LUV it or hate it: Edag announces LUV concept for Geneva

click on above image for more high-resolution photos of the Edag LUV concept

Looking like the offspring of a torrid affair between a Caddilac Escalade, Honda Ridgeline and a sailboat, the maritime-inspired Edag LUV concept will arrive in port at the Geneva Motor Show in early March. Edag, which you may remember as the developer of the New Beetle Biwak concept from last year's Geneva show and the makes of the Wagonlet conversion kit for the Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky. The LUV concept, however, applies Edag's considerable engineering and design talent to the Luxury Utility Vehicle segment from which it gets its name. The Escalade-like grille is flanked by headlights inspired by the beams on a Infiniti G35 sedan, while the hood, interior floor and bed are all covered in oiled teak wood. It makes the Lincoln Blackwood's wood-paneled flanks and carpeted bed look downright user friendly by comparison, yet at the same time conveys a fraction of the uber-luxurious aura given off by the teak decklid of the new Rolls Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe. The concept is really just a business card for Edag's engineering and design services, though the company does state that it's "in close contact with presitigious vehicle customising companies, looking into the possibility of a potential 'launch' of the Edag LUV." We wouldn't want to be on that ship when it sets sail.

[Source: Edag]

PRESS RELEASE:

Fulda/Geneva - On 7th March, 2007, the cry of "Cast off!" will go up in Geneva for the "EDAG LUV", the latest concept car of EDAG Engineering + Design AG.

Conceived as a niche vehicle, the LUV presents a maritime appearance from its bows to its stern, and is targeted at customers who are not looking for just an ordinary car, and who appreciate something more distinctive.

Oiled teak on the bonnet, inside as the floor covering , and again on the elegant loading plat-form, gives a nautical flair.

The dimensions of the "EDAG LUV" are also imposing. Taking as their basis a high end SUV, the EDAG Engineering + Design AG designers and engineers have constructed an LUV with an impressive overall length of 5.70 metres. Over 2 metres wide and 1.80 metres high, the "EDAG LUV" is a real eye-catcher.

Behind the two rows of seats with ample space for 5 passengers, there is a teak-covered loading platform. This, in keeping with the maritime look of the concept car, has the distinct air of a quarter deck. Retractable clamps mounted in the teak flooring provide the owner of the "EDAG LUV" with the same kind of practical means of securing loads found on ships and boats.

"LUV", the name of the concept car, is also a German nautical term, meaning "luff": Apart from this, however, the term also defines a new vehicle segment, namely the Luxury Utility Vehicle.

The harmonious lines of the body's design enable the loading platform and passenger cell to be joined together so elegantly that the utility vehicle character frequently manifest in pick-up models is no longer evident.

"LUV": A new vehicle type which, with its originality, size and elegance, has clearly been de-veloped by EDAG as a niche vehicle for a target group who prefer vehicle concepts which diverge to one side or the other of the mainstream.

The entire project, from the concept defining stage, through the design process and devel-opment, culminating in the ready-to-drive prototype, took just three months to complete, and is ready for conversion into a premium edition. With the EDAG LUV, the world's largest, independent engineering partner has once again demonstrated its abilities as an all-round developer – from concept to production readiness.

The "EDAG LUV" is an example of how, with an economically acceptable outlay, it is possible to transform a model for volume pro-duction into an independent niche vehicle.

EDAG is currently in close contact with prestigious vehicle customising companies, looking into the possibility of a potential "launch" of the "EDAG LUV".