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Take a clean piece of paper and draw two parallel lines horizontally across the middle, fairly close together. Then draw two wider vertical lines from the middle downwards.
Next, place a large rectangular shape right in the middle, just above the vertical lines – that’s your touchscreen infotainment system. Add a slightly squared-off steering wheel on the right and a slim rectangular driver display screen in front of it.
Place a couple of wireless phone chargers between your vertical lines, under the infotainment screen. Add a couple of cup holders below that, and a lidded storage space where your elbows can rest.
Et voilà! You’ve just designed the interior of any Chery, Omoda, BYD, Xpeng, Changan, Geely, MG, or pretty much any new Chinese-designed car.
Below are images of (clockwise from top left) the Omoda 7, Xpeng G6, BYD Seal 6, and Changan Deepal S07. I could have included any number of other Chinese-made cars, and you’d end up with the same design.
My frustration isn’t limited to interiors. Externally, these cars often differ little beyond an anonymous badge or a fancy lighting signature.
This week, I’ve been driving a Cupra Terramar – a car that uses the same tech as the rest of the Volkswagen Group, but is so refreshingly different. If Cupra can do it, why can’t others?
I raised this with MG’s design boss, Jozef Kaban, at the launch of the new MG4 Urban – which follows very similar interior design lines. Jozef has created some of the most interesting designs in his time at the Volkswagen Group, mostly at Škoda but also with Bugatti, Audi, Volkswagen, and SEAT. His CV also includes BMW, before moving east to MG (although he regularly visits MG’s London design studio).
I asked Kaban if we’ll ever see true originality from MG and others. His MG Cyber X concept was one of last year’s concept car highlights, so when will we see something as different in showrooms?
“We will,” he promised. “You will feel it, and you will be happy about things in the future.”
However, he admitted that there is little appetite for risk in China: “The world is trying to be perfect and therefore using lots of tools which are there to help.
“There are lots of statistics, lots of analysis, and lots of data,” he continued. “Everybody runs with similar data, and in the end – as in life – everybody is prepared for risk, but only limited risk. We are asking people what they want and giving people what they want.”
Kaban agreed, though, that sometimes customers don’t know what they want until they see it. He also noted that MG has an advantage over others because it has a heritage it can draw on – though don’t expect retro-inspired MGs any time soon.
“The future belongs to those who are able to stand out and have a point of difference,” said Kaban. “I think we will see MG keeping a recognisable character.”
That bodes well for MG. Let’s hope other car makers follow suit. There’s so much to like about many of the new Chinese models – far more than just their prices.
Here’s hoping it won’t be long before we start to be wowed by the design differences that make these new brands truly stand out – both from each other and from established names.
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