Theme
VIDEO: Inside the GMC Granite Concept 
The 2010 GMC Granite Concept appeals to people with active lifestyles. See how the interior of the car and the flip-and-fold seat design allows the vehicle to hold a mountain bike or snowboard but still have a small footprint. Check out more pictures from the Granite’s unveiling at the North American International Auto Show here.
15 Comments
Leave a Reply
(If you haven't left a comment here before, you may need to be approved by the site owner before your comment will appear. Until then, it won't appear on the entry. Thanks for waiting.)
to this comment On January 12, 2010 at 1:00 pm Unni said:
One of the things i think is this concept is the one which actually fits the motorcycle inspired speedometer cluster ( like sparc /Beat ) and keep the rest area simple. The reason is this is a more activity/ fun vehicle.
Another example speedometer cluster is http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QxpmZtfzoIU/RcIIBNxK1pI/AAAAAAAAAQg/ys8vwlisT8I/s400/r1_18.jpg and you can have chrome finishes etc.
Second is touch screen center console and an app infrastructure. People are used to gadgets. I think you can remove the other areas/designs because people like things which are functional. I didn’t understand the gear lever and related stuff but i think the design in this is different and its good.
Dual zone climate climate control : people like to separate settings fro HVOC so this concept should not forgot about it Need to have HVOC vents and controls for people sitting on back. So the car need to designed to have this option also in interior ( may be touch sceen controls /ipod style from volt )
There was a concept of the sliding doors on a busy parking area ( the buick avant concept ). I don’t see that feature also not getting way to this one as that concept seems to be removed.
I like the suicide doors but it they should be lockable when the front doors are open ( i have seen a video of a truck comparison where the back door was not properly closed/close-able/lock-able when front door is open )
The seats innovation looks good, I wonder on the practical side of it.
I think to make this to production, some more design iterations and manufacturing iterations ( light weight – by uni body construction / use of aluminum alloys , less now of parts based designs to reduce costs, small types – may be 14 inch , optional wheel skirts , iawd (like sx4 ) etc needed )
In total :
Interior needs :
motorcycle inspired speedometer cluster ( like sparc /Beat )
Touch screen centre console and an app infrastructure – gadgets – may be android ( youth )
Dual zone climate climate control , HVOC Controls for back seat ( urban , ride share needs comfort )
Suicide doors design needs attention ( safety )
The concept of on demad sliding needs to get in this model ( urban parking )
Remove other interior complexity and reduce no: of parts.( cost reduction / making clean )
Other
Small tyres ( 14 inch ) ( fule economy )
Hybrid/voltec/plug-in power train ( city mileage, clean ,pollution – urban )
Light weight
iawd
optional wheel skirts ( urban )
Design improvement on aero :it can take more design clues or design philosophy/principles of Mercedes-Benz Bionic Concept Vehicle which is boxy but still have a drag coefficient of 0.19 ( as you a ” a little bit of volt in every car ” ) .
to this comment On January 13, 2010 at 12:53 am Unni said:
Adding couple more
1) simple with minimal parts and sustainable materials ( carry the spirit of bare necessity )
2) Fold-able rear entertainment screens ( I have a basic pic at http://yankandpaste.blogspot.com/2010/01/foldable-displays-and-perzonal-zones.html (2 minute paint job and a description )
The idea is to keep the screen safe when you are carrying a bike or folded your seats
3) Personal Zones ( again described in the post )
3) More Global design – I think this concept will be a real global car as small premium urban cars
will have a global market. The design need to reflect that more global language.
ex: Move more stuff from front driver side to centre stack other than the motorcycle inspired speedo cluster( which gives freedom to move left/right hand drive with minimal changes )
Put the division front:rear:cargo space in a proposition of 40:40:20 because some part of the world driver is important where some other parts its cheap to hire driver and the real owner sits on back ( ex: china , india etc ) so design should accommodate comfort of both.
4) Position central stack controls and screen in a way they are protected if i fold the seats and carry some stuff (ex: i don’t want my snowboard/bike to break the central display or press switches when i break heavy or take a sharp turn).
5) Put a Central seat which is smaller and move the cup holder to be a on demand one ( if 5 people present you can move the middle table/cup holder to under the back seat which makes its 5 seater with out
disturbing the foldable seat concept).
