NEO city car concept comes with asymmetrical approach

In the six years since its foundation, Icona, a studio based in Shanghai, has proven not just that there is an alternative marketplace, but that the traditions of the independent Italian design studio can actually flourish once more – albeit far beyond Turin.

The NEO is the third in a series of design concepts from Icona. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/1ScOsXt)

And it coming as the third in a series of design concept from Icona, the NEO "sets out to explore the inspirations and daily challenges of life in a busy metropolis such as Shanghai," says Icona. Shades of Lexus LF-SA in this tiddler, I think, in some of its geometric lines, though it adds an asymmetric door layout (rear-seat passenger access only from the right side, which also lacks a B-pillar).

Icona NEO city car concept debuted at Auto Shanghai in April 2015. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/1NCnL6m)

Right side view of Icona NEO city car concept. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/1NCnL6m)

Anyway, it’s a four-seater, 1.5 m-long EV, designed as such ground-up, featuring a 21 kW in-wheel motor. It weighs just 720 kg in total, and is said to have a range of 150 km during city driving, plus a 120 kph top speed.

Rear side view of Icona NEO city car concept. (Picture from: http://bit.ly/1NCnL6m)

This is none too hypothetical, either: NEO has been developed by Icona’s Italian technical partners, Actua and Italtecnica, and it turns out that other divisions in the firm’s Italian parent company worked on development and build of the Bollore Bluecar (of Paris Autolib’, and soon London, EV-share, fame).

The NEO concept debuted at Auto Shanghai in April 2015, but had its European premiere this month in Paris at the Festival Automobile International 2016. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | GIZMAG | CARDESIGNNEWS]

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