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Following out Top 5 Production designs of 2025 that we published last week, today we list the concept car designs we feel made the biggest contribution this year: the most creative; the most impactful; and those signalling the most compelling new creative strategies — something we have seen more of than ever before (as we flagged in our piece The best new designs are now presented as part of a Design Philosophy).

It has been noticeable that, at a time when many brands are scaling back advanced design activity, this year has had a bumper crop of concept designs — to select a top 5 was hard in a year that gave us a six-wheeled Lexus luxury MPV as part of a wider Lexus luxury environment and collection of land-air-sea vehicles, a central-driving position Citroen developed with Decathlon, a Genesis that reinvents the luxury shooting-brake, Honda previewing an entirely new EV direction, Mercedes setting out a luxury MPV offer, and the most bare-bones of Toyotas conceived exclusively for Africa.

Image © Lexus; Citroen; Genesis; Honda; Mercedes Toyota

Below is the CDR list of the top 5 concept car designs debuting in 2025, compiled by reviewing all of the Design Trend Reports we produce throughout the year (presented to the design groups of many of the world’s car brands) with our associates.

As last year, we are interested to see which of these resonate most strongly, so please reply to this story with which concept design you rate as the best of 2025 (and ideally a line on why you chose it).

1. Audi Concept C - THE most talked about concept of 2025, and one that embodies the brand’s new design philosophy and paves the way for the future as well as a close preview of a production electric sports car. The Audi C Concept is very significant for three reasons: 1. Audi is a major brand known for design that much of the car design community has been missing for many years; 2. This direction markedly changes the brand’s design direction – so much so that it contradicts what the brand sells today; 3. It contentiously leans on old design idioms – literally referencing a 30 year old design and espousing a direction aligned with past values – despite being a brand centred on the future (*Vorsprung Durch Technik* – Progress through technology). Image © Audi.

2. Avatr Vision Xpectra concept - Billed as realising ‘Emotive Luxury’ and purporting to be designed around ‘The Vortex’, an ‘intelligent interaction system’ that helps “form a deep emotional connection” with the user. Likely previewing a very large Avatr sedan and maybe also something of new exterior and interior design directions, and showing a host of interesting ideas likely not to make it to production. Image © Avatr.

3. Bentley EXP 15 concept - Paying homage to the 1930 Bentley Speed Six Gurney Nutting Sportsman coupe, (the “Blue Train”) in its coupe meets shooting-brake design typology. Places Bentley’s heritage into a shooting-brake typology whilst also presenting a contemporary, design-led future direction and new ways to realise craft and theatre - an exceedingly complete concept design. Image © Bentley.

4. Dacia Hipster concept - Very small (short in particular: length of the original Mini – but 15cm wider and 20cm taller) EV designed around ‘essential mobility’ – the minimum required for safe, comfortable everyday travel; right-sizing vehicles, removing unnecessary complexity and cost, and delivering only features people genuinely need to move reliably day to day. Closer to production intent that the previous Manifesto, this small charming boxy car is perhaps most exciting for what it suggests may likely be a forthcoming design that can be bought. Let’s hope they can hold onto some of the exciting functional design. Image © Dacia.

5. Hyundai Ioniq Three concept - A concept that both gives a foretaste of a subsequent production Ioniq 3 coupe (that channels the spirit of the 2011 Hyundai Veloster) and follows the Insteroid concept from a few moths ago with a similarly fun, game-inspired aesthetic. Characterful and detail-rich, the Ioniq Three projects confidence, using playful surfaces and surprising touches to stand apart from both Europe’s heritage-led cues and China’s technology-driven direction. Image © Hyundai.

Let us know in the comments which is your top design!

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Top 5 concept designs of 2025

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