Montgomery's Ka-killer revealed

[SV]

http://img73.imageshack.us/img73/3867/citycarqa5.jpg
Hang on, I thought Montgomery already made a city car?

They do. The Iota, introduced in 2005, has sold relatively well, appealing to motorists looking for cheap, fun and frugal motoring. According to an anonymous source within Montgomery, though, the company felt it could have done better, especially after many motoring hacks criticised the Hamburg-based carmaker's first-ever city car for its unimaginitive design. To correct this error, Montgomery have begun development on an all-new sub-Gyro hatch that will both take the Iota's place in its lineup and target customers in emerging markets like China and India.

The Iota, however, isn't dead yet. In another year or two, it will be redesigned as the hatch version of Montgomery's upcoming rival for the Dacia Logan. That car, along with a budget pickup and the new city car, will form the company's three-pronged assault on Chinese and Indian markets detailed here (http://www.carspyshots.net/showthread.php?t=14359).

http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/2541/citycarintez6.jpg

Back to the city car. What are the details?

It'll be both rear-drive and rear-engined, like the smart fortwo, though with a somewhat larger footprint to accomodate four passengers comfortably, and there will be both three- and five-door models. It's expected to be powered by a three-pot petrol over here, though a two-cylinder powerplant will also be offered in developing markets. An electric variant is additionally being developed and will run on lithium-ion battery technology.

Along with the exterior design proposal at the top of the page, our insider has leaked to us a series of interior sketches seen above. Apparently the proposal shown on both the top right and bottem left of the page is the one most likely to be approved, as it combines both the simplicity (for low cost) and funkiness (demanded by today's city car market) required in the design brief.

So when can we expect to see this funky little hatch?

Montgomery will most likely hold the public debut at Frankfurt 2009, although Geneva is also possible. Sales will begin shortly after its official reveal, and surprisingly, the car is also likely to be sold in the United States, where skyrocketing petrol prices are creating demand for tiny, fuel-sipping cars.

the exterior drawing is probably final as i'm quite pleased with it (proportions will be played around with though), and i'm also happy with the top right and bottom left interior designs (simple but funky, just as i wanted), so they're indicative of the final design as well. unless, of course, you guys hate it ;)

[LamboMan]

Wow! Thats a really innovative way of presenting your design! I just love the way all the lines flow into each other so well. The door handles remind me of Nissan's badge. Just one crit - with all that black lining on the rear window, won't people be able to see a lot less thru it than thru the front window, without the lining? And nice funky interiors (though the top of the dash looks slightly bare in the version at the bottom-right). Anyway, i'd love to see a front 3/4 of this coz the headlights and grille look pretty interesting! :thumbsup:

[2o6]

That's really nice! The Bodylines are very Montgomery, and the car looks plenty small. I love the rear glass, and how the bodylines convey the shape of the car. The only thing I don't like, it the fact it doesn't utalize it's space as well as other A-segments. Cars like the Tata Nano, Peugeot 107 and other A-segment budgets are typically very tall, upright and have almost non-existant hoods. It'd look as if the car would be a bit cramped inside. Does this mean Firerise (Remember my Rear-engined Astrole?) and this new Small Montgomery will be competing? Im just a tad confused........this car will be a "budget" car for developing markets, or a More traditional competitor to other A-segments? (AYGO, Fox, Twingo, Aviva Cil)



Still, it's a very nice car. Great job.......can't wait for the final product.

[CosworthKid]

Really nice indeed, it actually looks more like how the second generation Ka should have looked like. Top job!

[The Stylist]

Looks very unique, nice job. However have you noticed that your door handles look like Nissan logo's?

[Ascariss]

Great job SV, but here is what worries me, the new Ka is coming off the 500 platform and styling of the Ka is not to crazy and probably cheap enough to warrent its sale. While in your case, I am wondering if there would be econimcal sense in such crazy styling which could force the price of the Ka-killer up higher than the Ka.

again just a thought.

[SV]

thanks for all the feedback!

LamboMan: yeah the rear window lining is a bit overdone, in reality it would be alot thinner. the idea though was that the rear window woudn't be able to roll down, similar to the aygo/107/C1 trio, to keep costs down.

2o6: youre right about the packaging issue, i noticed that as well after i looked up some mitsubishi i blueprints (which i should have done before sketching, not after, of course). thats why i said i'd be playing around with the proportions. the final car will definitely have a shorter hood (though still a noticeable one to accomodate a crumple zone and possibly a small trunk). this will compete with the smart, panda, aygo etc. in europe, while stripped-out, simplified variants will take care of developing markets.

CosworthKid: thanks, i'm a big fan of the 1st-gen ka so maybe that car's edginess influenced me with this design =D

The Stylist: yeah that's an interesting comparison, but the same could be said of nearly all pull-type door handles; the idea with these particular handles though was that the handle itself would be flush with the body instead of jutting out slightly like other pull-type handles, which i think would probably help aerodynamics a bit. the door cutout to accomodate the handle is a bit exaggerated, which may emphasize the nissan-ish look...in the long run they'll become montgomery's corporate door handle design, and will appear on all future cars (mostly as a "cost-cutting measure" but for consistency as well).

