When you are designing a van for today's ultra-competitive market it had better be attractive as well as productive if you want people to buy it. Competitive payload and fuel economy are essential, of course, but if it resembles a brick on wheels don't expect it to be embraced by the paying public. Some people might say that a CV's aesthetics are incidental, providing no more than a diversion to what is, after all, only a tool of the trade. True enough in theory, but being human we tend to gravitate to things that look appealing.
Just ask famed car designer Giorgetto Giugiaro, who was commissioned by Iveco to work his magic on the new Daily. As well as designing for Maserati, Ferrari, Lamborghini, VW, Lexus, BMW, Alfa Romeo, Chevrolet, Lotus and Lancia, during an illustrious career he has worked his magic on everything from cameras to washing machines. For Giugiaro, who was voted Car Designer of the Century in 1999, design is everywhere and everything has possibilities. We met him at the HQ of his company, Italdesign, just outside Turin, to see how he had reacted to the challenge of a CV.
Designing the Daily
Collaborating with the Italian manufacturer demanded a different approach to a car design. "The main constraint when approaching this project was functionality," he says. "You can't just design for pleasure, as it would lose its purpose. You have to give up certain things for it to become a reality. For instance, the load area's dimensions had to stay intact, reducing the flexibility." Giugiaro says the starting point for the design was further up Iveco's range: "To begin with, we took the company's Stralis [truck] as inspiration so as to maintain a family look. As well as the vehicle having its own identity it should also share some DNA from the other models, like a father-and-son relationship."
The early sketches show that Giugiaro allowed the design to take several routes as he explored various ideas. As these evolved, the design was rationalised. For example, a given style of headlamp might not be feasible in the real world due to cost, or there might be legislation to be adhered to. This steered the design in a certain direction. But he didn't see the exterior as the most important area of the project: "It was imperative that drivers were well catered for. They have to live in the vehicle so you have to make things as comfortable and as gratifying as possible. A properly designed cab should make you dream, allowing you to forget the world outside. This is, of course, once the functionality has been taken care of."
To gain an insight into the cabin requirements of the Daily, Giugiaro spent time researching the role of modern van drivers and their needs - how they interact with the vehicle. It was only then that the initial design could take place, incorporating the elements he had identified. But being contracted by another company inevitably means you don't have a free rein to produce any design you like. Iveco was closely consulted on what it wanted to achieve, and during the design process it made suggestions so as to retain the company image.
The state of CV design
Just as a sports car design is all about evoking emotions and playing with new ideas, the shape of a CV is dictated by the roles it will play. "Yes, due to the industrial construction of the vehicle there are certain restraints that guide you," Giugiaro says. "For example, the rear section [load area] of the van is pretty much untouchable as it needs to exist no matter what. Without that it is not fit for purpose. But elsewhere, little by little, we've seen designs break free and become a lot more visual. There's also the fact that companies know they have to appeal to the driver, and this in turn allows more possibilities... 30-40 years ago it was crazy, there was little or no consideration given to a CV's shape - so it's good to see that there has been significant progress.
"What has also come on is the level of refinement. The current standard was unthinkable not too long ago, but companies are waking up to the fact that the drivers' needs are an important element of how these vans exist in the real world."
The future
As in the past, the vehicles of the future will be guided by legislation and technology, allowing certain possibilities and stifling others: "There will be a continuing evolution as time moves on. Vehicles need to adapt to the changing of the world at large. Demands such as customer requirements for things like sat-nav steers designers down a certain path," says Giugiaro. "For instance, in the past there were no vehicles with a higher seating position [4x4s]. But as we embraced this feature it opened up new ideas." And Giugiaro knows what he's talking about - he designed the first multi-purpose vehicle in 1978, which inspired the creation of the MPV.
"Furthermore," he says, "new laws can bring significant changes and in turn rationalise design. But we must welcome change, embrace it, as it can throw up new opportunities. When one door closes, another opens."He also points to continually increasing levels of refinement as drivers are better catered for. However, CVs have to earn their keep, so designers have to work within certain parameters: "What will continue to change is the front of the vehicle," he predicts. "You can separate this from the rest and play with it, creating increasingly radical shapes. Competition also means there will always be demand for new designs and this will drive things forward."
Related used vehicles for sale
