Taking a page from smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi, upstart Chinese automaker Cowin has crowdsourced a number of the design features for a vehicle it plans to launch in 2018.

Cowin's crowdsourcing platform, launched on July 28, logged 120,000 visitors who were invited to submit designs for 13 different sections of the vehicle, including interior design, infotainment system and headlights.

Judges selected 104 entries from among 280 submitted, then opened the voting to the public to choose the top three overall designs based on interior and exterior appearance.

Cowin says it has now selected the winning entry, whose designer will receive professional training in Italy from automotive design company ED Group in preparation for turning the drawings into reality. The design will then be turned into a full-scale clay model, which will debut at the Beijing Motor Show in April 2016.

Cowin has a range of sedans and hatchbacks in production. Image credit: Cowin.Cowin plans put the vehicle into mass production in time for the 2019 model year.

Launched in 2014, the Wuhu-based automaker has focused on China's increasingly mobile youth market. It already has put into production a range of lower-priced sedans and hatchbacks.