In photos: From lights to doors, the details that make a car stand out
Design took centre stage at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, especially exterior design. Here are 10 exterior styling cues that caught our eye on the show floor.
Boring, round fog lights are a thing of the past in Detroit. These funky, fog lights on the Subaru Viziv-7 SUV concept are anything but bland. They’re sharp with crisp angles and blue lighting. Nestled in the centre is a diamond-like gem. Incidentally, the odd name, Viziv-7, comes from “Vision for Innovation” and the 7 refers to the number of passengers that can fit inside this SUV with three rows of seats.Petrina Gentile/The Globe and Mail
Suicide doors make it easier to enter and exit the rear seats. Rolls-Royce perfected this design element, but you can spot other manufacturers following suit. Nissan’s VMotion 2.0 is a concept sedan with suicide doors that are the pièce de résistance on this beauty. Intended to help passengers nestle into the two rear seats, they probably won’t make it into a production vehicle anytime soon. But expect to see other exterior design elements incorporated into the next-generation Nissan Altima.Petrina Gentile/The Globe and Mail
VW’s all-electric autonomous I.D. Buzz concept combines retro design cues with forward thinking. There’s no massive, bulging hood because there’s no engine. The front end resembles a smiling face with two LED eyes, a VW-logo nose, and a big grin. But it’s not just meant to be cute. The LED eyes are functional – they can open, close, and even scan to search for obstacles, such as pedestrians or bicycles, in its path.Petrina Gentile/The Globe and Mail
Big rear spoilers haven’t fallen out of fashion, yet. This massive spoiler on the new Mercedes-AMG GLA45 SUV also gets yellow paint dabbled on both sides of the spoiler to stand out even more. Yellow accents also appear on the side-view mirrors, the wheels, and along the sides of the SUV to create a harmonious look and continuity across its body. After all, this is no ordinary GLA – beneath its hood is an AMG 2.0-litre inline 4-turbo engine with 375 ponies and 350 lb-ft of torque at your disposal.Petrina Gentile/The Globe and Mail
Big, flashy wheels make any vehicle shine. They’re the perfect complement to a vehicle, adding pizzazz and bling to the overall appearance of any ride. Case in point: Audi’s new Q8 SUV concept. It dons eye-catching wheels with shiny rims and delicate blue lines surrounding Audi’s trademark four-ring emblem smack dab in the centre. Although tiny, the blue accents complement the blue paint colour.Petrina Gentile/The Globe and Mail
The hood vents on this Viper aren’t just aesthetic, but they’re functional. The Viper is an American-built supercar, handcrafted in Detroit. Engineered for aerodynamic efficiency and high-speed balance, the Viper is loaded with race-inspired touches including a carbon fibre deck lid, roof, and clamshell hood – all designed to reduce weight while keeping it rigid and strong. Under the hood beats a beast: a 8.4-litre SRT V-10 that produces a whopping 645 horsepower and 600 lb-ft of torque.Petrina Gentile/The Globe and Mail
Designers are always looking for ways to stand out from the competition. And they often do it with colour. Green is one of the hottest shades on the show floor. But it’s not only the Viper that comes in that cool colour. Nissan’s baby compact SUV, the Qashqai, comes in the same colour palette. At an exclusive Canadian reveal ahead of the show, designers chose to unveil its newest member of the family in a hip, bold shade dubbed “Nitro Lime.” The Qashqai, which is smaller and more affordable than Nissan’s best-selling Rogue, goes on sale this spring. Prices aren’t available, yet.Petrina Gentile/The Globe and Mail
If green isn’t your cup of tea, there are plenty of other colours at the show. Despite its size, you can’t miss this tiny, little Smart fortwo electric vehicle thanks to its eye-popping bright pink colour. Sure, it may not be your first pick, but at least it comes in every shade of the rainbow – from orange and grey to red and our favorite, green. Clearly, what’s hot on the runway always makes its way onto the auto show floor, too.Petrina Gentile/The Globe and Mail
For decades, racing stripes have been a hot design element on sports cars and muscle cars. Little has changed over the years. You can still spot racing stripes on hoods of vehicles across the show floor. These dual white racing stripes in the centre of the hood, set against its bold, blue exterior colour, make this bad-boy Mustang a showstopper.Petrina Gentile/The Globe and Mail
When it comes to exterior design, headlights can make or break a vehicle. Cadillac’s stunning Escala four-door concept sedan gets unique, horizontal LED headlights that look sophisticated, sleek, and stylish. Combined with a big, bold aluminum grille and massive 22-inch rims, it’s heart-stopping in its exterior design. Hopefully many of these styling cues will end up in a production vehicle soon.Petrina Gentile/The Globe and Mail