Icona designs for China

New design and engineering outfit Icona, headed by Italians, claims to be the first independent, debuting in Shanghai a striking, gull-winged electric sedan plus an electric, two-seater, three-wheeler.

Icona looks to take advantage of the 18 million-strong car market and the growing sophistication of the Chinese consumer.

"The Chinese market likes sedans, another two-seater, V8 sports car makes no sense."

"On the Fuselage we've reduced the front and rear to save more than 30 per cent of body area for more energy saving and battery longevity."

The four-door sedan concept runs four electric motors for 100kW, a calculated top speed of 200km/h,  0 to 100km/h time of 4.5 seconds and a 220km range.

Icona set up in Shanghai in August last year when Chuffart and CEO Teresio Gaudio moved from Bertone's Turin studio. New shareholders there did not share the passion for investment in China.

"But much of our work was going to China," says Gaudio. "This is a very vibrant place, really close to the action. We needed to be face to face with customers."

Icona's first work here was a truck for the domestic brand Sany.

While there are a host of Chinese car and truck manufacturers now vying for business, and some may lose out as in the west, Gaudio believe this winnowing will take time.

"And meanwhile they have to establish their brand and for that they need new models," he said. "The beauty of design is that if you have good product, people believe in you."

Chuffart says the Chinese auto aesthetic is, for now, influenced by Volkswagen, early players here. This means simple, clean designs.

"While the Japanese like big headlights and narrow bodies, the Chinese like their cars to be planted to the road," Chuffart said.

He has high praise for the adventurous style coming out of Kia at present, acknowledging that that too is largely being determined by western stylists.

"Kia are kicking arse of the Europeans with design and quality," he says.

Italian design studio Pininfarina has followed Icona to China and later this year BMW subsidiary DesignworksUSA, a California-based strategic design consultancy with studios in Los Angeles, Munich, and Singapore,  opens a new studio in Shanghai to better understand Asia's growing influence on design.

DesignworksUSA  _ a think tank for BMW, Mini Rolls-Royce and outside clients _ already has studios in Los Angeles, Munich and Singapore  but the China shop will contribute to China's 'creative industry development' says DesignworksUSA president Laurenz Schaffer.