retro-styled – All about car

Suzuki will unveil the Waku SPO – a retro-styled plug-in hybrid concept featuring design elements that can be switched according to personal preference – at this year’s Tokyo motor show. The ultra-compact Waku SPO will be joined on the Japanese firm’s stand by an autonomous ‘mobile room’ concept called the Hanare. The two machines are designed to showcase Suzuki’s efforts in developing future technologies. Suzuki’s stand is themed around the concept of ‘Waku Waku’, a Japanese term that means excitement in English. The Waku SPO is described by Suzuki as an A-segment personal compact PHEV, intended for use by a family to “share fun and excitement”. Suzuki has not yet disclosed any technical details of the plug-in hybrid powertrain. The firm says the model features a ‘Waku Waku’ switch that can customise the car by allowing users to “switch its body shape, front mask and content shown on the dashboard”, so the car “can transform to meet each and everyone’s fun and excitement”. It is not clear how extensive the exterior changes to the car would be. A rendering released by Suzuki shows a small hatch with a long front bonnet and retro-styling somewhat similar to the Honda e. The Hanare – a Japanese term for a small dwelling built to the side of a home – is an autonomous pod-style vehicle designed for an “efficiency-centric future”. Suzuki says the machine would allow users to work or rest during long journeys, with the Hanare capable of being customised for different uses and to the requirements of different users. Suzuki has not yet revealed any powertrain details for the Hanare, but with heavy autonomous technology and the pod-like design, it is likely to be based around a full-electric
Origin: Suzuki Waku: retro-styled PHEV concept set for Tokyo show

Hyundai has again previewed its Frankfurt motor show star car, a retro-styled electric concept. Called the 45, it’s said to feature styling references to the brand’s first production car, the Mitsubishi-powered Pony hatchback, which was launched in 1974. The first preview image of the EV showed off an LED bar across the rear that will display a matrix flourish upon start-up. Now a rear-side view reveals the car’s large wheels and minimalist profile. Elsewhere, we can see hints that the 45 will bear a resemblance to sibling brand Genesis’s recent Mint concept, with a rakish roofline, a narrow rear window, extended wheel arches and a low, wide stance. As well as paying tribute to the brand’s historic design work, Hyundai says the 45 will “act as a symbolic milestone for Hyundai’s future EV design”. There’s currently no production intent for the 45; it acts as a design study, rather than a preview of a particular future model. However, a Hyundai spokesperson said the concept is based on a new EV platform and will “preview the potential for EV designers in the future”. The 45 will make its first public appearance alongside an all-new version of the i10 city car and the limited-run i30 N Project C hardcore hot hatch. Luc Donckerwolke, Hyundai’s design chief, said earlier this year that the firm’s styling language needs to be further differentiated from that of sibling brands Genesis and Kia. He said: “Our core task is to differentiate the design philosophy of the three brands, not least because we have a big share in Korea. “We need to differentiate each model, otherwise the landscape is too
Origin: Hyundai’s retro-styled 45 EV previewed again ahead of unveil