Open wide! Upcoming Exeed E08 MPV has clever semi-robotic doors

Chinese automotive giant Chery spawned the Exeed luxury sports brand in 2017, and the Exeed E08 "Concept MPV" shown at Auto China last week definitely does exceed expectations. The Exeed 08 features automation at six key points to vastly increase the usability of the vehicle and to optimize space, plus it offers a few very handy party tricks. At 5.2 meters in length, it is less than two inches longer than a Kia Carnival or Chrysler Pacifica, but the Chinese-UK design team appears to have thought about using every part of the vehicle to create better access and usability, and much of the function of the vehicle's robotic doors was not demonstrated to the press during the press days. Starting from a clean sheet, Exeed has used that vast area at the front of an MPV for a series of lights, rather than imprinting the traditional "Company design DNA" that is essentially a carryover from the internal combustion engine era - when designs were required to accommodate large radiators and air ducts. It clearly shows front doors that can remain flat with the vehicle while open, and the massive sliding doors on either side of the vehicle which offer easy access to the third row of seats. As can be seen from this photo from the show, the front doors also open much wider than normal doors, but with this degree of access available on both sides of the vehicle, the design certainly gets the maximum space possible from the shape of the vehicle. It might also explain why before the 2024 Beijing Auto Show is even finished, rumours are swirling that the Exeed E08 concept car will see production before the year is out, with a price of CNY 400,000 - 500,000.