In February 2015, Italdesign Giugiaro began teasing a new concept car for the Geneva Auto Show,->ke228 and now with the show upon us, we have all of the details on this new model. Dubbed the Gea, this ultra-luxurious, futuristic rig shows what the future may hold for the automotive realm, specifically in terms of autonomous driving and EV->ke1030 technology. Unfortunately, this is simply a concept that has no production plans as of March 4, 2015.

The outward appearance of the Gea is sleek and sexy, but also pretty basic at the same time. The interior, on the other hand, is filled with all sorts of goodies, which shows that this model is all about moving people as comfortably as possible. As with all concepts, this model requires a grain of salt, as many of the features will likely never be part of a production vehicle, but there are some elements that I can see making their way onto a production car in the not-too-distant future.

Continue reading for my full review of the Italdesign Giugiaro->ke3778 Gea.

2015 Italdesign Giugiaro Gea

Specifications

• Make: Array
• Model: 2015 Italdesign Giugiaro Gea
• Horsepower: 397
• Torque: 1000

Pros

Cons

Exterior

First and foremost, the Italdesign Giugiaro Gea is huge. Not just a little bulky, but a massive 211 inches long. However, it pulls this off well, thanks to its streamlined look. Its short hood and swoopy roofline show that this model’s main focus is in the cabin, but it still retains some exterior sexiness.

Up front, the Gea features LED headlights that change with the drive modes. In normal mode, they glow white, but kick it into driverless mode, and the lights turn blue. The rear also features LED lighting. The front and rear lights are all based upon Audi’s laserlight technology.

The Gea has a 131-inch wheelbase and 26-inch, 60-spoke rollers. These wheels were crafted from single blocks of aluminum, increasing their rigidity and durability.

With a car this massive, weight becomes a huge issue, and Italdesign Giugiaro countered this by building the chassis and body from several different lightweight materials, including aluminum, carbon fiber, and magnesium. This keeps the Gea’s heft down to 4,442 pounds, which is super-heavy by most standards, but relatively light for the type and class of car it is.

Overall, the exterior styling of the Italdesign Giugiaro Gea is a tad bland, but it has just enough sexiness to keep things interesting. The headlights and taillights are the main attractions, obviously.

Exterior Dimensions

Interior

Stepping into the Gea is like stepping 10 to 15 years into the future, as the book-style opening doors and lack of B-pillars give you a full view of this high-tech, multifunctional cabin. The Gea’s interior actually has three different settings to meet the needs of the driver and passenger: Business, Wellness and Dream.

Business mode is great for traveling businesspeople who need to get their work done on the move. The LED interior lighting turns white, which according to studies enhances concentration and productivity. Additionally, a pair of 19-inch clear LED touchscreens drop down from the roof just forward of the rear seats. The passengers can choose what information they’d like to display on these screens. The front passenger seat can either rotate 180 degrees, allowing the person to engage with those in the rear seats, or it can fold flat to create a table.

In Wellness mode, the car gives passengers the ability to do isometric exercises, helping keep things comfortable on those longer journeys. To facilitate this in-car workout, a pair of aluminum handles pop out to allow an upper-body workout, while two platforms pop out from the floor to allow for a lower-body workout. The ambient lighting changes to amber for a more relaxed feel.

In Dream mode, the LED lighting changes to a dark blue, and pictures of galaxies and stars are projected on the monitors and the dashboard. Additionally, footrests pop out from the rear seats, and the front passenger seat folds flat and joins with the rear seat to create a full-length bed.

On top of being multifunctional, the Gea’s cabin is well-equipped with tech bits and loaded with fine materials. Materials like woven parchment leather on the door panels, painted lacquer, and unstained silk carpeting all add serious class to the cabin.

In front of the driver is a 12-inch screen that shows all of the most important info, like speed, engine rpm, navigation, driving range, etc. Flanking this screen are two 3.5-inch screens that show the two side-view cameras, while a center-mounted screen shows the rearview camera. Rounding out the visual goodies is the 3D holographic screen on the dashboard that projects graphics to match the car’s setting.

Driver input is nearly all pressure-sensitive as opposed to being based on angles like in today’s cars. The steering wheel, which is more like a steering stalk, only turns 2 degrees, leaving the amount the front wheels turn dependent upon the amount of pressure the driver applies to the stalk. Likewise, the pedals are actually two pads that sense the amount of pressure the driver places upon them and uses this to determine the acceleration or braking power.

The Gea is very much a concept car that shows off some of the technology of the future. Very few of these features will be a part of the automotive realm in the near future, but some may see use in the next decade, or so.

Drivetrain

The driving force behind the Gea is a set of four 142kW electric motors housed in the differentials, resulting in a mighty 570 kW of total output. Italdesign Giugiaro didn’t dive too far into the performance specifications, but it did mention the luxury sedan will top out at 250 km/h.

Though Italdesign Giugiaro didn’t reveal any torque numbers, I would expect this system to be well over 1,000 pound-feet of immediately available twisting force.

Drivetrain Specifications

Competition

Tesla Model S P85D

The only competitor to a production version of this concept would be the Model S P85D. This beast features 691 horsepower, all-wheel drive, and a 0-to-60 time of just 3.2 seconds. It tops out at 155 mph, and can run a full 253 miles before needing a charge.

Sure, the Tesla’s cabin is nowhere near the Gea’s in terms of tech and luxury, but then again, the Gea is strictly a concept at this point.

The Model S P85D starts out at $105,670.

Conclusion

While its exterior design is quite boring, especially considering it came from Italdesign Giugiaro, its interior details and drivetrain are awesome. Unfortunately, there is precisely zero chance that this car will ever be produced, but it could inspire future production models. Things like the swiveling front seat and holographic dashboard are all items you can forget about ever making it into a production car, but the rest of the Gea’s features are up for debate.