Subaru SVX stood
out with ‘window
in window design’

From page 22

with wheels pushed to the ower
corners of the vehicle (another
sign of ‘‘cab-forward’’ design).
The LH cars were unveiled at the
Detroit auto show, and will reach
our showrooms by this fall.

At the recent Vancouver auto
show, people crowded around the
" futuristic-looking, luxurious Ford
Contour. ‘In planning the Con-

44 Increased
sophistication
means a smaller
engine and
drivetrain, but
the cabin is
staying the same
size or even
getting larger.99

~tour, Ford designers set out to
create a New Wave, global, luxury
sedan with contemporary propor-
tions,’’ according to Jack
Telnack, vice-president of design.
The Contour utilizes an experi-
mental compact engine and
transmission configuration, which
allowed designers to reduce the
size of the engine compartment
and vehicle itself, while still in-
creasing the passenger space.
More flexibility in the manufac-
turing process in the ’90s_ will
allow unique cars with distinctive

1992 SWIFT SEDAN L. |

$8,388*

5 SPEED, 4 DOOR
MSRP $8,995

characters to reach our
showrooms as well. Hill says de-
signers will let certain cars ‘‘live
out the fantasies’’ and add
“lifestyle characterization into the
vehicle."’ [t's nice to know that
not all cars are going to look alike
in the future.

For example, take the Dodge
Viper, Mazda RX-7, and Pontiac
Banshee concept car (also shown
at the show). They boldly ignored
the concept of large cabin, slim
body — instead, their designers
produced ‘‘fantasy-cars’’ with a
muscular, athletic Icok guaranteed
to steal many stares. These sports
cars’ proportions are quite radical,
but sports cars never followed the
typical family sedan trend any-
way.

Other interesting cars at the

_show included the Subaru SVX

and Infiniti J30, both featuring
unique touches to their design.
The super-slippery (0.29 cd) SVX
features an unusual, yet attractive,
‘*window-in-window’’ desiga
which provides a light, airy feel to
the cabin. It also adds rigidity to
the body structure, as well as
allowing a larger door opening.
The ’93 Infiniti J30 breaks away
from the traditional wedge shape
commonly found in the sedan
segment with a soft, radically-
sloping trunk design. Gerald Hir-
shberg, vice-president of Nissan
Design International in California,
says, ‘‘Rather than following the
traditional three-box wedge shape,
J20’s lines are integrated into one
smooth form, with front and rear
body edges at the same height.”’

Regardless of what the designers
are predicting, though, remember
one thing: the future design trend
will largely be influenced by not
necessarily what the designers
want, but by what the consumers,
i.e. we, want.

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$6,988*

5 SPEED, 3 DOOR

HATCHBACK - 66 MPG
MSRP $7,295

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SUZUKE surnasy

4638 EAST HASTINGS
294-2926

Photo submitted

THE SUPER-SLIPPERY Subaru SVX feetures an unusual, yet attractive, ‘‘window-in-window’’ design
which provides a light, airy feel to the cabin.

O IMPORT. LINE~.

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