To be true the design is good but it has more to go than exteror and fancy controls
May be the spirits which find missing are
1) Bare necessity sprit
2) Global design / car spirit
3) Safety Sprint
4) A little bit of Volt spirit / efficiency optimization spirit – ex: application of design philosophy/principles of Mercedes-Benz Bionic Concept Vehicle for free fuel economy etc.
May its great to see those sprints in next design iteration and get more feedback so that it can qualify a real Home run in global market.
Sorry looks i am drilling a bit more than needed
to this comment On January 14, 2010 at 6:45 pm Unni said:
On the GMC grill, i got a small story : Long back ,In home of a priest a sacred ceremony was happening. There was a cat in the home and there was more chances for the an to run over the appliances for the ceremony. So the priest brought a small cage and put the cat inside the cage and kept at the side of the ceremony place and did the ceremony. After this for all the ceremony he used to do this to avoid problems from the cat. The priest passed away, his son started the same and he too did the same. After some time the cat passed away and people thought the cat was an integral part of the ceremony. so people started search for a car which looks similar to the old cat and ceremony was postponed till they find a suitable cat. No sacred ceremoney occured till they found a similar cat
.
Old days engines needed big cooling ( specially big engines ) . So grill came, them people started decorating the grill ( engines got smaller, they don’t need that air flow as before and alternative designs occurred but for some people, Grill became definition of brand – does this sounds similar to cat story ?? )
Was going through some link on getting better aerodynamics:
grill block was the first one, which increase the aerodynamics. We use stucco which looks like stone in homes, wonder why we are not using a fake grill ( may be something like looks like a grill but no aero impact )
The list and the link :
http://www.metrompg.com/posts/99-mpg-metro-green-grand-prix.htm
They say the were able to get 99.7 mpg from a Geo Metro using these.
Some of them seem to be do-able at a design time itself :
ex: grill modifications ( may be fake grill, close-able grills,closed grills and pattern the grill more to be aero, wallpaper/Sticker grills etc )
making sure no gaps ( design of parts so that no gaps) on front.
Optional front and back wheel skirts (design should be able to accommodate them )
Zero aero impact mirrors ( from Volt )
Kammback design to favor aerodynamics
Curve on the top till Kammaback to get advantage of the air flow ( ex: front seat can accommodate a 6 feet 8′ person while design back seats for a 6 feet 5′ person so you can get a surface for using the air to push the car to front.
So all above with preserving/using the GMC design language ( thatz designing,other is just copy )
Look at the toyota Toyota FT-CH ( they didnt had the barrier of design language ) – Youth/urban care style but they like to say its more techno than grilly
.
Look at how Honda do FC Sport or crz and how they use aero for advantage than burning fuel.
to this comment On January 12, 2010 at 1:12 pm angelo cafini said:
I love this vehicle! It represents GMC well with a very structured vehicle with attitude. Make tis vehicle and watch the public Buy.
to this comment On January 12, 2010 at 3:47 pm teejayhanton said:
I haven’t bought an American car in almost 10 years. THIS concept could change that. We’re a family of four, currently with a minivan and a compact. With our oldest getting her license in about four years, we’ll likely be ditching the van in favor of two smaller cars. However, we still need the carrying capacity of the van. The Granite looks fantastic, has great styling, swanky interior, and innovative seating (among other features). Well, based on the videos anyway. I’m excited to see something like this actually produced!
to this comment On January 18, 2010 at 2:28 pm Steve Bluhm said:
It’s an interesting concept and this design clearly seeks to solve a lot of the pain that a millions of people experience when traveling every day. I like the seats for this vehicle overall, I think there is some practical value in flat-folding seats when trying to maximize space and storace. Although most people will still buy something like this for trips to the grocery store or IKEA.
I’ve never liked dashboards that are so much different than industry standards, just too hard to get used to and a safety risk, especially in urban environments where even one second counts. Don’t forget the gadgest! Buyers for this vehicle want total connectivity including advanced DIC functionality.
to this comment On January 18, 2010 at 6:06 pm nickp said:
I think this is getting too far from GMC’s DNA. While I lok ethe flexability of the vehical, I am not sold on the exterior. Perhaps GMC should look at a SUBARU killer. There is nothing on teh road right noow to compete with them.
to this comment On January 22, 2010 at 3:26 pm Robert Skully said:
I agree with nickp Subaru is going in the right direction and maybe GMC could give them some big compation.
