Italdesign Giugiaro , Volkswagen Go! and Tex Concepts
The Geneva auto show is an important one for Giugiaro, as the design house usually uses the Swiss show to unveil something striking and wedgy, something supercar-ish. But the past two years have been a little different. At the 2010 show, the firm showed the Emas subcompact concepts, and this year ripped the sheets from a couple of Volkswagen models. (This makes sense, of course, given that VW recently purchased a 90.1-percent stake in Giugiaro.) Said to be the firm’s “interpretation for the Volkswagens of the future,” the pair are dubbed Go! and Tex.
Volkswagen Go! Concept
Like the majority of concepts these days, the Go! is intended for urban life and, as is the fashion for such cars, has an all-electric powertrain. Built on Volkswagen’s MQB modular transverse architecture, this little MPV is eight inches shorter than a Golf but is designed to have lots of interior space, and that’s enabled by its Passat-equaling 106.3-inch wheelbase and short overhangs. The overall exterior design isn’t a huge departure from current Volkswagens, but the Go! features concept touches like an all-glass roof, cameras in place of side-view mirrors, and electric everything, including the rear sliding doors. We’re happy to see that Giugiaro took special note of modern cars’ often crappy outward visibility; the Go! eschews a high beltline and was intentionally given more glass. The fascia of the five-door incorporates xenon and LED headlights, as well as air-flow adjusters for cooling the electric motor. The rear hatch can be opened using a foot sensor similar to the one found on the Euro-market Passat.
Indoors, you’ll find four identical bucket seats; they’re all electrically adjustable. The rear seat can fold via remote control for increased cargo space, and Giugiaro says the front center armrest folds back so that the driver can exit from the passenger side in tight parking situations. (What’s wrong with the all-American solution of slamming the door into the car next to you?)
The driver’s instruments, including the feed from those side-view cameras, are displayed in a futuristic layout at the base of the windshield. This was done, says Giugiaro, to minimize the driver’s change in focal point so that they can better spot pedestrians. Only the lower third of the side glass lowers, like the windows of the De Lorean DMC12 or the Subaru SVX. The Go! gets its go from the VW Blue-E-Motion electric-drive system, with the battery pack located below the floor; it has a projected range of up to 149 miles.
Volkswagen Tex Concept
Named after ranger Tex Willer, an Italian comic-book hero, the Tex concept is supposed to embody the sporty side of VW. With four seats, front-wheel drive, and a design that looks like a cross between the current GTI and Scirocco, that message was received loud and clear, although we’re firm in our belief that sporty vehicles should be a little more exciting to look at than this.
Nevertheless, the Tex is a very clean design, and it has 19-inch wheels, flared fenders, functional brake-cooling intakes, and a sculpted bodyline that rises toward the tail. The windshield and roof are a single piece of glass which can be tinted electronically. A high/low set of rear spoilers live on the car’s hind end.
Powered by a plug-in hybrid system called “Twin Drive” that we expect to see debut on the 2013 Golf, the Tex has a turbocharged 1.4-liter gas motor that kicks in after the projected 22-mile electric-only range has been surpassed. Power is routed through a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, and Giugiaro predicts 62 mph can be reached from a stop in about six seconds. The top speed is pegged at 137 mph. Not bad for what’s essentially just a hybrid edition of one of our favorite front-drive cars, the 10Best-winning Golf/GTI.
Keep in mind that both of these cars are Giugiaro’s own interpretations for future VWs and not a definite styling direction from the company itself. Neither the Go! nor the Tex are that radically different from the current lineup, but with Volkswagen buying all of Italdesign Giugiaro except the kitchen sink, we can’t help but think these two concepts could actually foreshadow future small VWs. That would be fine with us. But, Giugiaro, sass up that Tex just a little, won’t you?
The Geneva auto show is an important one for Giugiaro, as the design house usually uses the Swiss show to unveil something striking and wedgy, something supercar-ish. But the past two years have been a little different. At the 2010 show, the firm showed the Emas subcompact concepts, and this year ripped the sheets from a couple of Volkswagen models. (This makes sense, of course, given that VW recently purchased a 90.1-percent stake in Giugiaro.) Said to be the firm’s “interpretation for the Volkswagens of the future,” the pair are dubbed Go! and Tex.
Volkswagen Go! Concept
Like the majority of concepts these days, the Go! is intended for urban life and, as is the fashion for such cars, has an all-electric powertrain. Built on Volkswagen’s MQB modular transverse architecture, this little MPV is eight inches shorter than a Golf but is designed to have lots of interior space, and that’s enabled by its Passat-equaling 106.3-inch wheelbase and short overhangs. The overall exterior design isn’t a huge departure from current Volkswagens, but the Go! features concept touches like an all-glass roof, cameras in place of side-view mirrors, and electric everything, including the rear sliding doors. We’re happy to see that Giugiaro took special note of modern cars’ often crappy outward visibility; the Go! eschews a high beltline and was intentionally given more glass. The fascia of the five-door incorporates xenon and LED headlights, as well as air-flow adjusters for cooling the electric motor. The rear hatch can be opened using a foot sensor similar to the one found on the Euro-market Passat.
Indoors, you’ll find four identical bucket seats; they’re all electrically adjustable. The rear seat can fold via remote control for increased cargo space, and Giugiaro says the front center armrest folds back so that the driver can exit from the passenger side in tight parking situations. (What’s wrong with the all-American solution of slamming the door into the car next to you?)
The driver’s instruments, including the feed from those side-view cameras, are displayed in a futuristic layout at the base of the windshield. This was done, says Giugiaro, to minimize the driver’s change in focal point so that they can better spot pedestrians. Only the lower third of the side glass lowers, like the windows of the De Lorean DMC12 or the Subaru SVX. The Go! gets its go from the VW Blue-E-Motion electric-drive system, with the battery pack located below the floor; it has a projected range of up to 149 miles.
Volkswagen Tex Concept
Named after ranger Tex Willer, an Italian comic-book hero, the Tex concept is supposed to embody the sporty side of VW. With four seats, front-wheel drive, and a design that looks like a cross between the current GTI and Scirocco, that message was received loud and clear, although we’re firm in our belief that sporty vehicles should be a little more exciting to look at than this.
Nevertheless, the Tex is a very clean design, and it has 19-inch wheels, flared fenders, functional brake-cooling intakes, and a sculpted bodyline that rises toward the tail. The windshield and roof are a single piece of glass which can be tinted electronically. A high/low set of rear spoilers live on the car’s hind end.
Powered by a plug-in hybrid system called “Twin Drive” that we expect to see debut on the 2013 Golf, the Tex has a turbocharged 1.4-liter gas motor that kicks in after the projected 22-mile electric-only range has been surpassed. Power is routed through a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, and Giugiaro predicts 62 mph can be reached from a stop in about six seconds. The top speed is pegged at 137 mph. Not bad for what’s essentially just a hybrid edition of one of our favorite front-drive cars, the 10Best-winning Golf/GTI.
Keep in mind that both of these cars are Giugiaro’s own interpretations for future VWs and not a definite styling direction from the company itself. Neither the Go! nor the Tex are that radically different from the current lineup, but with Volkswagen buying all of Italdesign Giugiaro except the kitchen sink, we can’t help but think these two concepts could actually foreshadow future small VWs. That would be fine with us. But, Giugiaro, sass up that Tex just a little, won’t you?
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