Baby Designs That Rule

Shrinkage in general is never a good thing whether from the warehouse, your bank account or from your favorite sweater. It's also true in design as at best a shrunken-down design ends up being cute but rarely fierce or gorgeous. Fortunately there are exceptions as the following three recent "baby" designs prove that a tailored slim fit look can do wonders at times. Not only do all three do an excellent job of adapting the brand design to their smaller proportions but arguably end up with better and fresher designs than their more expensive brandmates.

Audi A3

The A3 sedan reminds many of the popular fan favorite "B5" Audi A4 based on its size and tidy design. The A3 sedan leans heavily on the current A4 but sharpens up every angle perfectly. It is one of the rare sedans developed out of hatchbacks that actually looks better than its five door counterpart and has a completely own identity. While both are stylish compacts the A3 works the Audi design theme better than its rival CLA does the Mercedes theme.

 

Maserati Ghibli

The last generation Quattroporte was a brand savior selling at level never before seen for its four door sedan. The Quattroporte stood out among its competition with a unique style even after many years on the market. The Quattroporte however was a tweener, a few inches shorter than the rest of the executive sedan competition. This time around Maserati added nearly ten inches of length but unfortunately also lost a lot of the athletic look of the previous generation. Enter the Ghibli, which takes all the cues of the latest Quattroporte into a compact package slightly shorter than the last giving it very few empty flat surfaces of the larger sedan. The aggressive Maserati sedan is back and early sales indicate a great success.

Porsche Macan

The first generation Cayenne is a vehicle that many love to loath for its existence, design and eventual sales success. Porsche made significant design improvements its refresh and the second generation Cayenne. Still, the Cayenne is on the bubbly side for an SUV with its performance credentials. The Macan looked almost identical to the Cayenne under the covers in testing but the reveal brought a much sportier and edgier package. 918 inspired lights and a faster roofline help cement its design as the better looking Porsche SUV.