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The best concept cars can be many things.
Some are a window to the future that provides a tantalising glimpse of how great things could be, others closely preview eagerly awaited new models or showcase technological innovations.
And then there are those that are wacky, wild and just darned good fun. You’ll find all of these, and more, as we round up the best concept cars of 2019, in ascending order, with what we reckon is the year’s best concept car at the end:
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45: Nissan Ariya
The two great success stories for Nissan over recent years have been the Leaf and the Qashqai. It’s perhaps surprising, then, that it is yet to combine electric power and a crossover body at scale.
That will change, though, when it launches a production car based on the Ariya concept car. Built on a new Nissan-Renault electric platform it features the new ‘face’ of Nissan and is wider but slightly shorter than the current X-Trail.
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44: Audi AI:ME
The AI:ME, the third of four 'AI' electric concepts from Audi, is in many ways the most conventional of the lot. It's still chock-full of concept car touches such as the dual-plane side windows and a walnut dashboard top that transforms into a writing desk for autonomous driving, but the overall shape and size don't seem too far away from VW Group cars such as the Volkswagen ID.3 and Seat el-Born.
As such, then, some of the AI:ME's character could filter through to a new compact Audi electric car over the next couple of years.
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43: Volkswagen ID Buggy
Now that VW has killed off the Beetle is there a gap in its range for something cute, retro and, well, fun to replace it? This, the ID Buggy could be it. It’s a potential addition to the ID family of electric cars. With a design that heavily influenced by the Beetle-based Meyers Manx beach buggy of the 60s, it looks almost production-ready.
Start-up e.Go Mobile, which has licensed VW’s MEB platform to build its own models, could engineer and build the ID Buggy on behalf of Volkswagen, according to sales and marketing boss Jürgen Stackmann.
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42: Hongqi S9
It’s fair to say that Chinese brand Hongqi didn’t pull any punches at its first Frankfurt motor show this year. Alongside the Rolls-Royce-baiting E115 SUV it unveiled the S9 – a wild-looking concept supercar with even wilder performance. Hongqi says the V8 hybrid powertrain delivers 1381bhp – good for a 0-62mph time of just 1.9 seconds.
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41: Aston Martin Valhalla
Aston Martin revealed two mid-engined concept cars at the 2019 Geneva motor show – the Vanquish Vision and the R-B 003. Since then, Aston has confirmed the R-B 003 will enter a limited production run (with minimal changes over the concept car), using the name Valhalla.
Much more track-focused than the Vanquish, the Valhalla promises staggering performance, with a hybrid powertrain that develops 1000+bhp.
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40: Ford Mustang Lithium
The Mach E crossover is the big news, but Ford revealed another all-electric Mustang in 2019. The Mustang Lithium – unlike the sub-brand-spawning Mach E – is a one-off for show only. Shame. Created in partnership with battery supplier Webasto its electric drivetrain channels 888bhp and 1000lb ft of torque through a six-speed manual gearbox (yup, really). This is surely an electric car even the most petrol-obsessed Mustang purist can get behind.
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39: Grove Granite
Worthy of inclusion here for the name alone, the Grove Granite also has unusual design to recommend it, courtesy of Pininfarina. No technical details are available, but Chinese start-up Grove claims a range of 1000km from its hydrogen fuel cell drivetrain, and says that a production version will arrive in 2021.
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38: Skoda Vision iV
One of a flurry of electric VW Group concept cars revealed during 2019, Skoda’s Vision iV will be the basis of a new production model that goes on sale in 2020. The concept is ‘90%-plus’ the production car, Skoda says, and is itself an evolution of the 2017 Vision E.
Skoda describes the Vision iV as a ‘four door crossover coupé’ and says that features such as the full-width light bar at the front will make production. The 302bhp four-wheel drivetrain is expected to be carried over, too.
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37: Nissan IMk
The IMk concept is an intriguing insight into Nissan’s current thinking on the future of the city car. Inside and out, it showcases a new design direction, which the brand describes as ‘clean and minimal, yet still emotional, powerful, attractive and sleek’. The IMk also sits on a new electric-only platform that will be used for future Nissan and Renault models.
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36: Leap C-More
Chinese electric car start-up Leap plans to make a version of the C-More concept car its second production model, following the launch of the quirky LP-S01 coupe. The C-More – a mid-size SUV – is a much more mainstream proposition that successfully blends elegant proportions and surfacing with the usual concept car flourishes. A production version is due on sale before the end of 2020.
