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IAS recently presented an innovative and
stylish new SUV concept SUV called the miniSUV. IAS is a
consortium which is made up of four different companies:
Autostudi, Blue Engineering, Landra Model & Prototyping and
SCS Euro Acoustic. The group works in several industrial
sectors, including the automotive, aeronautics, aerospace,
railway and shipbuilding fields. The main activities
performed by the IAS group are styling, design, virtual
analysis, engineering, prototyping and testing.
The miniSUV is the latest outcome of an IAS project,
combining the four companies together which can lay claim to
100 years of experience. This group project resulted in an
original vehicle with an innovative concept and design.
After the initial packaging and sketching phase, which
appeared to concentrate on the Lancia brand as a theme, the
design was modelled in Opticore prior to the fabrication of
a 1:1 mock-up which was unveiled earlier this year at the
Geneva Motor Show.
Characterised by its unusual form and simplicity, the
prototype uses a central driving position in order to
increase the amount of perceived safety. The entire
passenger compartment is based around a spherical structure.
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The miniSUV is the latest outcome
of an IAS project, combining the four companies
together which can lay claim to 100 years of
experience. |
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IAS - a consortium made up of
four different companies: Autostudi, Blue
Engineering, Landra Model & Prototyping and SCS Euro
Acoustic - recently presented an innovative and
stylish new SUV concept called the miniSUV. |
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This
structure formed the starting point for the styling sculpted
by the Autostudi designers Andrea Loi and Alessandro
Malaspina. Through the use of interesting volumes and
materials, together with playful lines and compact
dimensions, the design displays a chunky character. A
four-wheel drive system and 320mm ground clearance make the
miniSUV perfectly adapted for use on all terrains.
The outer dimensions measuring 3834mm in
length, 1704mm in height and 1665mm in width, place the
miniSUV concept in a similar category to the traditional
B-Segment. This makes the design perfectly suited for
inner-city use. Its three-seat interior is accessed by two
generously-sized doors, which slide forward as well as open
outwards to a small degree in order to increase
accessibility. A large glass roof, called the 'belvedere'
window theoretically provides an airy interior atmosphere.
The exterior includes the latest in LED lighting
technologies, not only in the headlights and tail light
units, but also in the mirrors and additional spotlights in
the roof rack sections. An interesting use of unpainted
plastic surfaces adds to the practicality of this mini all/roader.
Whereas there are no plans to take the
miniSUV into production, it ably serves as a showcase study
for the IAS consortium which continues to serve the
automotive industry in the research and development phase.
By James Granger
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