For this year’s Geneva Motor Show, VW Group-owned Italdesign crafted a concept named GEA, the purpose of which is to show how a luxurious, autonomous sedan of the future may look like.
“In the near future, the real luxury will be time,” said Italdesign styling chief, Wolfgang Egger, who moved from Audi to Italdesign last year.

Italdesign’s GEA is a large sedan measuring 5370mm long, making it nearly 120mm longer than the Mercedes-Benz S-Class LWB. It’s also 1,980mm wide, 1,460mm tall and rides on a generous 3,330mm wheelbase.

Power comes from four electric motors fitted on the differentials producing a combined output of 570kW or 764hp / 775PS affording the concept a theoretical top speed of 250km/h (155mph)

The materials used for the chassis and body include aluminum, carbon fiber and magnesium, with the car tipping the scales at just over 2,000 kg (4,409 lbs).

It has a sleek and almost Audi-like appearance on the outside, with slim LED headlamps that change color according to the driving mode (white in normal configuration and blue in autonomous mode) and massive 26-inch wheels with 60 spokes.

Italdesign fitted the GEA with suicide-style doors, doing away with the B-pillars. The interior has four individual seats, though the main highlight is an integrated smartphone with an app that allows passengers to control all the vehicle functions, from the choice of three different modes named Business, Wellness and Dream, to more typical adjustments such as seats, climate control, door opening and infotainment system.

“When designing GEA we thought of the businessmen and businesswomen of tomorrow: the time spent travelling will become productive even in a car,” said Egger. “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 or a dream area. This is our vision of luxury mobility for the future.”

Italdesign describes the three modes thusly:

Business mode

When business mode is selected, GEA turns into a genuine travelling office. The LEDs in the door panels project a white light which, according to the principles of chromotherapy, aids concentration and productivity. 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. In this case, the LEDs in the panel turn an amber color, for a warmer and more relaxing ambiance.

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.

There is also a small refrigerator compartment between the two seats which can be used for cold drinks and juices. At the top, a small drawer contains cosmetics and a perfumed pouch for aromatherapy.

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.

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