In terms of profile raising, none of the concepts released in 2025 could match the furore caused by the 2024 Jaguar Type 00. That’s not to say there weren’t a few high-profile shockers on show throughout the year, just that none of them could equal the cultural and mechanical do-over that the shocking pink Jag represented.
Avatr Vision Xpectra concept car
Instead, we had a number of concepts seeking to re-shape the art of automotive packaging, some looking forward to a future of more compact cars, others harking back to the vast barges of the combustion era. Chinese brands are carrying the torch of outré creativity, with projects like the Avatr Vision Xpectra and XPeng’s wild Aero HT ‘Land Aircraft Carrier’, but there were other welcome oddities as well, such as the six-wheeled Lexus LS Concept and GM’s trio of futuristic Corvette Concepts.
Read on to discover the boldest future thinking of 2025.
1. Citroën ELO
Citroën ELO Concept
The ELO is a charming new concept from Citroën, both a revival of the ultra-utilitarian design seen in post-war cars like the 2CV and a nod to multifunctional future where the car is a third space.
2. Mercedes-Benz Vision Iconic
Mercedes-Benz Vision Iconic concept
Perhaps the most OTT conceptual designs of the year, the Vision Iconic was an unashamedly luxurious machine with nods to 30s and 50s Mercedes design.
3. Dacia Hipster
Dacia Hipster Concept
A chunky kei car for Europe, the little Dacia Hipster offers urban street smarts at a fraction of the scale of most modern SUVs.
4. Cupra Tindaya
Cupra Tindaya Concept
The Baroque-Gothic exuberance of Cupra’s Tindaya doesn’t really any equivalents in contemporary car design. It’s as if Antoni Gaudí and Christopher Nolan teamed up to make a mid-sized family SUV.
5. Audi Concept C
Audi Concept C
What could just be the most influential Audi design study in decades, the Concept C was a TT-sized sports EV that previewed an all-new design language for Audi going forward.
6. Peugeot 504 Pikes Peak
Peugeot 504 Pikes Peak
A marvellous piece of collaborative creativity from Peugeot Design Lab, the Pikes Peak was one of a pair of concepts created with French hip-hop group 113 to celebrate the classic family wagon.
7. Toyota FT-Me
Toyota FT-Me Concept Car
Another welcome exploration of micromobility, Toyota’s tiny FT-Me concept is a vision of an urban transport and cargo vehicle of tomorrow.
8. Hyundai E3W and E4W
Hyundai E4W and E3W Micromobility concepts
Hyundai also sought to downscale, only this time with three wheels rather than four. The Hyundai E3W and E4W concepts took the iconic Indian scooter as a starting point and reimagines it for a number of new scenarios.
9. Bentley EXP 15
The original 1930 Speed Six alongside the new Bentley EXP 15
Perhaps the closest equivalent to a ‘Type 00 Moment’ came in the shape of Bentley’s massive EXP 15, created as part of the launch celebrations for the company’s new design centre in Crewe and ahead of 2026’s first ever all-electric ‘city’ Bentley.
10. Mercedes-AMG Concept GT XX
Mercedes-AMG Concept AMG GT XX
The big GT XX previews 2026’s AMG four-door, but the product car is unlikely to have the zinging impact of the bright orange, droop-snooted concept. Merc also had the Mercedes-Benz Vision V Concept, which we described as ‘an art deco picture palace on wheels’. Both were among the final works overseen by departing CDO Gorden Wagener, who spent his time at the marque striving to inject more emotion and exuberance.
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