october 09, 2018 - Seat

This is how you design an SUV

Robust, elegant exterior lines are key elements when designing these vehicles
Subdued metallic shades are on trend on these large size models as a symbol of elegance
The new member of the #SUV model lineup is decked out with sophisticated fabrics and trim

“It has to be a car that conveys personality, strength and prestige” was the assignment that #Seat Design director Alejandro Mesonero-Romanos gave to his team. But how do you get a mixture of paints and ground mica to turn into an elegant colour? Or what selection of fabrics makes the interior of a car look sophisticated? Now that the #Seat Tarraco has made its world debut, we discover what is behind the creative process of this kind of vehicle and the keys to what is going to be the company’s new design language:

- Love at first sight: 65% of #SUV customers base their purchase decision on exterior design. In fact, their lines are one of their characteristic features: “They’re more aggressive, powerful and imposing”, says brand exterior designer Xavier Villanueva. The front end is one of the most important parts of the #Seat Tarraco: “the grille is positioned more vertically compared to other kinds of vehicles. This gives this first large #SUV a longer bonnet, and raised robust lines”, he adds.

- New challenges for designers: The passenger compartment of an #SUV is comparatively larger than on other models. These new volumes present a challenge to the design team: “customers look for the right balance between comfort, ergonomics, performance…this is another aspect to consider when designing an SUV”, adds Daniel Hervás, Interior Design Project Leader at the company. In the specific case of the #Seat Tarraco, adding a floating screen was a challenge for the team: “despite its dimensions, we have to make sure that the lines of the centre console remain light”, concludes Hervás.

- Personality through colour pigment: “The size, silhouette and target fully determine the colour range of each model. Each segment features its own colours”, comments Jordi Font, Head of Color&Trim department. The palette of an #SUV has to express “safety and protection”. “It requires subdued or metallic shades, and depending on its size, you can play with features such as a two-tone roof or certain trim elements”, adds Font. The colour palette of the #Seat Tarraco includes eight shades “that give it the elegant genes that define its personality”, he concludes.

- Dressed for the occasion: When selecting the trim for SEAT’s largest #SUV, designers worked with premium materials: “we chose melange fabrics, and for the first time, matte chrome trim features that give the car an added touch of sophistication”, explains Amanda López from the Color&Trim department. In order to verify the multiple combinations of interior design, they resorted to virtual reality.

- Virtual reality, the best resource: Whether it is used to define the interior look, the exterior lines or aerodynamic aspects, this technology plays and increasingly decisive role: “Before, with the renders, designers could see their work with 60% realism. Thanks to virtuality, that figure goes up to 90%. This helps save a lot of time”, says Manel Garcés, manager of visualisation at #Seat. Thanks to meetings and working side by side, the Visualisation department offers the necessary tools to optimise the work of the designers: “In very little time, the interior design team gets a 3D look at what they sketched just minutes before”, adds Garcés.

- Four model makers and more than 320 hours: Despite the use of new technologies, making a clay model is still essential in order to appreciate the life-size dimensions of the new vehicle for the first time. 5,000 kilos of clay was used to shape the Tarraco, and the biggest challenge was to “control the volumes and proportions of such a large car”, says Carlos Arcos, responsible for Exterior physical models at #Seat.

- All pencils down: The work of the entire department concludes with the freeze design, a resin replica of what will be the final vehicle, and which is then used to approve the lines of the new model. This is the last step in the design process, and from this point on the idea is handed over to the engineers.

- Photogallery (18)

This-is-how-you-design-an-SUV 017 HQ

6488x4325, 6MB

This-is-how-you-design-an-SUV 007 HQ

6720x4480, 8MB

This-is-how-you-design-an-SUV 003 HQ

6720x4480, 7MB

This-is-how-you-design-an-SUV 011 HQ

6291x4194, 6MB

This-is-how-you-design-an-SUV 013 HQ

6267x4177, 6MB

This-is-how-you-design-an-SUV 018 HQ

6720x3754, 8MB

This-is-how-you-design-an-SUV 012 HQ

6720x4480, 9MB

This-is-how-you-design-an-SUV 005 HQ

6720x4480, 4MB

This-is-how-you-design-an-SUV 016 HQ

6720x4480, 7MB

This-is-how-you-design-an-SUV 014 HQ

5897x3932, 5MB

This-is-how-you-design-an-SUV 001 HQ

6720x4480, 4MB

This-is-how-you-design-an-SUV 015 HQ

6720x4480, 7MB

This-is-how-you-design-an-SUV 008 HQ

5954x3969, 6MB

This-is-how-you-design-an-SUV 002 HQ

6720x4480, 7MB

This-is-how-you-design-an-SUV 006 HQ

6486x3524, 8MB

This-is-how-you-design-an-SUV 010 HQ

6720x4480, 11MB

This-is-how-you-design-an-SUV 004 HQ

6720x4480, 5MB

This-is-how-you-design-an-SUV 009 HQ

6481x4320, 7MB

- Documents (1)

Press release

547KB

Related news

january 18, 2021	september 02, 2020	december 10, 2019
SEAT boosts its large SUV’s performance as Tarraco 2.0 TSI 245PS DSG 4Drive enters production	SEAT Tarraco extends its appeal with front-wheel drive 2.0 litre TDI 150PS DSG version	SEAT expands Tarraco line-up with 1.5 litre TSI DSG Front-wheel drive option
SEAT #Tarraco delivers #performance as production starts of 2.0 TSI 245PS DSG 4Drive version, available with both 5 and 7-Seat opt...	Front-wheel drive variant brings together four-cylinder 2.0 litre TDI unit with 150PS and seven speed DSG dual-clutch transmission...	Front-wheel drive #tarraco brings together turbocharged 1.5 litre 150PS petrol engine with seven-speed automatic gearboxNew combin...
Automotive Corporate	Automotive	Automotive
#seat #corporate #suv #production #performance #automotive #auto #tarraco	#seat #product #automotive #auto #tarraco	#seat #product #suv #engine #automotive #auto #tarraco
Download all	Download all	Download all
1 1	2 1	1 1

You might be interested in

july 10, 2019	february 28, 2019	january 03, 2019
SEAT updates its range, from the Tarraco to the Mii	SEAT Tarraco achieves Euro NCAP’s highest safety rating	An amazing year for SEAT
SEAT is making enhancements to its range of vehicles to improve the attractiveness and usability of its rangeThe updates will add...	SEAT’s flagship #SUV achieves the highest five-star #safety rating from Euro NCAPThe testing demonstrated the Tarraco’s outstandin...	SEAT will remember 2018 as the year that saw the birth of CUPRA, the launch of the Tarraco and the presentation of record sales an...
Automotive Technology	Automotive Corporate	Automotive Corporate
#seat #product #suv #mii #citycar #wat #automotive #auto #tarraco	#seat #corporate #product #suv #safety #award #automotive #auto #tarraco	#seat #volkswagen #corporate #product #vettura #cupra #automotive #auto #business #tarraco
Download all	Download all	Download all
6 1	1 1	5 1 1