The Vauxhall GT X Experimental concept has been unveiled and described as ‘a vision of the future’ for the brand.
According to its creators, the sporty-pitched concept shows off design cues that will feature across future Vauxhall (and Opel) models, suggesting the brand will follow a much bolder design path following its recent acquisition by PSA Group.
These include the ‘Vauxhall Compass’ and ‘Vauxhall Visor’ – front and rear-end treatments that will become the signature of cars wearing Vauxhall’s Griffin badge.
The GT X Experimental is a five-door electric SUV – the SUV sector is now by far the biggest growth area in the car industry with Vauxhall and sister brand Opel expecting such vehicles to account for 40% of all their sales within the next three years.
As a result, the GT X Experimental represents efforts to make Vauxhall/Opel SUVs more efficient – it is very compact, built on a new, lightweight architecture and measuring only four metres in length and 1.8 metres wide.
The car’s electric motor is powered by a 50kWh, compact next generation lithium-ion battery with inductive charging. Vauxhall adds that the GT-X Experimental does not offer fully autonomous driving, because the brand’s efforts are focused on innovation that will be accessible in the near future. However, it does have Level 3 autonomous driving functions – this means it can handle all aspects of driving, but the driver must be able to respond to a request to intervene.
The design team, lead by design had Mark Adams, are also promising a spacious and bright interior. The front doors open to 90 degrees while those in the back are rear-hinged, and a combined panoramic windscreen and roof stretches right back to the rear seats.
Clever styling touches include smoothing out the exterior by hiding many of the panel lines of a traditional car, such as for the bonnet and door openings, and removing exterior furniture such as the door handles and mirrors. A yellow graphic along each side of the car both houses small camera for rear vision and conceals the top lines of the doors, while the vertical line of the rear doors is combined with that of the boot.
According to Mark Adams, the concept signals a very exciting future for Vauxhall. “The Vauxhall GT X Experimental embodies the spirit of our core brand values,” he says. “It’s an approachable concept that people can identify with – it confidently combines a pure and bold design execution with progressive technology that makes life easier.”
