The Aistaland GT7, an intelligent shooting brake coupe built around a Level 3 autonomous architecture, has been named a Platinum winner in the Car and Land Based Motor Vehicles Design category of the A’ Design Award — the program’s highest distinction. The vehicle was developed by Huawang Automotive Technology Guangzhou Co., Ltd., whose Aistaland brand was created jointly with Huawei Qiankun. Entries in the car design category are assessed through a blind peer-review process by a jury of design professionals, automotive industry experts, journalists, and academics, according to the organizer. Judging criteria include integration of technology, ergonomic efficiency, safety measures, and advanced driving features.
Highlights
- Platinum in the Car and Land Based Motor Vehicles Design category, the A’ Design Award’s top distinction
- Level 3 autonomous architecture pairing LiDAR with DTOF cameras for high-precision 3D perception modeling
- Continuous Intelligent Driving Blue Light system communicates operational status with 360-degree clarity
- 88-inch AR-HUD structurally synchronized with dashboard curvature and projection geometry
Perception Hardware Behind the L3 Architecture
The GT7 combines LiDAR with DTOF cameras to build high-precision 3D perception modeling, the basis of its Level 3 architecture. The sensor pairing places the vehicle alongside a wider set of L3-oriented programs that treat long-range lidar as a prerequisite for conditional automation rather than a camera supplement.
Huawang says the design internalizes technology within a restrained structural order, guided by the principle that form follows function.
How Does the GT7 Signal Its Driving State?
A continuous Intelligent Driving Blue Light system communicates the vehicle’s operational status with 360-degree clarity, giving drivers and surrounding road users a visible indication of what the automated system is doing. The company frames the feature as a response to a broader industry question — how automated vehicles should communicate machine states to people inside and outside the car.
The approach parallels external status signaling adopted elsewhere in the L3 segment, including the turquoise automated driving marker lights tested on Mercedes-Benz DRIVE PILOT vehicles.
Safety and Display Systems
An active safety hood uses intelligent collision discrimination algorithms and adaptive lifting mechanisms. Inside, the 88-inch AR-HUD (augmented reality head-up display) is structurally synchronized with the dashboard curvature and projection geometry, with Huawei DLP 3.0 projection enabling full-color display.
Other elements include a segmented diffuse-reflection rear light built on a Geneva-pattern aluminum panel and a dynamic tweeter diffuser co-developed with Huawei that incorporates precision motorized articulation.
Design Team and Supporting Research
The GT7 was developed by a team at Huawang Automotive Technology Guangzhou comprising Li Peizhen, Tan Chufan, Yang Hao, Li Xuan, Wang Fengming, Cai Xijiang, Shen Peng, and Ji Xiaoqing, working across design, engineering, interaction, and systematic integration.
Huawang reports that research underpinning the vehicle demonstrated reduced cognitive load and improved trust perception among drivers in simulated and real-road evaluations. The company says the findings provide a foundation for continued work on autonomous vehicle design strategies.
What the Platinum Category Recognizes
The A’ Design Award has operated since 2008 and is in its 18th year. The Car and Land Based Motor Vehicles Design category is open to car designers, design agencies, automotive manufacturers, and brands, with submissions evaluated against pre-established criteria that also cover durability, space optimization, future-readiness, and brand identity integration.
