SsangYong's XIV-1 concept, now on display for the first time at the Frankfurt motor show, is focused on interaction with the driver and passengers - which is how it gets its name, which stands for 'eXciting user Interface Vehicle'.
We couldn't make this stuff up, Cyril.
But it's also more than a design study; the XIV-1 is the Beta version, in computer terms, of the company's next crossover model.
Its continuous, wrap-around glass area was inspired, say the designers, by the side view of a modern sailing yacht (“synonymous with outdoor pleasure and enjoyment”) with a wide C pillar and a slim roofline seemingly floating above the body.
The concept's front treatment follows the robust lead set by SsangYong's new Korando crossover, with LED headlights to give the brand an upmarket, “premium” look.
Access to the cabin is via coach doors (that means the rear doors are rear-hinged), doing away with the need for B pillars, improving access to the rear seats and accentuating the XIV-1's smooth profile.
The interior has been laid out as an entertainment area on wheels (SsangYong's ponytails call it the “each one and all together” concept); passengers can move around and rotate the seats to tailor the cabin layout to the needs of the moment. Each of the concept's four seats can rotate through 360 degrees as well as sliding forwards and backwards.
The cabin's width is visually stretched by wide, symmetrical instrument panel accented by dials, while mood lighting helps achieve the correct ambience.
Control of most of the interior functions is via the smart phones or tablets; Driver and passengers can use the kind of gadgets most people carry around all the time to control everything from the audio system, the display of information on the dashboard and online communication.