AutoCritical

Suzuki – through one of their research and development divisions in India, have come up with a compact MPV concept thought to be in preparation for the Delhi motor show, called the R3.

Rightly so, there is a trend in trying to make potentially dull cars (like vans and MPVs) to be dynamically styled. In Suzuki’s attempt there are many lines along the body side that emphasize this directional movement. The most interesting is the in the belt line of the car that uses light catching on the rear to contrast heavily with the dark shadow just behind the front wheel arch. Interesting DLO frame treatments that are sympathetic to the lower half of the doors create that conceptual interest that I would love to see in production.

Dramatic lines bring movement to the design

Themes of glass (represented in black) are strongly reinforced with the large opening on the rear backlight and are all connected with the sides and front with the sky lights on the roof. This results in a ‘light’ appearance on a car that could otherwise be heavy due to large areas of color.
A secondary theme that is perhaps more cohesive in the interior is the satin finished metal work. Hints that appear on the front, and streak though the body side are fed through the console with a vein-like functionality.

Clever use of satin chrome and black help reduce the visual weight of this type of car

Deliberate techniques of visual mass reduction make this a successful concept with clever uses of non-color (inside as black surfaces, and outside as glass). As a result this compact MPV, the R3, is far from static and heavy looking. I hope they put this one into production!

This evolution from sketch – concept – production is quite a traditional one. Upon the release of the S60 production images, we are now able to compare the intended design flavor in the sketch to the production car.

Rear Sketch

In my opinion, the most exciting view is from the rear of the car. There are bold lines that flow from the nameplate through to the rear lamp then down to the rear fascia, intersecting the line rear fascia that flows to the body side. I’ve never seen anything like it.

Front Comparison [Sketch - Concept - Production

Similarly the front end has these gestural elements of lines swooping from the bonnet then translating to surfaces around the lamps and down around the grilles. These are also intersected by this clever theme around the lower grilles.

On the body side, a long beltline elongates this elegant and mildly aggressive car, resulting in a muscular form over each of the wheel arches.

Side Comparison [Sketch - Concept - Production

Evidence of this translation to the production car is less dramatic but the intentions are obvious. The bonnet, upper front fascia and beltline capture the most similarities, however throughout the car; the lower half is less inspiring as the concept. Totaling all the minor changes from concept to production, they all add up to a car that you can appreciate for its unique Volvo style, just a bit less dynamic than the designers idea.