Automotive designers of yore had a more straightforward task – to make an automobile look nice. Approaching design from a largely aesthetics standpoint, they came up with a multitude of creations, some of which shocked-and-awed, while others were just nothing more than a bit of a bore.
As the automotive industry grew and progressed, and the automobile itself became more complicated, the design of a car is no longer just a straightforward aesthetics exercise. An automotive designer or a team of designers today have to consider more than just aesthetics in a design execution.
Areas to lose sleep over include aerodynamics, power and drivetrain, vehicle function, purpose and safety, and how all these can fit into one particular design that not only looks different from its competitors, but puts it ahead.
Manufacturers today come up with what some call a design language. Simply put, a design language determines how a car will look, how that look will be implemented across all models in a way that they all have the same ‘family look’ yet each model and variant retains elements that differentiate one from the other. It is not dissimilar to how offspring may resemble their parents, yet retain their own individual and identifying, gender-specific features.
Automotive designers have to contend with all these design parameters – giving a car the family look while retaining individually-identifiable features. The term ‘common but unique’ comes to mind.
However, to automakers whose designs are just as important as their vehicles’ engineering and technological superiority, a design language is just not enough. It has to go deeper than that. What constitutes a design language? What are its components?
According to Mitsubishi Motors’ design approach, a new generation Mitsubishi vehicle’s design evolves from its iconic heritage. Simply put, this means taking on new challenge to evolve design identity understood by global audiences. The result is ‘Robust & Ingenious’ design inherits the Mitsubishi Motors’ heritage of honesty, robustness, innovativeness, functionality, and dependability. To enhance consistency, Mitsubishi Motors has embodied its Mitsubishi-ness in vehicle to govern how the exterior and interior should look.
For example, the ‘Robust & Ingenious’ design is expressed through advanced ‘Dynamic Shield’, large sculpted front and rear on the exterior while ‘Horizontal Axis’ and ‘Omotenashi’ features are found in function-oriented interior.
‘Horizontal Axis’ is the overall horizontal orientation of the instrument panel that enhances a driver’s feel for changes in the vehicle’s dynamic attitude. It also provides for a clearer forward vision and roomier interior. The interior must also possess that all important quality of ‘Omotenashi’ – Japanese for hospitality and attention to details. It is simply attention to an interior that caters to the comfort and convenience of all occupants in the vehicle.
On the exterior, Mitsubishi Motors’ design identities manifest itself via advanced ‘Dynamic Shield’. The large sculpted shape with sharp bold lines form distinctive and robust surface character as if carved from a block of metal express dynamism.
Advanced ‘Dynamic Shield’
The most striking, most visible and obvious Mitsubishi-ness anyone will see on Mitsubishi Motors’ new generation product range are advanced ‘Dynamic Shield’. In simple terms, advanced ‘Dynamic Shield’ combines protection and performance into the design of the front of the vehicle. Shaped like a shield, the design is the perfect example of ‘form follows function’ – where design takes into consideration the aesthetics of a rugged and sporty front end while ensuring safety.
For example, in its latest iteration in the All New Mitsubishi XPANDER that will soon be launched, advanced ‘Dynamic Shield’ has taken another step forward towards a more functional design. In addition maintaining the shape of a shield, the crystal-like position lights are at the top of the hood so the new crossover is more visible to pedestrians and other motorists. The main headlights have been moved to the bumper side to avoid blinding pedestrians and oncoming vehicles with glare and to maximize vision over rough roads.
“The upcoming All New Mitsubishi XPANDER will sport the advanced ‘Dynamic Shield’ design concept. It is in line with Mitsubishi Motors Thailand’s intention to offer drivers with vehicles that offer both performance and protection, not just for its occupants, but for people around the vehicles as well,” said Mr. Morikazu Chokki, President and CEO of Mitsubishi Motors (Thailand) Co., Ltd.
Dynamic Shield design concept started making an appearance as early as 2014 on Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV Concept-S show car followed by Mitsubishi Pajero Sport not long after that. Afterwards, Mitsubishi XM Concept was premiered in 2016. Unlike most design concepts that remain on the drawing board, Mitsubishi Motors wasted no time in making Dynamic Shield a reality. It is incorporated to the All New Mitsubishi XPANDER to be launched to Thai market at BIG Motor Sale 2018 on August 17, 2018.
About Mitsubishi Motors Thailand (MMTh)
Mitsubishi Motors (Thailand) Co., Ltd., the largest plant in the MMC group and an export hub to more than 120 countries, is one of Thailand’s leading automotive manufacturers committed to produce and sell a range of vehicles that are eco-friendly, high in quality, performance, safety, comfort, technology and customer satisfaction. In 2018 MMTh celebrated a total production of five million units and introduced Education Academy. MMTh’s current range of vehicles includes Mitsubishi Triton, Mitsubishi Pajero Sport, Mitsubishi Attrage, and Mitsubishi Mirage. To ensure the highest quality, MMTh uses its proving ground in Sriracha, Chonburi to assess products from design and prototype stages to pre-production and commercialization. This ensures customers take delivery of vehicles that are second-to-none in all aspects of quality.
Please contact Mitsubishi dealers nationwide for more information and test driving, or contact Mitsubishi Call Center Tel. 02-079-9500 every day at 8:30 – 17:00 hrs.
Stay updated with Mitsubishi Motors Thailand;
Website : www.mitsubishi-motors.co.th
Facebook : www.facebook.com/MitsubishiMotorsTH
Instagram : @MitsubishiMotorsTh
Youtube Channel : Mitsubishi Motors Thailand
Line Official Account/ ID : Mitsubishi Motors Th / @MitsubishiMotorsTh
Automotive designers of yore had a more straightforward task – to make an automobile look nice. Approaching design from a largely aesthetics standpoint, they came up with a multitude of creations, some of which shocked-and-awed, while others were just nothing more than a bit of a bore.
