17 Sep 07
4Car: Is the SUV still a valid vehicle segment?
Donckerwolke: Yes, as it's still evolving. The size of SUVs has evolved and their characteristics have evolved, as previously they weren't multifunctional.
But in reducing their emissions and putting in the right engines, improving safety and driving comfort, they've now becoming more politically and socially acceptable.
You can see this in the Tribu, which doesn't have any sharp edges: it doesn't offend or attack your sensibilities. It has efficient aerodynamics and allows its occupants to get closer to nature and respect it, but also to have a good city driving experience. It's been designed to fit into the urban jungle as well as nature.
4Car: How will the SUV change to take into account how it is currently regarded in society - and what will that mean for designers?
Donckerwolke: Any new input is a challenge for a designer: if nothing ever changed it would make our jobs very boring.
Safety legislation, emissions targets, changes in aerodynamics - they all allow you to face a new problem. It's those obstacles that make you more creative.
The need to reduce CO2 emissions has meant that designers have had to change how we do things. It's a bit like cooking for a vegetarian for the first time: you have to reprogram your way of thinking.
The two major influences on our work at the moment - pedestrian protection and reduction of CO2 - are almost antagonists. You have to design more aerodynamic cars to make them more efficient, but at the same time you're packaging the front with more bulk to protect pedestrians.
These changing parameters and priorities are all about fashion, but they're authentic if there are real values behind them. The CO2 debate certainly fits that description, so it's a great opportunity for the car industry.
