First Look: Ford previews next Fiesta with Verve

FORD has revealed a concept car that strongly hints at the design of its next-generation Fiesta.

The company has released images of the Verve and will formally introduce the bold design concept at the Frankfurt motor show next month.

Ford said the Verve pointed to the future of its small car design, but the concept car is believed to preview the next-generation Fiesta light car which is expected to go on sale in Europe in 2008.

Ford Motor Company global product development vice-president Derek Kuzak even told AP the Verve was “very representative of what you'll see” in the next Fiesta.

The front of the striking three-door hatch is dominated by a large air-dam grille that could have been lifted straight from an Aston Martin.

Long ‘slit’ headlights stretch almost as far back as the mid point of the front wheel-arches, while each side of the bonnet rises to meet the quarter panels.

The Verve features pumped-out wheel-arches and a crease that runs from the front wheel-arch and rises to meet the tail-lights.

It has a dark tinted glass roof that joins and integrated roof spoiler at the rear, while a rear diffuser-style black plastic section at the bottom of the bumper houses a centrally mounted exhaust outlet.

The side view reveals a gently sloping roof that is indicative of the European trend for tall small cars that maximise interior space.

Ford designers fitted the Verve with 18-inch high-gloss chrome wheels, while there is also a chrome ring around the side window outline, the grille and even the rear foglights.

LED clusters are used for the headlights and tail-lights, but it’s unlikely these will make it into production.

The interior design looks as though it is not far from production, with a youthful yet practical style. There is a mass of red lighting and huge information/entertainment screen in the middle of the dashboard, which is less likely to make it into the road-going car.

While there are some unique design elements, including the prominent grille, it is clear the Verve, and therefore Fiesta, is a close relative of the just released Mazda2.

For the record, the Mazda2 and the Fiesta share the same platform.

The Verve’s general side profile, roofline, design crease that runs along the side of the vehicle are similar although the Verve’s C-pillar is quite different to its Mazda sibling.

Ford said it would gauge the reaction to the Verve concept, which was a joint design project shared by teams in Dunton, England and Cologne, Germany, in order help it decide the direction of its small car design direction.

Ford could make some minor last minute-changes to the Fiesta to address any reaction in Frankfurt, but in reality the Fiesta design would be largely locked-in at this stage.

More likely, Ford wants to test the water for design cues that could end up on future models that are due later, such as the next-generation Focus.

The Verve is the latest incarnation of Ford’s ‘kinetic’ design, following the Iosis and Iosis X, which heavily hinted to the Mondeo and Kuga crossover wagon.

“Ford Verve Concept is clearly our most expressive form language yet,” said Martin Smith, executive director of design for Ford of Europe.

“Bold, even radical, it demonstrates the dynamic possibilities for expressing Ford’s kinetic design philosophy in a small car that is a chic, modern and individualistic statement for a sophisticated, fashion-aware generation.”