The vehicle name comes from Interior and Exterior Designer, Akino Tsuchiya, a 37-year-old who was born in Japan and is based at the Chrysler Group's Pacifica Design Studios in Carlsbad, California. The meaning of the name Akino is 'autumn field.' The feeling of serenity that is evoked with these words is a theme present throughout the vehicles design.

'I wanted the soothing, comforting feeling of a living room on the interior all surrounded by an elegant form that reflects the Chrysler brand,' Tsuchiya said of her concept vehicle revealed at the 2005 Tokyo Motor Show. 'We very much wanted a feeling of being at home on the road.' Tsuchiya added that for those in Japan, driving on a weekend or free time is an experience of being together such as through family outings or traveling with friends.

The Chrysler Akino concept has a single door on the driver side, and two doors on the passenger side that open in opposite directions. This arrangement allows the interior to have a booth-like rear seat with a swiveling passenger seat. The roof features an unusual interlocking form toward the rear which punctuates the design and provides more headroom for the rear seat passengers.

The exterior features a side glass that has an unusual graphic breakup while the rear glass is specially coated with texture to give passengers a sense of privacy and comfort.

'We wanted an artful, sculptural and graceful form that was influenced by artwork and architecture,' Tsuchiya said. 'Refinement is at the heart of the Chrysler brand. The combination of those brand attributes and artistic grace helped us to bring much of the home into the automobile.'