Ford Iosis Max previews Aussie Focus

FORD has confirmed the Iosis Max concept car will provide many of the design cues that will debut on the next-generation Focus small-car, which will be manufactured by Ford Australia from 2011.

Speaking at last week’s Shanghai motor show, Ford of Europe’s executive director of design Martin Smith told GoAuto the Iosis Max, which made its Asian debut in China following its global premiere at the Geneva show in March, previews many of the ‘kinetic’ design elements that will appear on the next generation of Ford’s C-segment (small-car) model family.

“It’s actually not a preview of any particular production model, but … we’ve said that it gives an insight into how kinetic design is developing and how some of the design cues that we’ll be using for the next generation of C cars are developing.

“The Iosis Max is a demonstration of how you can apply kinetic design taken to the next level in a family vehicle, or what we call a MAV (multi-activity vehicle).”

Mr Smith said Ford’s first Iosis concept vehicle revealed design elements that reached production in the new Mondeo mid-sizer, while the Iosis X crossover concept revealed at the 2006 Paris motor show effectively became the compact Kuga SUV.

Left: Ford Kuga, and below, Ford Mondeo.

The Kuga is under evaluation for sale in Australia and could also form part of the eventual small-car model portfolio to be produced at Broadmeadows by Ford Australia.

“The job of that (Iosis X) concept vehicle was to show that kinetic design was not a one-off event but, much more, kinetic design could be applied to a very different vehicle in the form of an SUV crossover,” said Mr Smith.

“(But) Possibly the most difficult exercise was to demonstrate that kinetic design is also applicable to a family vehicle. In general, family vehicles, from whichever manufacturer you want to choose, are designed really around family values and I don’t think … any of our competitors have attempted to design a family vehicle with the same dynamic visual quality that kinetic design can offer.

“So I think Iosis Max in that sense is quite unique, in showing that a family vehicle now can actually be something that’s attractive and you actually want one because of the design and without compromising any of the practical values.

“It’s actually lower, for example, than the C-Max, but it’s higher than the Focus, so we’re not saying that you’re looking at the next Ford Focus or you’re looking at the next Ford C-Max.

“What we’re saying is that you’re looking at a vehicle which first of all gives the family passenger van a whole new level of appeal, and gives you an outlook that kinetic design can be developed in a format like that and can be taken to the next level.

“When you see the next generation of C cars you’ll recognise many elements in the next family of C cars from this vehicle. You’ll see many of the elements in the Focus and in the next C-Max – the next generation.”

Mr Smith said various styling attributes from the Iosis Max could appear separately on future small cars to come from Ford.

“We’re not specifying what elements you might see on what car, but we are indicating that kinetic design has a future in that we’re attempting to refine the development of kinetic design to take it to the next level in each successive vehicle,” he said.