Changan races towards the future. It does so with the models of the UNI family, which focus on the latest technologies and a new stylistic language to make inroads into the hearts of Chinese drivers, increasingly immersed in an active and hi-tech lifestyle.
The first car of the UNI family, the UNI-T presented at the beginning of 2020, is now joined by the UNI-K, a large SUV that aims to maintain a sleek and dynamic appearance.
Versatility and emotion
The car is designed to meet the needs of a family, without sacrificing its visual and driving appeal. In short, the UNI-K aims to combine versatility and emotions: key concepts for the Changan designers, as Chen Zheng, Chairman of Changan European Designing Center, COO and Spokesman of Chongqing Changan Automobile, explains: “What does UNI mean? For us, UNI is synonymous with independent thinking, the ability to break the rules and use imagination to explore new design frontiers.”
Strongly distinctive front
In designing the UNI-K, they wanted to emphasise the desire for refinement, focusing on specific elements, such as the grille. In all the vehicles of the UNI family, the front grille is a highly distinctive element. Already with the UNI-T, they wanted to create a front end in which the central element did not have a well-defined shape but which went beyond the concept of an element with a conventional look and blended with the rest of the bodywork.
Unique and recognisable
“Since the front grille represents an extremely recognisable element in a car”, continues Hu Jian, Head of Changan Changan European Designing Center General Manager, Design Chief of ChangAn European Designing Center, “we sought to define an element that would make the new car unique but, at the same time, part of the UNI family”.
Flush handles and tilted rear window
With the UNI-K, the intention was not to create a true SUV-Coupé, along the lines of similar models that have come on the market in the last ten years, even though those models were the inspiration for defining the lines of a modern and attractive SUV. To emphasise the sportiness of the model, handles flush with the bodywork and a tilted rear window were adopted. In general, the personality of the car was achieved with well-defined surfaces: a few elements with a strong visual impact.
Four connected and interactive displays
As well as the appearance, one of the main features of the models belonging to the Changan UNI family concerns technology: infotainment and, more generally, the User Experience. The UNI-K is equipped with four connected and interactive displays that are arranged so as to resemble the dashboard of a spaceship. Their operation was designed to highlight the presence of “friendly technology”, as it is defined by Changan, which places the driver and passengers at their ease, making the driving experience immersive and shared.
(Full article in A&D no. 248)