As the automotive industry grew and progressed, and the automobile itself became more complicated, the design of a car is no longer just a straightforward aesthetics exercise. An automotive designer or a team of designers today have to consider more than just aesthetics in a design execution.
Areas to lose sleep over include aerodynamics, power and drivetrain, vehicle function, purpose and safety, and how all these can fit into one particular design that not only looks different from its competitors, but puts it ahead.
Manufacturers today come up with what some call a design language. Simply put, a design language determines how a car will look, how that look will be implemented across all models in a way that they all have the same 'family look' yet each model and variant retains elements that differentiate one from the other. It is not dissimilar to how offspring may resemble their parents, yet retain their own individual and identifying, gender-specific features.
Automotive designers have to contend with all these design parameters – giving a car the family look while retaining individually-identifiable features. The term 'common but unique' comes to mind.
However, to automakers whose designs are just as important as their vehicles' engineering and technological superiority, a design language is just not enough. It has to go deeper than that. What constitutes a design language? What are its components?
According to Mitsubishi Motors' design approach, a new generation Mitsubishi vehicle's design evolves from its iconic heritage. Simply put, this means taking on new challenge to evolve design identity understood by global audiences. The result is 'Robust & Ingenious' design inherits the Mitsubishi Motors' heritage of honesty, robustness, innovativeness, functionality, and dependability. To enhance consistency, Mitsubishi Motors has embodied its Mitsubishi-ness in vehicle to govern how the exterior and interior should look.
For example, the 'Robust & Ingenious' design is expressed through advanced 'Dynamic Shield', large sculpted front and rear on the exterior while 'Horizontal Axis' and 'Omotenashi' features are found in function-oriented interior.
'Horizontal Axis' is the overall horizontal orientation of the instrument panel that enhances a driver's feel for changes in the vehicle's dynamic attitude. It also provides for a clearer forward vision and roomier interior. The interior must also possess that all important quality of 'Omotenashi' – Japanese for hospitality and attention to details. It is simply attention to an interior that caters to the comfort and convenience of all occupants in the vehicle.
On the exterior, Mitsubishi Motors' design identities manifest itself via advanced 'Dynamic Shield'. The large sculpted shape with sharp bold lines form distinctive and robust surface character as if carved from a block of metal express dynamism.
Advanced 'Dynamic Shield'
The most striking, most visible and obvious Mitsubishi-ness anyone will see on Mitsubishi Motors' new generation product range are advanced 'Dynamic Shield'. In simple terms, advanced 'Dynamic Shield' combines protection and performance into the design of the front of the vehicle. Shaped like a shield, the design is the perfect example of 'form follows function' – where design takes into consideration the aesthetics of a rugged and sporty front end while ensuring safety.
For example, in its latest iteration in the All New Mitsubishi XPANDER that will soon be launched, advanced 'Dynamic Shield' has taken another step forward towards a more functional design. In addition maintaining the shape of a shield, the crystal-like position lights are at the top of the hood so the new crossover is more visible to pedestrians and other motorists. The main headlights have been moved to the bumper side to avoid blinding pedestrians and oncoming vehicles with glare and to maximize vision over rough roads.
"The upcoming All New Mitsubishi XPANDER will sport the advanced 'Dynamic Shield' design concept. It is in line with Mitsubishi Motors Thailand's intention to offer drivers with vehicles that offer both performance and protection, not just for its occupants, but for people around the vehicles as well," said Mr. Morikazu Chokki, President and CEO of Mitsubishi Motors (Thailand) Co., Ltd.
Dynamic Shield design concept started making an appearance as early as 2014 on Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV Concept-S show car followed by Mitsubishi Pajero Sport not long after that. Afterwards, Mitsubishi XM Concept was premiered in 2016. Unlike most design concepts that remain on the drawing board, Mitsubishi Motors wasted no time in making Dynamic Shield a reality. It is incorporated to the All New Mitsubishi XPANDER to be launched to Thai market at BIG Motor Sale 2018 on August 17, 2018.
About Mitsubishi Motors Thailand (MMTh)
Mitsubishi Motors (Thailand) Co., Ltd., the largest plant in the MMC group and an export hub to more than 120 countries, is one of Thailand's leading automotive manufacturers committed to produce and sell a range of vehicles that are eco-friendly, high in quality, performance, safety, comfort, technology and customer satisfaction. In 2018 MMTh celebrated a total production of five million units and introduced Education Academy. MMTh's current range of vehicles includes Mitsubishi Triton, Mitsubishi Pajero Sport, Mitsubishi Attrage, and Mitsubishi Mirage. To ensure the highest quality, MMTh uses its proving ground in Sriracha, Chonburi to assess products from design and prototype stages to pre-production and commercialization. This ensures customers take delivery of vehicles that are second-to-none in all aspects of quality.
Please contact Mitsubishi dealers nationwide for more information and test driving, or contact Mitsubishi Call Center Tel. 02-079-9500 every day at 8:30 – 17:00 hrs.
Stay updated with Mitsubishi Motors Thailand;
Website : www.mitsubishi-motors.co.th
Facebook : www.facebook.com/MitsubishiMotorsTH
Instagram : @MitsubishiMotorsTh
Youtube Channel : Mitsubishi Motors Thailand
Line Official Account/ ID : Mitsubishi Motors Th / @MitsubishiMotorsTh