to this comment On January 23, 2010 at 1:22 am John H said:
I would give this car a look, but I think you need to have a more powerful version. How about dropping the engine from the new Regal into it. As for the doors, though it sounds great to have them open wide to be able to get stuff into the vehicle, in all likelihood, the necessity of strengthening the car where the A pillar should have been will require one door to lock into the other. I currently have a Honda Element and that is how its similarly designed function and I hate them. If someone wants out of the back, you have to open the front. Also, they can be quite difficult to negotiate when in a tight parking space. The exterior of the Granite looks awesome and, unlike many others, I think its stance as well as its apt name fits nicely in the GMC line-up.
to this comment On January 30, 2010 at 7:27 am Tim said:
I am a Realtor, I live in my car…It’s my second office, I drive lots of miles. When I get in the car it’s usually with my computer & some documents. I don’t carry too many big things with me except for signs, my family and the occasional client. If I need to carry some larger supplies it is usually with a 5×10 cargo trailer. To be honest, I do drive off road…to look at lots, undeveloped land and such.
What appeals to me about the Granite is, well all of the above. Diesel gives me the economy, yet torque needed for a small trailer. And I think that Bio Diesel will be a major player as a new “Green” fuel. Origami seats are cool but I don’t think the passenger seat would realistically make it to the real world. I have a better more simple idea that I haven’t seen yet. I like the boxy…but not too boxy look. I love the headlights. The “French doors” don’t excite me…I imagine them banging together. I’m seeing contractors/handymen using the element as a work vehicle. If it had mild off road capabilities, the professional grade could shine through.
to this comment On February 7, 2010 at 4:11 pm sps said:
Wowee!! What an amazing concept! Saw it in person in Detroit, looks fantasic if not smaller in real. The side character lines are wonderful as is the new interpretation of the GMC grill, nice detail. The rear, including the plunked on crome strip under the window needs work to be better resolved. Doesn’t match the rest of the car. Interior… folding front pasenger seat is the best idea, I would buy the car for that reason alone. The upper IP is well done, the lower dash & door design (exposed watches idea) is wierd.
to this comment On February 12, 2010 at 3:33 pm Turbiodiesel! said:
If GM is serious about appealing to people with active lifestyles, consider making it a bit more of a CUV rather than a squared-off hatchback/MPV. I live in Colorado, and hang out in Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico. There’s a lot of trailheads, campgrounds, kayak put-ins, and the like that lie at the end of long, bumpy dirt roads. I’d love to buy GM, but don’t want a vehicle the size of a Terrain – a small, efficient CUV would be excellent for my needs.
A vehicle the size and shape of a Skoda Yeti would appeal to the sorts of people who would buy this vehicle. I’d advise thinking more in terms of a Honda Element than a Scion xB.
to this comment On March 2, 2010 at 4:57 pm Rolf Alexis said:
I really like the concept. The name invokes the toughness of GMC and the styling attributes of the stone cutter, Mies van der Rohe. At the same time the Granite is clearly “out-of-the-box” thinking for GMC. The functionality of the HHR with the minimalistic practical design is very timely. This is a winner. Instrumentation should be simple, intuitive and very tactile. I love the folding seats and the very unique doors. Could the back window open? Outdoorsy & wet stuff can use a lot of ventilation.
Additionally, I do a lot of gardening and I would love to see an uber durable interior, perhaps even being capable of being hosed out! A metro-chic jeep-like vehicle would not only create a niche but dominate it. Let’s build and sell this!
to this comment On March 19, 2010 at 3:16 pm Ron said:
When I shop for a vehicle, I look at how I can haul a big guitar speaker cabinet (up to 4 12 inch speakers), a replacement water heater or similar stuff.
I also look for storage spaces for gear. Would like to have something like a “footlocker” tucked away somewhere that could hold a backpack securely.
Also need lots of tie points. Sometimes I transport rescue dogs, need to either clip in leashes or kennel cages, so more is better.
Ditto to the earlier comment about “need a Subaru equivalent”.
to this comment On May 19, 2010 at 4:23 pm Bruce said:
I would give this car a look, but I think you need to have a more powerful version. How about dropping the engine from the new Regal into it. As for the doors, though it sounds great to have them open wide to be able to get stuff into the vehicle, in all likelihood, the necessity of strengthening the car where the A pillar should have been will require one door to lock into the other. I currently have a Honda Element and that is how its similarly designed function and I hate them. If someone wants out of the back, you have to open the front. Also, they can be quite difficult to negotiate when in a tight parking space. The exterior of the Granite looks awesome and, unlike many others, I think its stance as well as its apt name fits nicely in the GMC line-up.