Saab Kalevala Concept

New Designers 14 Oct 2009
Saab Kalevala Concept

The Saab Kalevala is a design study of a four-door four-seater coupé with an aerodynamic design inspired by the aviation world and by the brand’s heritage. The author is design student Rubén Barrientos from Spain.


The Saab Kalevala is a four-door, four-seats coupe, with the back doors smaller than usual and are rear-hinged to facilitate the access to the cabin.

Saab Kalevala ConceptSaab Kalevala ConceptThe body of the Kalevala has larger dimensions compared to the models of the same segment. This is aimed at offering enough headroom for the passengers.

Saab Kalevala Design Sketch Saab Kalevala Design SketchThe exterior design is characterized by volumes and surfaces defined by the doors edges and the cutlines and inspired by the aviation world and by the Saab 92 historic model.

Saab Kalevala Design Panel Saab Kalevala Design PanelThe front end – dominated by the single, smooth volume of the hood/fenders – takes inspiration from the brand’s emblem and features a modern re-interpretation of the Saab ideographic grille with the U-shaped headlights surrounding two of the three typical front air inlets.

Saab Kalevala ConceptSaab Kalevala ConceptThe aerodynamic design of the body has the goal of increasing the efficiency and stability of the vehicle in the back axis.

Saab Kalevala Interior Saab Kalevala InteriorThe name Kalevala derives from the Kalevala “Heroes Earth”, an epic poem based on an oral tradition of poetry, published in 1835 by Elias Lönnrot (1802-1884), which represented "a point of inflexion in the history of Finland."

As Rubén explains, "I have designed this concept car with the idea of creating a point of inflexion in the design of Saab" that could allow the company to widen its target audience and compete in the premium segment with other carmakers such as Audi and BMW without changing its core values.

Saab Kalevala Clay ModelSaab Kalevala Clay Model Saab Kalevala Clay ModelAbout the designer

Rubén Barrientos is a 25 years student who has just finished a scholarship in vehicle design at the UPV (Polytechnic University of Valencia) as a prize of the design contest organized by magazine Autopista and Nissan.

BMW M9 Design Panel BMW M9 Design Panel
Above, the BMW M9 2-seater concept by Rubén Barrientos. The car is inspired by the 507 and 328 historical models

Contact details:

(Image Courtesy: Rubén Barrientos)

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