A1 + Juke

Couple of interesting launches today, the warm up for Geneva has begun! Yours truly will be there on Press day getting some design-centric hi-res snaps and scoops..

Audi A1

After weeks of increasingly weak ‘teaser’ videos and artwork, Audi launch their premium B-segment offering. Touted as offering Audi’s usual high-quality interior detailing in a MINI-esque package, this will undoubtedly shake up the increasingly crowded MINI/Citroen DS3/BMW1 class, where a premium price-tag buys you a little exclusivity and feel-good features.

Will get a better look at this at Geneva; the interior certainly looks like a class-act;

Not convinced about some elements of the exterior yet though; anyone else think it’s got a little too much junk in its trunk..?

Can see this appealing to well-heeled middle-aged women, and older urban hipsters…

Nissan Juke

Bold move by Nissan. A sporty compact SUV. Nissan’s creating a new niche with this relatively high-powered (187hp) urban bruiser. Based surprisingly closely on last year’s Quazana concept…

…and inspired by ‘rallycars and motorbikes’, the design was penned in Nissan’s Design Europe office in the Rotunda building in London, and ‘refined’ in Japan. Elements of traditional SUV cues feature in the lower body/sill areas, with a more sporty (and perhaps old-fashioned?) silhouette above the beltline.

Rear lighting is strong, almost caricatured;

For some reason, I keep seeing hints of current Peugeot in the front lamp clusters and grille elements. Sorry Nissan, but if it’s any consolation, you’ve done a better ‘Peugeot’ than Peugeot!

Interior detailing looks like an impressive effort for Nissan, with some splashes of ambience-lifting colour and decidedly sporty seating.

This one needs to be seen in the flesh. So far I like the individuality and character of this little beast…

Images courtesy netcarshow.com