An unlikely star of Die Hard is making an automotive comeback
A return for former Eastern European budget brand Yugo is on the cards with the reveal of a new design study at the annual Car Design Event (CDE) in Munich.
The Yugo brand died in 2008 and is now owned by entrepreneur Aleksandar Bjelić, who presented a 1:5 scale model of a new Yugo Siaj at CDE. Work is said to be underway on a full-size, fully-functioning prototype due to be presented in 2027.
The design, created by Serbian designer Darko Marčeta, shows a Ford Fiesta -sized car with hints of classic Yugo models. It's only a three-door car – a bold move as three-door superminis are few and far between these days – and was presented in a shade of blue that also references Yugos of old.
Speaking at the CDE event, Bjelić said 'the mission for the Siaj designer Darko Marčeta was very clear: preserve the heritage of the old Yugo and create a design to bring the next Yugo into the future.
'We tried to create something where people who know the old Yugo immediately recognise the new Yugo. Nevertheless, for younger people who don't know the old version, we wanted to have an attractive model. We also tried to keep [familiar] details on the car. For example, the air inlet on the hood is now used to display the model name.'
Bjelić also says he has no plans to engineer or manufacture the car himself, but is looking for an automotive partner to take the concept to reality. That also means using somebody else's technology under the skin, with electric power a possibility as well as internal combustion engines.
Yugo produced a range of cars starting in its home market of Yugoslavia 45 years ago and exporting to other markets including the UK and USA. The Yugo also appeared in a few Hollywood movies, notably Dragnet and Die Hard With a Vengeance.
Bjelić hopes that any future Yugo model will remain true to the original's principles of being simple, affordable transport with a hint of sportiness – or as Samuel L. Jackson's character in Die Hard puts it, 'it's a Yugo. It's built for economy, not speed'.
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