Ascariss: i don't really think the styling is particularly crazy; it's perhaps slightly more complex in style than some/most city cars and certainly more so than the tata nano (which will be cheaper than even the stripped-out third-world version of this car), but i don't think it'll be cost-prohibitive. on the other hand i probably didn't convey the surfaces all that well since it's a 2D drawing with no shading and so i may be the only one who understands the design (and thus all the lines without any explanation make it look more complex than it is to everyone but me), but hopefully the 3D sketches will reveal my intentions a bit better.

[Ascariss]

perhaps so, if you get a chance to do a 3/4 would appreciate it.

[SV]

yeah i'm going to do one soon; i have a couple of front 3/4 drawings from a few months ago that i drew during school (i flesh out alot of my designs during lulls in class) that i'll post too if i can find them.

[Nath]

looking foreward to seeing more, n how it ways up against the 2010 (i think) Brio4, also 4 seat microcar.
tho the Brio prob more expensive tbh
How are you by the way?

[SV]

thanks, i'm alright, out from school so i'm not really up to anything.

i was looking at some of your new lokar sketches earlier today yet i just now realized you haven't been around for the last few months! where've you been?

[Nath]

busy busy busy
the other day was in 3 countries in 12 hours... very impressed

[SV]

ok here's a quick render i did of the rear, to show my intentions with the surfacing better:

http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/9697/montgomerydotprelimkq3.jpg

a bit messy (esp. when the marker smudges the pencil work, which irritates me) but i think it turned out well for only taking ~30min. i meant to put in some blue pastel on the windows which would probably improve the overall look of the render alot, but i got impatient.

also i've decided on a name: the montgomery dot!

[2o6]

Loving the name. Very catchy.......like the Ford Ka.



About the design.........I feel as if you just designed a Generic Small hatch. It has a hood, about as long as where a regular-sized engine could fit. An engine at the back would make this cramped and unstable. Move the a-pillar (As well as the entire cabin) foreward. I love the details, as well as the glass hatch (very trendy) as well as the surfacing on the sides. The wheels could also shrink, giving the illusion of a larger, taller car.

[SV]

yeah youre right about the profile, it's still way too FWD. i'm just not used to drawing a smart fortwo-esque car! the wheels are a bit on the large side too, as you pointed out, but i wasn't entirely sure what size to make them. rear-engine city cars tend to have very small wheels which i'm not used to drawing, so i need to work on that.

also i'm not entirely sure about the engine layout, it'll definitely be RWD and have the engine somewhere towards the back, but i don't know whether it will be truly rear-engined like the smart fortwo (i don't know how you'd fit an engine behind the rear axle with such absurdly short overhangs but smart manages it somehow, so it must be possible) or a rear-mid engine arrangement, like the mitsubishi i (which has the engine just in front of the rear axle). the upside with the latter would be better balance, but rear seat room would probably take a hit (though, again, mitsubishi manages to fit four people into a mid-engine car so again it must be doable). they both have their advantages..so i'll have some logistifying to do =P

[DoMiNo]

Just realized I hadn't commented on this!

SV - what I find most remarkable about this particular design is the way you've managed to work the very disciplined and elegantly restrained style that is characteristic of your designs into what is by all accounts a very funky little car. You clearly push yourself with each new design and I think it shows in your complex but beautifully integrated surfaces. I think a couple of the details may be a bit overwrought on this car--namely the overly-complex area at the base of the A-pillar and the flat, round side mirrors that really don't jibe with what is otherwise a pretty sleek car--but overall it is a sound concept.

I am eager to see a front view because I want to see how you've managed to maintain the Montgomery face. The rear view is incredibly practical with the huge glass hatch but lacks the character of the rest of the car.The interior concepts are cool; pure coincidence, but I used a similar fused-circle motif in the interior sketches for my old Mazda MX-3 contest entry.

Really great work, it's always a joy to see what you come up with.

[2o6]

yeah youre right about the profile, it's still way too FWD. i'm just not used to drawing a smart fortwo-esque car! the wheels are a bit on the large side too, as you pointed out, but i wasn't entirely sure what size to make them. rear-engine city cars tend to have very small wheels which i'm not used to drawing, so i need to work on that.

also i'm not entirely sure about the engine layout, it'll definitely be RWD and have the engine somewhere towards the back, but i don't know whether it will be truly rear-engined like the smart fortwo (i don't know how you'd fit an engine behind the rear axle with such absurdly short overhangs but smart manages it somehow, so it must be possible) or a rear-mid engine arrangement, like the mitsubishi i (which has the engine just in front of the rear axle). the upside with the latter would be better balance, but rear seat room would probably take a hit (though, again, mitsubishi manages to fit four people into a mid-engine car so again it must be doable). they both have their advantages..so i'll have some logistifying to do =P

The Mitsu i and Smart Fortwo have seating almost on top of the engine.

[PRODIGY]

http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/9697/montgomerydotprelimkq3.jpg

!

I refrained from commenting before as I wasn't really a fan of that first side profile. It was a bit too busy somehow.

However, this rear view looks a lot better. Montgomery and Clarkman are getting quite alike IMO with their surfacing lol.

The rear end is ace, love the massive window a-la VW UP!

The name is also a masterstroke.

I look forward to competing against you with the Clarkman Huelva Flexi.

BTW.. SV, are you from the USA or the UK?