The Geneva motor show is always prime for new concept car debuts. Manufacturers from all corners of the globe typically touch down in the Swiss venue to show their wares in neutral territory, and this year was set to be another bumper year. Unfortunately, the coronavirus outbreak forced the organizers to close the Palexpo doors before they even got a chance to open, turning the event into a No Show, except by personal invitation to an alternative venue. Here are five concept cars that would have been the show stars.
Polestar Precept Concept
We’ve been expecting the Polestar Precept for a while now, and the launch this morning was a wonderful breath of fresh air. Modern, contemporary, inviting and — wait for it — sustainable. The Precept ticks all the boxes, and it’s ripe for production. I’ve written a full article on the Precept concept previously so I won’t delve into too much more detail here. Suffice to say that it was one of the headline concepts that would have made an appearance at the 2020 Geneva show. [FULL ARTICLE HERE].
Renault Morphoz Concept
The Renault Morphoz concept was one of the stars of the 2020 Geneva No Show. Occupying the Family petal of Renault’s ‘Life Flower’ design strategy, the concept is a four-passenger SUV that can transform from a 4400mm-long urban electric car to a long-distance cruiser by extending 400mm in overall length. This provides additional volume within the cabin and allows an extra 50 kWh of batteries to be added to the standard 40 kWh pack. It’s fictional of course, but it’s also genius. [FULL ARTICLE HERE].
Hyundai Prophecy Concept
While the Concept 45 shown at the 2019 Frankfurt show paid homage to Hyundai’s first car, the Pony, designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro, the Prophecy, as its name suggests, looks more towards the future of the Korean brand. Showcasing an evolution of the carmaker’s Sensuous Sportiness design philosophy, the Prophecy concept’s smooth exterior form is reminiscent of Porsche designs — which is no bad thing — and has been inspired by spaceships and a minimalistic black pebble. [FULL ARTICLE HERE].
BMW Concept i4
The Concept i4 is a thinly veiled production car preview for the imminent electric 3 Series, which will go head to head with Tesla’s Model 3. The show car previews the new direction BMW is taking with their i sub-brand. Regrettably it looks to be far more conformist than the avant-garde i3 and i8. The Concept i4 is a classical four-door-coupe design with a cab rearward stance, but it manages to look quite heavy, particularly at the rear.
The tan/copper color — in vogue on numerous new products due to copper’s ability to conduct electricity — has been used by BMW in past concepts as well, enabling viewers to read the shape and surfaces easier through a screen that normally. The copper color also emphasizes the blue elements — a signature color for all of BMW i models — and blends in well with the copper-colored interior elements.
BMW’s new, very large and three-dimensional kidney grille is the focus of the face, as with recent concepts from the Munich-based brand, as is BMW’s new flat transparent logo, which sits pride of place in the hood recess. Overall, the angular surface treatment arguably works better on the interior than the exterior.
DS Aero Sport Lounge Concept
The DS brand, which launched as the premium offshoot of Citroen in 2009, has never enjoyed much success. While some earlier concept cars showed promise the brand seems to have drifted into irrelevance, which is a monumental shame. Perhaps it carries too much baggage? [FULL ARTICLE HERE].
