World-premiered during the 2015 Geneva Motor Show, Gea is Italdesign Giugiaro’s vision for luxury mobility in 2025
GEA’s vision is based on the “Piloted Driving” technology outlook for the future: technological advancement, which allows cars to drive increasingly autonomously, will call in the future for a new idea of automobile. The conceptual center of gravity shifts ideally from the driver’s seat, around which the car’s architectural and ergonomic philosophy is usually developed, to the passengers in the rear seats. Once the car drives autonomously through city traffic, on the motorway and in all those situations when driving is simply not a pleasure, it allows the occupants to focus on other tasks or interests.
In the near future, the real luxury will be time. The time spent travelling will become productive even in a car. With the three internal setting configurations, which can be selected on the control sphere situated between the two front seats, the car can turn into a travelling office, a wellness – developed with Technogym – or a dream area.
Thanks to the book-type doors, to the absence of a B-pillar and to the virtual red carpet projected onto the ground by the LED inserted in the door sill, passengers gain easy access to the inside of the GEA’s lounge.
ONE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT, THREE SETTINGS
Rear seats area is where the real passenger compartment control center is: a sphere to fit with the LG G-Flex. Indeed, the smartphone has been installed with an app that makes it possible to interact with all the vehicle functions, from the choice of the three different settings to more typical adjustments: seats, climate control, door opening, infotainment control.
Business mode
When business mode is selected, GEA turns into a genuine travelling office. Two transparent LED screens measuring 19” each come down from the roof opposite the rear seats and the passenger can choose the information to project onto them. The dashboard graphics change and create a single setting to match the background of the two screens. The front passenger seat can swivel 180° to face opposite the direction of travel, facilitating dialogue among all passengers; alternatively, the seat back can be folded down fully onto the seat to turn it into a practical counter top.
Wellness mode
The wellness mode, developed in conjunction with Technogym, is ideal during long journeys because it allows the passenger to perform isometric exercises, which are ideal to warm up the muscles. The rear seats feature two aluminum handles which, on pressing a sensor, come out of the tray to be used for exercises on the upper body. For the lower limbs, the floor has been fitted with two boards, also made by Technogym, which can be raised using the controls for use in step exercises. A tutorial video with the Technogym exercise programs appears on the monitors to guide the user.
Dream mode
Dream mode is dedicated to total relaxation. The LEDs project a relaxing blue light, the windows darken and relaxing pictures of galaxies and starry skies appear on the monitors and on the front dashboard. Two comfortable footrests can be extended out from the seats and the right-hand rear seat can extend fully to form a real bed joining up with the front seat, swiveled to face opposite the direction of travel but with the seat back up, to reproduce the typical environment found when flying first class.
GEA was designed, engineered and built at the Italdesign headquarters in Moncalieri.
