Ask Autoblog: Do manufacturer sketches help or hurt the debut?
You know the sketches; 22 rims, suspension so low speed bumps are a challenge, chopped tops and channeled bodies. Kia released this sketch days ago and other than the taillight shape, it has no visual likeness to the actual minivan. We've learned to dismiss the obvious artistic tweaks but we were hoping the Sedona would at least have the raked side windows that would have made it look more like a crossover than a minivan. So do these renditions help the debut by feeding the need for any information about a new vehicle, or are automakers getting our hopes up and setting themselves up for disappointment when we see the car in the sheet metal? Chime in! And we give you more sketch/reality fodder at the link.
The Montego sketch offered a low, wide sexy sedan. Reality bites.
Heres a case where the sketchs proportions are so off, it made the reality look much better.
GM had nothing to hide with the Sky. The sketch and reality were exact.
But the Cobalt was touched with the usual wide/low/big wheeled artistic interpretation.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Doogs 10:31PM (12/18/2005)
I don't think the others are as bad as the Sedona.
That said - I think sketches released within, say, a month of something's debut definitely hurt it. Its a classic case of overpromising and underdelivering. Even 22's and the low-slung stance aside, you expect interesting design touches (the Sedona's windows) - and when they don't show up on the real thing its a disappointment.
Now...in the far future...I'm okay with that...it's just ludicrous so close to the release of something that bears little resemblence to what's on the paper.
Reply
Ben 10:31PM (12/18/2005)
I think this is an interesting question...and I think the answer is that sketches do more to hurt public perception than they do to help promote something. The sketches always are so idealized and hotted-up, that there is no way for the actual vehicle to match expectations. The result is always disappointment.
Reply
djbango 10:31PM (12/18/2005)
definitely...you have an expectation and then when the product comes out, no matter how good it is, it's a let down from the hype.
Reply
Virtuox 10:31PM (12/18/2005)
Always i think those sketches are better than the actual vehicle.
Reply
Bill 10:31PM (12/18/2005)
I think they hurt. My initial reaction to the actual watered-down car is never good and usually kinda taints my interest in ever buying it. The Colbalt is an excellent example of this, it looked really nice in the sketch, but the real-life model is completely underwhelming.
Reply
ngk 10:31PM (12/18/2005)
All advertising and marketing is 20-40% lies (or equivocations, if you like). Shows you all of the good and none of the bad. But they've got something right because sales can often be based on hype and perception.
So it's a positive in the marketing sense but a disappointment when reality doesn't meet perception. What silly consumers we are for taking in what marketing feeds us.
Reply
rob rudorf 10:31PM (12/18/2005)
based on the example, only the sky is accurate. are you sure kia sent out the correct rendering for the vehicle that debuted?
Reply
Whydrive 10:31PM (12/18/2005)
For me, a close-to-production concept car hurts the perception of the production vehicle more than a sketch will. A sketch leaves a lot to the imagination and most sketches are a couple of years away from actually seeing anything real. However, with the concepts, it seems like manufacturers try to make them as flashy and mouthwatering as possible but you know you're never going to get the whole package when the production version rolls out.
Reply
Geoff 10:31PM (12/18/2005)
I'll second Whydrive's comments and I'll point to the Zephyr as an example to back it up.
Reply
Sid Ghosh 10:31PM (12/18/2005)
I agree as well. That's why I'm not holding my breath for the Aura to look like that and the same goes for the Civic sedan.
In recent times, the worst was the G6. The concept was sexy. The real thing is great but come-on!
Reply
Chris 10:31PM (12/18/2005)
Take this a step further and ask if the concepts, released before the production car help or hurt?
The perfect example is the Mustang. The concept cars were far to perfect and had everything the production cars lacked. The heavily raked windsheild, tail light treatments, headlight inserts, front clip, and even the fake intakes aft the doors, none of which made it into producation. Those subtle changes make the production car half of what it should have been.
I was going to buy one until they started producing them.
Reply
Whydrive 10:31PM (12/18/2005)
Chris,
That's what I had mentioned in my post. When a concept car just looks too good to be true, it generally is too good to be true.
Reply
Chris 10:31PM (12/18/2005)
The worst part is that, most of what is lacking in the production car compared to the concept wouldn't really save the companies much money. What do companies gain from these changes but turning off potential customers.
I understand some changes but it is the little things. Detail is what separates the money losers from the money makers. Usually they have all or none.
Reply
kevin 10:31PM (12/18/2005)
Hey, I think it's even bad when they come out with these months and months ahead of time. How long were we looking at that sketch of the Five Hundred? Even that bland Passat-esque rendering was better than the Amway-mobile they finally trotted out. The Montego sketch was hilarious in light of what we already knew about the Five Hundred.
Reply
Zeke 10:31PM (12/18/2005)
this is actually useful for me to know because im in the business of making sketches for products in the pipeline. I tend to think like some of us that the farther away in time you are, the better the impact of a well conceived sketch.
that being said, I also tend to believe a sketch should never try to be a realistic interpretation of a design, but a well conceived piece of "functional art" to convey the emotion of an idea.
I think alot of overpaid designers fall victim to the polished sketch, often times using computer software such as alias, painter or photoshop to over-emphasize the realism of a drawing.
When your product isnt an emotive piece such as the Kia minivan, its better to create something that in graphic form isnt trying to ape an Enzo Ferrari, but instead appeal to a potential buyer's sense of family -- ie, put some people in the drawing, take it out of the studio and into the parking lots and driveways. Its hard, but it can be done.
Reply
Roy 10:31PM (12/18/2005)
In the coming years, you are going to hear more about huge declines in auto show foot traffic. People simply have had enough disappointments over concept cars and drawings that never get produced in their righteous forms. Add the fact that the pictures of the concepts are instantly available on the web(thanks Autoblog!) and there is not any excitement anymore. And they actually have the nerve to charge a door fee for these things. Good luck with that guys.
Reply