car. We wonder how it will do in the market because with all those qualities it still has a rather generic and bland design… and we Europeans are a difficult crowd to please.

This gets us to the Arnejs. Not sure if Hyundai will use such a stupid name but they kept Cee’d for the Kia so it seems they want to build a tradition of stupid names. The Hyundai is expected to have all the features of the Kia plus the extra pluses that might make it more appealing. A bit more style in the design, a bit more attention to detail in the interiors, improved sound proofing materials and overall refinement. The extra layer that can justify a higher price than the Kia and that might just be the ticket for success in Europe. The design is the biggest question here but we will only have to wait a few weeks to meet the production car.

2007 Peugeot 308... and future hybrid HDI

The next Peugeot 308 is ready for a market introduction in September at Frankfurt Auto-show beginning comercialization shortly after. Until then the car undergoes the latest tests in typical PSA black plastic bags dressing... But the pre-series are already being assembled and shown to people that... are telling us what they saw: Expect a great design, an evolution of the 307 but more sportier. And surprise... the diesel hybrid is for real, the new car was designed having that version previewed from the beginning. But it will arrive later than 2008...