The coupé SUV is an oxymoronic niche that remains inexplicably popular. Brought to prominence by cars like the BMW X6 and Porsche Cayenne Coupé, you’ll find fastback versions of standard SUVs across all spectrums of the market. By creating a sloping rear roofline, designers were deliberately sacrificing practicality for style. Car buyers went for it in droves.
Enter the Aehra electric SUV
Aehra’s forthcoming electric SUV takes this awkward premise and somehow makes it good, thanks in part to the flexibility its EV platform and an ultra-long 3m wheelbase (allowing it to accommodate ‘four full-size NBA players’, no less). Pitched at the ‘ultra-premium’ market, the Italian company was co-founded by Sandro Andreotti and Hazim Nada, both keen aviation fans, as the country’s first all-electric car brand.
The SUV proudly bears the Italian flag
The car the Aehra brings to mind is Spyker’s ill-fated D8 model, the so-called ‘Paris to Peking’ concept. Shown all the way back in 2006, the D8 was one of the first ultra-luxury SUV concepts, created by the on-again/off-again Dutch company to accompany its successful mid-engined supercars. Spyker (which took the name of a 19th-century carriage builder) disappeared in 2014, only to resurface in early 2022, apparently supported by Russian money. As a result, one can only assume it has disappeared once again.
The Aehra SUV features rear-view cameras instead of wing mirrors
Aehra has nothing whatsoever to do with its Dutch predecessor, apart from a shared sense of drama. The newcomer still has a few years to go before its cars reach buyers – 2025 is a suggested delivery date – but on the basis of these renders, this debut electric SUV will certainly be desirable. In addition to the lozenge-like exterior, the interior promises a number of configurations, including home theatre, lounge and meeting room modes.
A vast, tilting screen transforms the SUV's interior
These arrangements are made possible by a vast monitor that spans the width of the dashboard and extends up to cover the windscreen when the car is parked. On the move, it folds down to form the driver information screen, as well as show images from the rear-view cameras. Aehra’s chief design officer Fillippo Perini has also announced that the SUV will be followed by a sedan concept in a few months’ time.
Other key design components are the yoke-like steering wheel (a style recently deployed by Tesla) and four gull-wing doors that provide graceful access to the spacious interior. Aehra still has a long way to go before it can call itself a true competitor, but the SUV design shows the company’s ambition is underpinned by true style.
AEHRA.com (opens in new tab)
-
Alternative engagement rings with an edgeAs the sales of engagement rings sky-rocket during lockdown, enjoy our off-kilter curation of edgy and unconventional engagement rings
-
‘The Art of Advocacy’: Aïda Muluneh’s vivid photographs are forces for change
At Efie Gallery, Dubai, Aïda Muluneh’s upcoming show, ‘The Art of Advocacy’ (12 January – 24 February 2023) surveys the photographer’s art as a tool for change, and debuts a new work, revealed exclusively here
-
Remembering the life and work of designer Tom Karen, who has died at the age of 96
Tom Karen (1926 – 2022) was an industrial designer who delighted in the power of design to transport and transform, and shaped some of the most idiosyncratic icons of the 1960s, 1970s and beyond
-
Everrati announces a transformed, all-electric Range Rover Classic and Land Rover Defender
British company Everrati now transforms the iconic Range Rover Classic and Land Rover Defender into high-end, go-anywhere electric vehicles
-
Cupra Born: new arrival is one of the best compact EVs on the market
The new Cupra Born embodies characterful design and the spirited zip of electric driving
-
Two new electric off-roaders – Munro Mk1 and Fering Pioneer – embody the spirit of adventure in sharp-edged, minimal suits
The Munro Mk1 and Fering Pioneer are designed to go anywhere, electrically. We check out the next generation of utility vehicles
-
Kia Niro EV combines quiet competence with engaging modern design
The Kia Niro EV sets a new standard for compact electric cars, with sophisticated design, impressive range and plenty of equipment
-
Revived cult classic all-electric Moke makes it to the States
An all-new electric version of the original Mini Moke harks back to its roots with a limited-edition Californian model
-
Volvo EX90 brings electrification to the upper end of the Volvo range
A full-sized seven-seater, the all-new Volvo EX90 is the Swedish company’s safest and most sophisticated SUV to date
-
Piip is a playful electric car designed by artist Harald Thys
Piip by Harald Thys and Lowie Vermeersch is a speculative project for a friendly electric family car, presented at the Maniera Gallery in Brussels
-
The Genesis GV60 marks a new era for electrified luxury
The Genesis GV60 is one of the best EVs you can buy, a clean-sheet EV that puts the Korean luxury brand firmly on the map
