The Geneva Motor show is a strange animal in the world of industry shows. Where any other show features the car manufacturers themselves, the show nestled in the Southwest of Switzerland also has a large presence of the design houses responsible for penning the metal in the other booths. With Volkswagen’s purchase of Giugiaro Italdesign earlier this year, then, there’s no better stage to present what the two are capable of than at the Geneva show.
What you see here is just that, the first two concepts to come from the partnership, named the Go! and the Tex (sounds a little familiar…). The Go! is an MPV that promises more interior space than the first two rows of a full-size SUV, but packaged in a much smaller footprint. The concept is also powered by Volkswagen’s Blue-e-motion EV powertrain, offering an 150-mile range on electric power only. Interior space is also cleverly laid out, with the aforementioned space, but also a commanding seating position, and doors that make getting into the cavernous space simple.
The Tex, on the other hand, is Giugiaro’s vision for what a sporty Volkswagen of the future could look like, while still maintaining a green image. Powered by Volkswagen’s Twin Drive plug-in hybrid power plant, the car can go 21 miles on electric power alone, but still has a gas-powered engine on reserve once you want to go for it. Aesthetically, the Tex maintains Giugiaro’s favorite shape, a hatchback, which is fitting considering their ties with Volkswagen in the past. The interior surprisingly has more than a few parts-bin parts, meaning it’s somewhat production-ready, but the Tex at this point remains a concept.
It will be interesting to see how much of these design touches make it into future Volkswagens, and see how much of an influence Giugiaro has underneath its new ownership. Until then, feel free to check out our galleries below.
