CES: Aussie design house behind VinFast ute

AUSTRALIAN design studio Gomotiv has come out swinging in Las Vegas, demonstrating for the first time the full breadth of its capabilities with the show stopping VinFast VF Wild EV ute concept and VF 3 budget hatch.

Successfully partnered with Vietnamese manufacturer VinFast, the independent Melbourne-based design team created the concept and production models to clearly reflect the brand identity already established by previous models, taking just six months to bring the duo to life.

“The client has very clear that they wanted to establish a strong brand identity built on previous vehicles in their range. They specifically asked us to create a mid-size truck with high appeal and flexibility not present in the current pick-up market,” explained Gomotiv studio director Robert Thorpe.

“We have a strong working relationship with VinFast, and our team worked with their leadership and design team to help deliver their interior and exterior vision, developing concepts and then executing the show car design and development over a six-month period – an incredibly fast result for an OEM.

“The team produced amazing work and we are very pleased for the client.”

According to Mr Thorpe, the VF Wild is no ordinary pick-up, offering styling he says is confident, commanding and thoroughly modern. The concept model combines the practicality of a power-folding mid-gate enabling the class-leading tray bed to expand from 1524 to 2438mm, folding cantilevered seats, plus an integrated glass panoramic roof.

“The Wild design is intended to make drivers feel like they can venture beyond the daily grind and explore the great outdoors. With the practicality of the expanding bed, work and play can be done in style and comfort,” he said.

Meanwhile, the VF 3 – an electric mini-SUV initially shared as a concept in mid-2023 – features a balance of robust geometric blocks and sleek lines, creating an aesthetically pleasing exterior.

“Our brief was to design a compact modern vehicle for drivers who value practicality with contemporary city-inspired styling. We are so please that the VF 3 was shared globally at the Consumer Electronics Show,” said Mr Thorpe.

Based in the inner-Melbourne suburb of Abbotsford, the Gomotiv team launched in 2020 as a division of the Outerspace Design Group, bringing together what it says is an all-star team of experienced global vehicle designers.

Gomotiv has since worked with clients including Chery, Ford, Horizon, Nissan and VinFast, and is currently providing interior and exterior design and engineering services in Australia, Asia and the United States.

“When the automotive industry left Australia, we didn’t want the specialist design skills to die out here,” explained Outerspace Design Group founder Fred Blochlinger.

“So, we set up Gomotive as an alternative to the European studios and we are pleased that we have won out against those long-standing design houses.

“We started pulling the vision together in late 2020 as part of an independent group within Outerspace; we felt the time was right for another studio to compete globally.”

While Gomotive is a relatively new design firm, it brings together staff with decades of design experience from around the globe, and includes nearly two dozen staff working in design, detail, sculpting, studio engineering and program management who have previously worked in senior positions and Ford, General Motors, Jaguar, Kia, McLaren and Toyota.

“We are focused on designing complete vehicles like those for VinFast – all the way from concept sketches to show car design and to production release – successfully competing with established studios,” added Mr Thorpe.

“We work closely with our clients to define a strong brand identity and design language to set them apart from competitors in a crowded market. Quality design will differentiate brands.”