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35: Seat el-Born
Seat will launch a new era of electric cars with a production version of the el-Born concept revealed at the 2019 Geneva motor show. A close relative of the VW ID.3, the el-Born uses the VW Group’s MEB electric-only platform. The concept car featured a 62kWh battery pack that gives 201bhp and a 261-mile range, but the all-but-identical production version is likely to be available with a choice of outputs when it goes on sale in 2020.
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34: Alfa Romeo Tonale
The Tonale concept that Alfa Romeo revealed at the Geneva motor show served as a preview of a new compact SUV to rival the Audi Q3 and BMW X1. Leaked images that surfaced a few months later reveal show that the production version isn’t quite as handsome, but it’s not too far removed and is could be just what the Italian brand needs to give a much-needed sales boost.
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33: Suzuki Hanare
Another Suzuki concept from 2019 that blends retro design cues with a futuristic character is the Hanare. Suzuki says the interior can be customised for different uses; it’s closer to a room than a car, with little other than two benches and a large display screen on show.
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32: Toyota Mirai
Yep, it’s a concept. Says so on the numberplate. You’d be forgiven for thinking that this is a production car but it’s safe to assume that very little will change when a version of this goes on sale in late 2020. Effectively a reworking of the current Mirai, this second-gen model will get an updated hydrogen fuel cell powertrain that boosts range (currently just over 300 miles) by 30%. The bodywork is all-new, transforming the Mirai from overgrown Prius to swoopy Audi A7 lookalike at a stroke.
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31: Acura Type S
Acura – Honda’s luxury arm – brought its Type S performance line back after an 11-year hiatus in some style when it unveiled the Type S concept. Much more aggressive than previous Type S models, the concept car closely previews not only the new TLX saloon that’s due in 2020, but a range of overtly sporty Type S derivatives. Details are yet to be confirmed, but the TLX Type S is expected to have a twin-turbo V6 engine and four-wheel drive.
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30: BMW Concept 4
BMW’s design direction takes another turn with the Concept 4, which previews not only 4 Series Coupe and Gran Coupé models but also the all-electric i4. The major talking point is a much more upright kidney grille than we’re used to – influenced, BMW says, by famous historic models such as the 328 and 3.0 CSi.
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29: Suzuki Waku SPO
Suzuki’s Waku SPO is, in the vein of the best concept cars, a bit wacky. Not just because of its retro styling but also because, at the flick of a switch, the rear end changes from estate to coupe, to meet differing user needs. A production version is unlikely, but designer Takafumi Ogiso says that the car’s headlights and friendly character could influence future models.
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28: Toyota e-Racer
Designed to showcase the ‘fun-to-drive qualities of future mobility’, the single-seat Toyota e-Racer concept unveiled at the 2019 Tokyo motor show certainly looks the part. No technical details have been announced, but visitors to the show got the chance to simulate driving it with the aid of virtual reality glasses. That could be the closest anyone ever gets to driving one on the road, sadly.
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27: Bentley EXP 100 GT
Huge, futuristic and opulent, the Bentley EXP 100 GT is a concept car that ‘explores how grand touring could look in 2035’, according to Bentley. Revealed to coincide with brand’s centenary (hence the name), the EXP is a mammoth 5.8 metres long –the same as a long-wheelbase Mulsanne. Access to the ultra-luxurious cabin is via two-metre long side doors. Bentley says that power comes from four electric motors developing a total of up to 1340bhp and that, by 2035, an 80% charge will take just 15 minutes.
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26: Ford Bronco R
After a 24-year hiatus, the Bronco nameplate will return in 2020 in the shape of a mid-sized SUV based on the Ranger platform. The Bronco R concept unveiled at SEMA 2019 gives some strong clues as to how it will look.
Look beyond the wilder motorsport elements of the concept (which celebrate the 50th anniversary of a Bronco winning the 1969 Baja 100) and it’s clear that the Bronco’s styling will combine distinctly retro elements such as the upright windscreen with a more modern, muscular presence.
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25: Audi Q4 e-tron
The Q4 e-tron concept previews Audi’s first all-electric model based on the VW Group MEB platform that also underpins Volkswagen’s ID family of electric cars and the Seat el-Born. As the name suggests, it’s an SUV almost exactly half-way between a Q3 and Q5 in size. A little-changed production version will go on sale in late 2020.
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24: Hongqi E115
Think of the Hongqi E115 as a Chinese rival to the Bentley Bentayga and Rolls-Royce Cullinan and you wouldn’t be too far wide of the mark. This concept SUV looks almost production ready; technical details are limited but Hongqi claims a 0-100 kmh time of four seconds and a range of 600 kilometres from an all-electric powertrain. Suitably enough perhaps, in 2018 Hongqi parent company FAW hired Giles Taylor, the former head of design at Rolls-Royce.
