Vehicle Design Car Design Event: Touch, Feel and See

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At the beginning of May, around 250 car designers, students, professors, and journalists gathered at the internationally attended 3rd Car Design Event in Munich. The conclusion: Everyone is talking about emotions.

That design is coming back into focus, with design concepts becoming more refined, emotional, and human-centered, was highlighted at the event held at the Munich Drivers & Business Club. Jens Meiners, an internationally experienced automotive journalist, car enthusiast, and one of the event's co-initiators, summed it up succinctly: "Technology for its own sake is over." International brands such as GM, Genesis, Hyundai and Kia, Lamborghini, Volkswagen, the design studio Pagani, as well as newcomer Slate Auto showcased nearly a dozen studies, concept cars, and production-ready models in Munich that reflect this trend.

"Provoke and Inspire"

Des Sellmeijer, co-initiator and also an automotive journalist, is convinced: "In the era of electromobility, OEMs are once again searching for a competitively differentiating identity. Driving experiences in EVs are becoming more similar, so brands and their products need to impress more strongly with their design." Eduardo Ramirez, Chief Designer of the Hyundai Design Europe Center since June 2024, aims to "inspire and empower designers to think boldly and provide answers that evoke emotions in our customers." Dominic Najafi, Head of GM's Advanced Design Team in Europe, also advocates for a design language that emotionally moves customers: "Our design should provoke and inspire."

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What GM specifically implements under this directive was demonstrated by Phil Zak, Chief Designer of the GM brand Chevrolet, using a bright blue-painted Corvette E-Ray as an example. It is the first electrified and all-wheel-drive sports car with the evocative name, launched in 2023. Zak: "Its sophisticated design starts with the color treatment of the body, which draws attention to the exotic proportions of the E-Ray. The interior allows customers to reflect their individual personality through the choice of color options, conveying a refined or dynamic, sporty look and feel."

Grandmaster Paul Braqc: "Simplicity and Elegance"

Among the pioneers of "emotional design" is undoubtedly Paul Bracq, who in the 1960s and 70s served as design lead at Daimler-Benz, BMW, and Peugeot, and was the creator of icons like the 230 SL "Pagoda." The now 91-year-old expressed his support for "simplicity and elegance" in automotive design through a video message to the participants. As a tribute, the BMW Turbo X1 concept car, developed by him in 1973, was showcased.

Genesis: "Emotion-Filled Luxury Brand"

A car that Jens Meiners describes as "pure elegance" was presented by Genesis: the X Grand Convertible, an evolution of the brand's flagship G90. "It is a symbol of this group's strength," Meiners stated. The burgundy concept vehicle with a grape-blue interior was first unveiled alongside a coupe counterpart at the Seoul Mobility Show in early April. In Munich, it celebrated its European debut. According to its own statement, the Hyundai subsidiary is positioning itself as an "emotion-charged luxury brand."

Design VW ID.Every1: "Lively and Likable"

Stefan Wallburg, Head of Exterior Design VW Europe, describes the ID.Every1 show car presented in Munich as a "figure of sympathy." The design conveys "vibrancy," with the headlights, "the eyes," forming a friendly face. According to the company's PR, the production model aims to become "a fully electric €20,000 Volkswagen (approx. 23,000 USD) from Europe for Europe." However, this won't happen before 2027, as Wallburg confirmed.

Hyundai: "Evoking Customers' Emotions"

Lighting technology represents an important element of the new design language. For future fuel cell vehicles, Hyundai designers developed a unique light signature in the form of "+" symbols, featured as a logo on the front and integrated into the headlights. Chief Designer Ramirez explained the concept using the FCEV concept study Initium, which offers a glimpse of the next Nexo generation.

Not entirely new, but certainly a topic with emotional resonance, is sustainability. Just as Genesis incorporates eucalyptus wood, Kia experiments with materials made from cellulose, mushrooms, and recycled old leather in the near-production EV2 electric vehicle concept shown. These innovations are aimed at a "young-minded" clientele, as Nathalie Bucher, Senior Designer for Color, Materials, and Finish (CMF) at Kia Design Europe, explained. The EV2 is set to launch in 2026 as a new entry-level EV model.

Alcantara: Creating a Feel-Good Atmosphere

"Higher comfort demands and the creation of new living spaces in the car" are, according to Eugenio Lolli, CEO of Alcantara, the drivers for innovations in interior design. He highlights the trend toward more feel-good atmospheres in vehicles, combined with rising demands for exclusivity, through which automakers aim to differentiate themselves. Elisa Loddo, CMF designer at Alcantara, presented a sample collection. "The era of cold technologies is over," she also remarked. She showcased interior samples in warm beige and brown tones, as well as high-tech materials with wood, crystal, or metal inserts, some intricately quilted, embroidered, or even knitted.

Going back to Paul Bracq, the extent to which his commitment to "simplicity" in automotive design can be interpreted was demonstrated by two companies. One of them is Yugo, which is preparing a revival of the model discontinued in 2008. It is intended to be rather spartan but affordable. In Munich, Serbian designer Darko Marceta presented a 1:5 scale model, with a drivable prototype not planned until 2027.

Slate Auto: Less is not Possible, nor Cheaper

The young US company Slate Auto is significantly further along in its development. Trisha Johnson, Chief Designer of the startup founded in 2022, explained the minimalist concept of a $20,000 electric pickup. It doesn’t get simpler: the body panels are made of unpainted gray plastic injection-molded parts, the interior is purely practical, there is no infotainment system or touchscreens, but rather a fairly decent safety package. A press shop or paint shop is not needed in the Slate factory—car manufacturing doesn’t get more cost-efficient. Production is set to begin at the end of 2026.

There's more Slate to explore, but customers will have to reach into the generously stocked extras shelf for that. With the "SUV kit," for example, the two-seater pickup base version can be upgraded to a five-seater SUV. Custom exterior colors are offered as DIY wrap kits. "Unlimited personalization," as the Chief Designer, who previously worked for Volvo, calls it. Reportedly, Jeff Bezos is among the startup's financiers.

AI in Design: Curse or Blessing?

Three universities—Hof, Munich, and Pforzheim (all located in Germany)—as well as the Istituto Europeo di Design (IED) in Turin participated in the event and showcased their work. Prof. Dr. Othmar Wickenheiser, Professor of Transportation Design at the Munich University of Applied Sciences, and Prof. Lutz Fügener, Head of the Design & Mobility program at the Hof University of Applied Sciences, presented projects they are implementing together with their students in collaboration with renowned automotive manufacturers.

It was agreed that AI as a tool greatly simplifies and accelerates workflows in design. This includes AI-supported software, as presented by speakers from Siemens Mobility and Vizcom. The Vizcom software can also adopt the "handwriting" of designers, enabling person-specific AI applications, explained manager Gergely Mihály.

Trisha Johnson from Slate sees AI as nothing less than a "game changer": AI will become an indispensable "tool," making its integration into the work of designers a task crucial for the future. Chevrolet Chief Designer Phil Zak expressed confidence that delegating routine tasks to AI will allow designers more time for creative work. AI can contribute knowledge but can never replace intuition and the specific skills of a designer, Zak said, emphasizing what only humans can master perfectly: "touch, feel, and see."  (kt)

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