auto design

Ask anyone who's ever talked back to their GPS navigation system: Product developers are pretty good at using technology to humanize inanimate objects. But how would you like it if your car responded to your presence -- lighting up with delight or panting like a pet dog? What if, more helpfully, it recognized your touch on the steering wheel, and queued up your favorite MP3s and set your seating position just the way you liked it?

The problem with minivans is that they tend to look a lot like minivans. That's why we were so excited when we saw Nissan's Quest concept at the 2002 Detroit show. For the first time, someone had something different -- daring, even. One year later, the production version has watered down the original striking shape. The concept's defiant beltline kick has now been softened to a limp upward swell, the narrow and aggressive headlamp treatment has gained a sad-dog look, and the still-pretty dash that had been a model of simplicity and elegance is now festooned with the usual panoply of buttons.