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23: Volkswagen ID. Space Vizzion
VW’s rapidly expanding family of ID electric cars will gain a new member in the form of a large, luxurious crossover estate car previewed by the ID. Space Vizzion revealed at the 2019 Los Angeles Auto Show. Roughly the same size as an Audi A6 Avant, the production version is expected to wear the same ID.5 badge as its saloon counterpart.
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22: Nio ET Preview
The handsome Nio ET Preview gives a good idea of how Nio’s first saloon (it has only produced SUVs up to this point) will look. Insiders say that the concept is 80% representative, which bodes well. Power will come from a 220kW electric motor powertrain with a range of up to 317 miles under China's NEDC-based tests.
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21: Cupra Tavascan
If the Formentor SUV showed Cupra taking a small step away from parent brand Seat, the Tavascan concept car is a giant leap. From its bold, aggressive styling to its all-electric powertrain, the Tavascan possesses the braveness and unique character that will be needed if Cupra is to truly convince as a brand in its own right.
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20: Hyundai Vision T
The clue’s in the name – strip away the concept car excesses and what you’re looking at here is the next Hyundai Tucson, due on sale in late 2020. ‘T’, geddit? Spy shots show that many of the Vision T’s design features will make production, including headlights that flow into the front grille, deep side creases and chunky wheel arch extensions.
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19: Aston Martin Vanquish Vision
The Vanquish name is back, but this is a very different beast to the GT car we’re used to. This time around it’s a mid-engined supercar – and a full production model, unlike the limited-run Valhalla and Valkyrie. It will look all-but identical to the ‘Vision’ concept car.
Technical details are limited, but we know that the Vanquish will be rear-wheel drive, and that it will have a hybrid powertrain that uses an Aston-developed twin-turbo V6.
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18: Fiat Centoventi
Fiat is famous for innovative small cars and the Centoventi concept suggests it has another one in the pipeline. The name celebrates 120 years of Italian brand but the Centoventi is defiantly forward-looking, with an electric powertrain, swappable battery packs and a wide array of personalisation options through different body panel and seating options.
A production version that replaces the current Panda is likely to go on sale in 2021.
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17: Mitsubishi Mi-Tech
The Mitsubishi Mi-Tech’s playful beach buggy exterior and pared-back interior belie surprisingly complex – and potentially significant – mechanicals. The plug-in hybrid range extender drivetrain features a gas-turbine engine-generator, while four-wheel drive is via two electric motors on each axle.
Mitsubishi says the technology is the subject of an ‘advanced development’ programme, so it could make production. The Mi-Tech’s styling could influence the design of the next ASX, too.
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16: BMW Vision M Next
Despite exterior design that references both the M1 and the 1972 Turbo concept, the Vision M Next is very much a glimpse of BMW’s future. In particular, its 591bhp plug-in petrol-electric drivetrain is destined for forthcoming models.
BMW says the M Next is ‘a foretaste of the BMW M brand’s electrified future’, which suggests that a production model could exist alongside the next-gen i8.
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15: Hyundai Elevate
It looks like something from a Hollywood sci-fi movie, but the Hyundai Elevate is actually the Korean brand’s attempt to create a rescue vehicle that will get to places even the most rugged four-wheel-drive vehicle can’t reach. While a ‘passive suspension’ mode allows it to be driven like a conventional car, an ‘active suspension’ mode transforms the long, hinged legs into long-travel suspension for rougher surfaces.
Two walking modes – ‘mammalian’ and ‘reptilian’ cut drive to the wheels and give the legs enough articulation that the Elevate can clamber and climb over extremely challenging terrain.
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14: Imagine by Kia
Whatever you do, don’t call it the Kia Imagine. This is Imagine by Kia. Fussy name apart, this was one of the most appealing concept cars of the 2019 Geneva motor show. Packed full of innovative details such as double-skinned bonnet and C-pillar panels that channel airflow to reduce drag, and with an illuminated ‘tiger mask’ front grille/headlight treatment, it bodes well for the design of future Kia models, even if a production version of the concept itself is unlikely.
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13: Vision Mercedes Simplex
Concept cars that blended old and new were something of a theme in 2019, but no example delved as far back in history as the Vision Mercedes Simplex. Taking inspiration from the Mercedes 35PS of 1901, it is a bold reimagining of the two-seater model for the 21st century.
Unveiled at Design Essentials 2019 in Nice, the Vision Mercedes Simplex is described as a sculpture that ‘shows that Mercedes-Benz is continuing to drive forward the transformation of the car and of mobility as a pioneer’. More a work of art than a preview of what’s to come, it’s one of the brand’s most beguiling concept cars of recent years nonetheless.
