The Geneva motor show is one of the year’s best opportunities to see concept cars from the few European design houses that are still around, but rarely are they luxury sedans with suicide doors. Hybrid luxury sedans with suicide doors, to be precise.
That’s just what Pininfarina brought to Geneva: The H600 was developed in partnership with the Hybrid Kinetic Group and claims a maximum range of 621 miles, which gets over the all-important 1,000-kilometer barrier thanks to a mysterious battery and a turbine-run range extender, whose detailed specs were not disclosed.
But the performance figures of the concept sedan are nothing short of another shot fired in the EV launch-time wars: Pininfarina says the H600 can silently whoosh to 62 mph in just 2.9 seconds, and it has a output of “over 600 kilowatts,” which translates to just over 800 hp. As you might have guessed by now, this 4,122-pound sedan won’t be able to hit that max range of 612 miles if it lights up the tires at every traffic light, though the claimed maximum range is currently in the top tier of concept, if not production, EVs.
The future of hybrid turbine sedans looks… very bright.
“The H600 targets the businessman who appreciates refined details, precious materials and exclusive treatments,” Pininfarina says. “The international and cosmopolitan approach expresses values approved of in Hong Kong as they are in Shanghai, New York or Milan.”
Since the first two of the four cities that Pininfarina mentions are in China, you can guess at which market this concept sedan is aimed.
The exterior design has a whiff of Maserati to it at first glance, though it’s could be the soft, rounded surfaces and the design of the front fascia that create the impression. The design of the front and rear fascias is unique and refreshing enough, while the profile and the generous rear overhang create a sporty stance. Pininfarina went heavy on chrome inside and out, adding plenty of wood elements to the interior, but the design house hasn’t forgotten about infotainment tech.
Pininfarina focused just as much on the luxurious design as on the powertrain of this concept.
“The design maximizes the simplicity of the controls,” Pininfarina says. “The Human Machine Interface elements inside the car work at different levels, with a big screen that cuts across the fascia and calls to mind a suspended cabinet. Thus, the various zones are well-identified: the driver side with controls and gauges and, on the passenger side, a comfortable zone for the passenger with the infotainment system. In the center, a large touch pad makes it possible to control all vehicle functions. Two screens on the back of the front seats ensure entertainment for the rear seat passengers.”
When will the H600 burn rubber at a traffic light near you? For now, this is just a concept, though the Mahindra-owned design consultancy would love to see these on the streets of Hong Kong and Shanghai.