We love a good concept car and this genre has gotten more and more exciting with the development of electric and autonomous driving technologies in recent years. Concept cars are, by definition, made to showcase new styling and technology and to shock and awe car aficionados at auto shows. But one they have us hooked we have to wait; and depending on what happens these cars might never go to market. But some of our favourites from 2017 seem poised to hit the streets in short order, and we couldn’t be more pleased. These three concept cars from Mercedes-Benz, Renault, and Audi bring together the best of European engineering with cutting edge technology and forward-looking concepts that are giving us an exciting preview of what driving could become in the future.
Mercedes-Benz: The Concept EQA
The Concept-EQA is part of a plan announced by Mercedes-Benz to bring 10 new electric vehicles to market by 2022. EQ stands for “electric intelligence” and will be used to distinguish these vehicles from conventional models. Mercedes-Benz has already confirmed plans to build the EQC, which parallels the brand’s GLC model, for the 2020 model year. The Concept EQA is intended as the smaller version of the EQC. A 3-door hatchback, the EQA is styled to the automaker’s “Sensual Purity” idiom, which defines all future Mercedes-Benz products. The concept car takes this to the extreme, eliminating necessary practicalities such as rearview mirrors, for example, but we can expect a slightly less radical version of it to fill a space currently occupied by the gasoline-powered CLA-Class within the next five years, a timeline that is shaping up to be a compelling era in the car industry. For Mercedes, it will be a test of how their vision of the future of cars works in reality as the EQC and then the EQA go to market. Which one will we choose?
Renault: Symbioz
The Renault Symbioz made a splash at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show. The Symbioz concept is the vision of a car in 2030. It is is electrically-powered, autonomous and connected. The biggest difference to most other concept cars is that the car is designed to be an extension of the home and the interior has been designed to feel like home while the car drives you autonomously. Renault’s director of design explained the design thinking there like this: “The car becomes a new mobile, multi-purpose living space for the whole family and can be used—open or closed—more fully, even when parked.” Indeed, at the auto show the car was displayed together with a 120-square foot house that showcased how the vehicle was meant to integrate with a living space to provide an additional modular living space when parked. If you ask us, the idea of making our car an extension of our home in actuality rather than just practice is a fabulous one, but this concept, much more forward thinking than any others seen thus far, will need some time to be adapted to the consumer market. We are excited to see what happens.
Audi: E-tron Sportback
Good news: if you like the sound of this concept car, we are here to tell you it is market bound in 2019. And what is not to like? The Audi e-tron Sportback concept features an electric drive system that will be adopted in future all-wheel-drive models from Audi. The fully electric Audi e-tron Sportback concept is the next step in Audi’s development and goal of emission-free driving. The E-tron boasts dramatic styling elements, including large 23-inch wheels, and configurable lighting signatures. When the doors are opened, drivers and passengers are greeted with visual welcome signals from the lights. Below the daytime running lights and to the left and right of the grille, there are two light fields each with 250 LED lights, which are used to create graphics and signals to other drivers on the road. Inside, the e-tron Sportback holds up to four people. The model features a floating center console and two different touchscreens for accessing control systems. There are no exterior mirrors thanks to small cameras that help provide a view of the outside environment, all while eliminating blind spots for the driver. Sounds good to us!
By: Kate Dannies