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12: GAC Motor Entranze
Chinese brand GAC Motor has long held ambitions to enter the US market, hence the decision to display all its models at the 2019 Detroit Auto Show. The star attraction was the Entranze – a luxurious concept car with an unusual 3+2+2 seating layout. Part MPV-part SUV, the Entranze’s futuristic styling was developed at GAC Motor’s California design studio.
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11: Kia HabaNiro
The HabaNiro concept gives a taste of the second-generation Niro, which is expected to go on sale in 2021. It’s a mouth-watering proposition, although if the relationship between the current Niro and the much braver concept that preceded it is anything to go by, it might not end up packing quite as much flavour.
Still, if something of the HabaNiro’s originality and purity make it through to production there’s plenty to look forward to.
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10: Hyundai 45
Another 2019 concept car that draws inspiration from the past, Hyundai’s striking 45 takes design cues from the 1975 Pony Coupe Concept. The result is something crisp, clean and modern that is expected to influence the styling of a new electric compact SUV.
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9: Karma SC2
Chinese-owned, California-based Karma unveiled two electric hypercar concepts during 2019 – the open-top SC1 and hard-top SC2 coupe. Both look fantastic, but the SC2’s darker colour scheme and double bubble roof give it a more balanced, aggressive look that suits a car that notionally (no production version is imminent) has 1085bhp and a 0-60mph time of less than 1.9 seconds.
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8: Citroën Ami One
Citroën calls the Ami One concept ‘a new version of urban mobility’. We’ve heard that phrase applied to a lot of concepts over recent years, but few are as well-resolved or appealing as the Ami One.
Designed to be cheap, simple and tough, the Ami One features identical mouldings for each side door, sill moulding and wheel arch. There are no plans for a production version, but the Ami One could influence how Citroën approaches a replacement for the current C1.
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7: Nissan IMq
If Nissan takes a brave pill the striking IMq concept could be the basis for a bold new Qashqai model. Nissan says it has tried to 'reinvent the cues of the crossover' with the IMq, in the face of incresing competition for the hugely successful Qashqai. It's done a pretty convincing job, and Nissan's designers say that many of the IMQ's design features could translate into a production car. Let's hope so.
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6: Audi AI:Trail
The fourth and final of Audi’s recent ‘AI’ concept cars, the AI:Trail is arguably the most radical of the bunch. From its wild, skeletal bodywork to its extremely minimal interior, the AI:Trail looks like pure motor show bluff, yet Audi design chief March Lichte says that this is how a future Audi SUV could look in 2030.
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5: Mercedes-Benz Vision EQS
A taste of Mercedes-Benz’s ‘most advanced production model yet’, the EQS previews an electric-powered luxury saloon to rival the Tesla Model S and Audi e-tron GT. Mercedes’ new Modular Electric Architecture platform contributes towards the EQS’ low profile and cab-forward shape; time will tell whether features such as the two-tone colour scheme and integrated LED lights make production.
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4: Genesis Mint
One of the most enigmatic concept cars of 2019, in both name and design, the Genesis Mint almost defies categorisation. Small, sporty, luxurious and futuristic by turns, its short yet wide body, swooping roofline and wheel-at-each-corner layout give it a unique character.
Described by Genesis – Hyundai’s luxury brand – as an ‘all-electric luxury car for the city’, this compact two-seater could notionally be a rival to cars such as the new Mini Electric.
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3: Lagonda All-Terrain Concept
Lagonda’s rebirth as an all-electric luxury brand is taking shape. And what a shape. The gorgeous All-Terrain Concept hints at a sleek, sporty Lagonda SUV that is due on sale in 2022.
The All-Terrain Concept is closely related to the Vision Concept that was unveiled in 2018, sharing the same architecture and design language, but it has a look all of its own, with a shooting brake profile that sets it apart from current luxury SUVs such as the Bentley Bentayga and Rolls-Royce Cullinan.
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2: Kia Futuron
As if to confirm its status as one of the more outlandish concepts of 2019, Kia says that the Futuron was influenced in part by ‘UFO and flying saucer design’. While its teardrop-like shape and huge side doors are pure concept car, the Futuron’s new take on the Kia’s ‘tiger nose’ front grille is expected to filter through to its next generation of production cars. Of all Kia’s impressive 2019 concept cars, this is the pick of the bunch.
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1: Lexus LF-30 Electrified
With its dramatic diamond-like shape, roof-mounted doors, flush surfaces and glowing front ‘grille’, the LF-30 Electrified uses all the tricks in the concept car playbook to create a truly dazzling vision of the future. There’s substance to match the style; under the skin is an all-new, all-electric platform that will be the basis for Lexus and Toyota EVs from around 2022.
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