SUZUKI MISANO, La Dolce Vita X Way of Life

IED presents the new concept vehicle designed in collaboration with Suzuki to combine the two souls of the Japanese company in one unique model

Turin, 29 April 2021 – On the one hand: four wheels, functionality, efficiency, the practicality of a compact size. On the other hand: two wheels, a synonym for sport, high performance and thrill. For more than a century, Suzuki has brought these two opposite souls to life through the manufacturing of cars and motorbikes. But is it possible to combine these two worlds into one unique vehicle?

Istituto Europeo di Design presents Misano, the new concept vehicle made in collaboration with Suzuki. The result of the thesis project of the 24 students of the Master in Transportation Design at IED Torino, Misano is the answer to the Japanese company’s question: a style model that intertwines Japanese philosophy and automotive design embodying pure passion, style and fun, like the very best of Italian tradition.

Suzuki asked the young designers to work on a brief entitled La Dolce Vita X Way of Life. This steered their research down a double track; the depth of the values embodied by the payoff of Suzuki brand and, at the same time, the grandeur evoked by the title of Fellini’s masterpiece, a universal symbol of a life marked by pleasure and sophistication. The intense design project began last autumn, involving all of the students in a singular creative process that followed the dynamics of a design centre. The concept was developed to honour the authenticity of the tradition and the application of avant-garde technology, aimed at compact and functional vehicles, and to instil the desire for emotion embodied by the protagonists of the classic Italian motion picture, speeding along in their sporty, elegant convertibles. The Misano name pays homage to Suzuki’s dedication in the most selective motorcycling competitions and the victories won on the Italian racetrack. Designed to bring a young audience passionate about riding through life on two wheels closer to the automotive world of Suzuki, it offers a driving experience that marries lifestyle and sportsmanship.

Misano (length 4000 mm – width 1750 mm – height 1000 mm – wheelbase 2600 mm – axle spacing 1500 mm) is a sporty and compact vehicle, an experimental reinterpretation of the classic barchetta. The innovative asymmetric design features two tandem seats atop four wheels. In the search for elegance and purity, the smooth contours of the exterior envelop the visible cockpit. The lack of roof reveals the off-centre driving and passenger seats which leave the right section empty, allowing space for a battery pack and a sideways boot. Misano radiates sportiness not only in the bold front design, with its distinctive arrow-shaped headlights, and in the aerodynamic form of the rear, which guides the air flow through two wedge wire meshes, but above all in its driving experience. Protected only by a small windshield, the driver controls the vehicle not with a steering wheel but with a clearly motorcycle-inspired control stick.

«Misano is the result of the teamwork of our students who, from all over the world, have chosen Turin as the place to prepare for their professional future» says Paola Zini, IED Turin Director. «At IED they find a rich, international environment that allows them to acquire new skills, develop bold projects and experiment with their own creativity, with a view towards the future of the sector. The opportunity to discuss and collaborate with companies is what characterises the two years of the training course, which culminates with the design of a full-scale model following the dynamics of a design centre, preparing the students to rise to the challenges of the market as professionals».

«Thanks to the collaboration between IED and the brand Suzuki, a new concept vehicle was created looking both at the compact car and motorcycle Suzuki’s manufacturing» says Kimihiko Nakada, Suzuki Design Center Director «Misano is a thesis born out of the passion of young designers and developed as a project in a design center to offer the next generation a new lifestyle experience».

Presented on Thursday April 29th with an online event broadcasted from OGR Tech in Torino, Misano will be exhibited to the public at MAUTO - Museo Nazionale dell’Automobile di Torino from Saturday May 15th to Sunday June 6th 2021. For additional information for planning the visit, www.museoauto.com

Misano is designed by the students of the Master in Transportation Design IED Torino a.y. 2019/20: Stefano Bizzo (Italy), Karan Chowdhury (India), Michele Coen Pirani (Italy), Shreyas Pratap Dalvi (India), Chetan Rajkumar Dekate (India), Emir Demircioglu (Turkey), Thomas Daniel Faragalla (France), Jonathan Farah (Lebanon), Leonardo Ferraro (Italy), Vigneshwar Ganesh (India), Shachar Koren (Israel), Alejandro Llisterri Vicente (Spain), Bhavjyot Singh Mann (India), Luca Milesi (Italy), Sebastiano Miraka (Albania), Rushabh Mistry (India), Ram Kaushik Ragala (India), Linda Ravella (Italy), Aldo Rosario Russo (Italy), Massimo Salpietro (Italy), George Schelfaut (Belgium), Shubham Sen (India), Nicolò Vallauri (Italy), Pratyush Sanjay Wasule (India).

The Master in Transportation Design is coordinated by Michele Albera. 

The Thesis Project is coordinated by James Hope.

Technical sponsors: OZ Racing, Pirelli

Misano was manufactured by EDAG Italia, Torino Crea, Freeland.car, Raitec

Istituto Europeo di Design thanks the Suzuki Design Center based at Suzuki Italia for their constant presence, enthusiasm and passion in bringing this fruitful collaboration to life.