2005 Chrysler Akino

The tiny, one-box Akino concept is named after its its designer, thirty-seven-year-old Akino Tsuchiya, who was born in Japan but who now works at the Chrysler Group's California design studio.

With a wheelbase of only 95 inches (7.9 feet) and overall length of 146.6 inches (12.2 feet), the Akino packs a lot of car into a small space. There is a single door on the driver's side, plus two doors on the passengers' side that open in opposite directions to reveal a booth-style rear seat and a swiveling front passenger's seat. The driver's and front passenger's seats are considered to be like armchairs, while the rear bench is meant to invoke the feeling of a living room sofa. In all, there is seating for five people.

"I wanted the soothing, comforting feeling of a living room on the interior, all surrounded by an elegant form that reflects the Chrysler brand," Tsuchiya says of her concept vehicle. "We very much wanted a feeling of being at home on the road."

The Akino's snub nose, which is adorned with a large Chrysler winged badge, leads to a sharply raked windshield and very geometric side windows. The exterior surface development is unusually sophisticated for what is, in essence, a tiny economy minicar, and the large, BMW-style wheels give the Akino surprising presence.

Своим именем – «осеннее поле» – концепт обязан японке Акино Цучиа. Она выросла в артистической семье, получила диплом социолога, но в итоге избрала карьеру дизайнера. На ее счету стайлинг уже ряда моделей Chrysler Group. Akino сочетает компактность (3724х1799х1604 мм) с просторным салоном, где высота потолка к корме выдерживается благодаря оригинальной форме крыши. Трехместное сиденье-софа, поворотное кресло переднего пассажира, выверенная цветовая гамма создают в интерьере атмосферу «оазиса», как говорит Акино.