Italdesign Giugiaro Clipper revealed
VW-owned design house takes the wraps off its hi-tech MPV concept at Geneva
Italdesign pulled the wraps off its hi-tech Clipper MPV concept at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show.
Based on the same MQB platform as the VW Golf, the Clipper features a six-seater layout and packs a novel four-wheel drive electric drivetrain.
And that’s not all, because the Clipper also boasts head-turning, full-length gullwing doors and an interior packed with cutting edge technology. Yet it’s what is going underneath the boldly styled exterior that really grabs your attention.
For instance, the Clipper features a pair of 149bhp electric motors, one for each axle, which combine to give the car a 126mph top speed and an impressive range of 335 miles on a single charge. The batteries are located beneath the floor, giving the designers plenty of scope to make the most of the interior layout.
Clever packaging means the Clipper’s cabin incorporates six-seats into a body that’s only a little longer than a VW Golf’s. The seats are laid out in three rows of two, with the four rear seat passengers benefitting from iPad minis set into the headrests in front of them.
The driver is also immersed in a hi-tech environment thanks to a pair of large touchscreens that house the dials and all the controls for the infotainment and air-conditioning. And in an effort to further reduce clutter, the start-stop button, gear selector and electronic handbrake release are housed in the driver’s seat armrest. Another neat touch is the moveable storage tunnel that runs down the middle of the vehicle and can slide back and forth.
As you’d expect there are no immediate sales plans for the Clipper, but because Italdesign is 90 percent owned by VW, the Clipper provides hints to the look and technology of the German brand’s future people carriers.
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