ARE WE about to see the revival of Scrabble-themed concept cars
from Peugeot? I certainly hope so. The high-scoring Oxia and Quasar were icons growing up, and who could
forget the all-red interior and sliding cab screen and exposed mechanism of the Proxima.
The Quartz is not as memorable as that, but it does have a striking volume:
check out that slitty greenhouse, atop a hill of bodyside rooted by colossal
wheels. If you ever wondered what your 208 would look like in a Beastie Boy's video, this is the car for you.
But with all the trumped-up Bremen-town-musician proportions, no
doubt Peugeot designers will use favourable show feedback as leverage to achieve
similar in production. Stop! Customers won’t be able to see out, it will be
hard to park, and claustrophobic for children. There is a balance between
muscular exterior and airy interior. Most cars get this right. If Peugeot go to
this extreme, then the only means to one-upmanship is to drop the shoulder-line
as low as you dare. We saw the Asterion lower its belt at the show: just think
how old the Quartz would then look as others followed suit, maximizing glass
area and airiness.
There are still a few more tricky letters to play with, so I remain hopeful that any production preview might address these points. Qoros must be qicking themselves.
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