It’s been a while since we looked at future concept vehicles and, unsurprisingly, a lot has happened since we last considered the subject. The automotive industry rarely stands still and concepts are constantly issued by the big-brands – as the recent Geneva Motor Show demonstrates. However, this time, rather than simply review concept vehicles we want to consider a different question: Why do vehicle manufacturers release concept vehicle designs  if they are not intending putting the model into production? Well, it strikes us there are several reasons why companies do this – and the reasons are not always obvious.

Design Trending

Future concept vehicles can be released to show the design direction a company is intending on taking. This is an example of a company using a future concept in a proactive way to prepare the public for a change of direction. Ford Motor Company is excellent at this type of approach. In 2005, at the Frankfurt Auto Show, for instance, Ford presented the iosis concept (see photo). This was the public’s first glimpse of Ford’s kinetic design full of sweeping arcs, crisp lines, and dramatic wheel arches.

This was the design direction Ford rolled out across its range in Europe – most evident in the multi-award-winning 2007-2012 Ford Mondeo.

Furthermore, at the time, the iosis was seen as a last ditch attempt at survival. Ford was in the red, and its financial situation was perilous. There were informed commentators in the  industry who were already predicting the demise of the brand. Taking a chance with iosis was a big step but many saw it as a game-changer.

In-Demand Concepts leading to Production Equivalents

The Range Rover Evoque was first introduced in 2008 at the North American International Motor Show, described as the Land Rover LRX. Many observers assumed it was a concept design, so different was it to anything Land Rover had put to market up until that point.

However the Evoque, effectively the market name for the LRX, was introduced to the public in 2011. By February 2012 Land Rover had sold 50,000 units with a back-order of 60,000 units. This represents a huge success for the company.  The Evoque takes a familar concept, a Range Rover, and reduces its size, making it more appropriate for city-driving while softening its design without compromising its off-road capabilities. It also drives “completely differently” to the Range Rover despite still carrying Range Rover badges.

Futuristic Design Concepts flagging direction for industry

There are times when future concept vehicles truly give us a glimpse of a distant future we can only vaguely imagine. Mercedes produced such a vehicle recently when they released a “road-going space-ship” …can you imagine parking beside the boss in one of these…