Concept cars are staples at major car events, but such cars typically look much different if and when they make it to production. MOTORING takes a close look at five distinctive concept models which were launched this year.

2015 Lexus LF-SA Concept2015 Lexus LF-SA Concept

2015 Lexus LF-SA concept

Appearance: You’ve just got to love the amazing grille, which almost looks like the inside of a shark’s mouth thanks to row after row of sharp, pointy ‘teeth’. It’s well out of character for a tiny little city car, but then again such aggressive design is not likely to make production. The Lexus LF-SA has stunning wheels, too, although you wouldn’t want to be the one who has to clean them. In other respects, this looks like a serious stab at a premium A-segment car.

Prediction: Has Lexus really got the budget to launch a car like this? If it can make it work in its vast Japanese and US markets, yes. But ironically, in Europe – the home of the small car – Lexus probably doesn’t sell enough cars to be able to make this work. Trying to persuade young buyers to spend what would likely be thousands of euro more on a Lexus instead of simply buying a Toyota Aygo would be more or less impossible, to say the least.

Volkswagen Golf GTE SportVolkswagen Golf GTE Sport

Vw Golf GTE Sport

Appearance: As you’d expect for a 395bhp hybrid concept, it looks a bit unhinged. VW says the design ‘perfects the idea of C-pillars’, which is possibly the most bizarre thing ever said about a concept car. The aggressive bodywork isn’t that effective aerodynamically, with the considerable power output only bringing a maximum speed of 174mph – barely higher than a de-restricted Golf R with 100bhp less.

Prediction: Volkswagen likes to show concepts like this as side projects to its main aim: developing better hybrid drive-trains and lightweight construction techniques for next-generation cars. With the GTE Sport, the company is looking “a long way into the future,” but rest assured that you’ll see the power unit before you see the styling.

Citroen AircrossCitroen Aircross

Citroen Aircross

Appearance: At a glance, you might brush the Aircross off as a new Cactus or Grand Picasso, such is the familiarity of its front end. But let your eyes slide to the rest of the car and you’ll be pleasantly surprised by a chunky, distinctive and different SUV. It’s all rather nice, although the interior might look slightly unfinished.

Prediction: This isn’t far off from what Citroen will eventually bring to the market. The design falls close enough to its existing cars to be believable, the interior points at the digital dominance already seen in recent Citroens, and you can probably count on a spread of bright colours, too.

Suzuki iK-2 ConceptSuzuki iK-2 Concept

Suzuki iK-2 Concept

Appearance: The two-tone paint job is a step into modernity for Suzuki, following in the wheel tracks of the new Vitara, which already offers contrasting roof and pillar colours. The marque doesn’t have anything in the compact hatchback segment, but the iK-2 is a positive, if quite typically Japanese, hint at things to come. Check out the Liquid Flow design theme, for starters.

Prediction: The delightfully ‘80s sci-fi ‘BoosterJet’ 1.0-litre turbocharged engine is a dead cert to make it to production in the near future. So is the iK-2, but the level of change it sees before hitting the showroom is certainly up for debate. Expect it to lose much of its presence as its 1.9 metre width is chopped down, its wheels are made smaller and its suspension lifted slightly. But hopefully, Suzuki will work to maintain enough charm in the design to keep as many buyers as possible interested.

Nissan Juke-R 2.0 ConceptNissan Juke-R 2.0 Concept

Nissan Juke-R 2.0 concept

Appearance: Rather like the first Juke-R that had chequebooks waving frantically in the Middle East after the prototype trounced a collection of exotic supercars in an improvised race, the Juke-R 2.0 is big, wide and as brawny as a bar full of drunken wrestlers. With its matt black paint, gaping new cooling vents in the front and huge brakes barely hidden behind aggressive alloys, it looks like it wants to crush you and then eat you.

Prediction: With 600 horsepower, the Nissan Juke-R 2.0 is a serious piece of kit. It’s hardly going to match the regular Juke’s massive sales figures but it might just make production, more or less as you see it here. The marque is gauging customer interest in the world’s fastest compact crossover, and our money is on a limited production run.

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