Chrysler Akino Concept van 2005

Although Chrysler didn’t offer anything more sophisticated than the PT Cruiser and Neon, the American manufacturer presented the Akino Concept in 2005, an American-style Smart Forfour whose styling wouldn’t have to be significantly modified to be current in 2022. The Chrysler Akino Concept owes its name to designer who designed the body and interior: Akino Tsuchiya, then 37 years old. The concept was Chrysler’s clever, unconventional proposal for a city car that could carry up to five people in the most compact package possible.

“I wanted the interior to have the calming, comforting feel of a living room, surrounded by an elegant shape that reflects the Chrysler brand.” (A. Tsuchiya)

Home on the road

The idea behind the design of the concept car is to bring a warm feeling of ‘being at home’ on the road. The interior is generously divided, with two swiveling front seats and a rear seat that looks like a combined three-seater sofa. The smooth and flat floor reflects the duality of yin and yang with a bamboo section under the driver’s seat and elsewhere a carpet of recycled or natural materials in colors ranging from brown (bamboo) to beige, for a warm and zen atmosphere. Another original feature of the Akino Concept is its asymmetrical opening mechanism, with one door on the driver’s side and two doors that open in opposite directions on the passenger side for better access thanks to the absence of a center pillar.

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The instrument panel is small, namely a semi-circular screen directly on the steering column, while the dashboard has a control panel with buttons for the climate and audio system, as well as a navigation screen in soft raised shapes. A light gray dashboard ‘sits’ above the central console, which is covered in a warm toned fabric that extends to the door panels.

Carving on wheels

The exterior design was designed by Akino Tsuchiya as a sculpture on wheels. The slim lines of the body provide a single volume profile with a sloping roofline and a glass roof above the cargo area. The smooth sides are ‘de-emphasized’ by the slight curve along the length of the car, while the vertical light blocking, front and rear, gives the whole a sense of height. Akino’s innovative concept does not have rear-view mirrors, which have been replaced by a small camera. Large wheels are pushed to the four corners of the body to provide as much space as possible inside, so there are almost no overhangs.

With its very compact dimensions (length 3,724 mm, width 1,799 mm and height 1,604 mm), the size and design of the Chrysler Akino Concept is perfectly suited for an electric motor and will certainly not look out of place in the aging Chrysler lineup. that needs it. innovation and must consider mobility and the environment. Although it was not in series production at the time, the Chrysler Akino Concept deserves to be remembered by the Stellantis stalwarts tasked with relaunching the brand and taking it beyond national borders. Based on a slight update, it wouldn’t look right next to the brand’s latest concept, The concept of air flow.