THANKFULLY THE Opel Monza concept has little to do with the bluff coupe made 30 years ago. Instead Opel has produced a sleek shooting-brake. Cleanliness is the key here: only one cutline visibly interrupts the shoulder; there are no seals, and the glass runs into the shoulder line. The careful positive door-section is inclined to reflect the ground to convey lightness, billowing out for the rear wheel, yet with a rocker that is teardrop in plan. Two chrome strips frame a single large door, the upper strip running the length of the cant-rail, featuring a neat scalloped section, before hooking into the tail-lamps.
The rear is notable for the absence of any corner, with a high slim metal trunk face the rearmost surface, instilling lightness and newness despite the familiarity of the layout. The front eschews the rounded section of production models for a squared Y-zero (what hip designers call the centre-line). Anthropomorphic headlamps have been replaced by a more severe, less expressive face that focuses on the tight mesh texture, grille bar and running light. This is tone-on-tone and nuanced detail design used to excellent, if sober, effect.
The interior is a compelling example of how projectors can replace screens for an immersive interface experience, liberating flat screens into shapes that correlate with screen content. Next to the dancing displays, the seats seem a little static, though the door card captures that fleeting, wind-blown lightness of the bodyside with a white sail running beside the driver.
Like the Citroen C4 Cactus and Cadillac Elmiraj concept, the Monza first gets the dimensions right. After years of ever-growing cars, the reductionist result is startling: the product feel sustainable, personal and efficient. It is a year since we first saw the Monza (apologies for the wait. Ed); I hope we are a year closer to seeing similar on the links.
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