Yup, it sure looks an awful lot like the Prius. In fact, it's the new Ford Verve concept vehicle, which is said to be the design of the next Fiesta in Europe. Some sources indicate a strong likelihood of making its way into the USA. Ford Motor Company's press comments: Ford Verve Concept – a bold and colourful concept car to be revealed at the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show – gives the first hints of Ford’s future small-car design vision. The significance of the Ford Verve Concept is that it's the first physical evidence of the design direction for an all-new small Ford since it was announced earlier this year that the European arm of the company's global Product Development group is taking the design and engineering lead in creating a new small-car portfolio for major world markets. The Ford Verve Concept is the first of three concept vehicles which will debut in key regions – Europe, Asia and North America. “Ford Verve Concept is presented here in Frankfurt as a bespoke concept car to generate reactions while our production plans are taking shape,” said John Fleming, President and CEO of Ford of Europe. “Our Design team took an unrestrained approach to how our future small cars could look, and this eye-catching concept was one of the results. If we get the reaction we expect, I’m certain that the team will incorporate elements of this advanced design vision into our final production design. This will make the next generation of small cars from Ford very compelling indeed.” Gauging Public Reaction in Frankfurt As product development of a new generation of Ford small cars continues behind the scenes, Ford of Europe is hoping to gauge public reaction to the Ford Verve Concept during the Frankfurt Motor Show. European design chief Martin Smith said this and other opportunities in the near future for public feedback will be important drivers of the ultimate Ford small-car design direction. http://media.ford.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=26614
Looks cool. I like the glass that extends all the way across the roof. I'm sure that makes it feel more roomy. I wonder how fuel efficient it is.
Agreed i think it looks really cool! I wish my prius had a panorama roof. That's the one thing i miss is a moonroof. I used to enjoy it on the Mercedes ML we have.
To be honest, that looks wickedly cool! Bring it over!! (and while you're at it, bring the S-Max and the NEW Focus... don't give us this "new" Focus crap that's just a refresh)
Yeah, I actually like it. How come all the really cool looking cars are overseas? I'll trade you the Edge for a Verve.
Nice. I wonder if Ford would have enough sense to offer a 50mpg diesel engine version for the US Market?
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(TonyPSchaefer @ Aug 24 2007, 11:12 PM) [snapback]501870[/snapback]</div> I think it has similar styling as an Edge, only smaller.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Arroyo @ Aug 26 2007, 02:29 AM) [snapback]502264[/snapback]</div> It looks like a Romulan instrument panel. I don't like the red lighting. Maybe that is a European standard?
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Arroyo @ Aug 24 2007, 05:17 PM) [snapback]501758[/snapback]</div> <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Arroyo @ Aug 24 2007, 05:17 PM) [snapback]501758[/snapback]</div>
I would say it looks very little like a Prius and quite a bit like the many 3-door hatches for sale in Europe. An example would be the Peugeot 207 I does look nice though which almost guarantees that we will not get it here in the US.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jhinton @ Aug 27 2007, 12:54 AM) [snapback]502630[/snapback]</div> I know people say they buy the Prius because it's visually distinctive (at least the talking heads say that), but I've never viewed the Prius as all that unusual. If you know about the Prius, you can identify it easily enough, but to me it's a smaller, smoothed Aztek. That little beveled edge to the back window is kind of an iconic Prius distinction though, and that is definitely picked up in this concept car. I wouldn't trust the glass roof to stay to production, in fact I would bet against it. Or the rims/wheel size. I like the look, except the back end. For one thing, curving it out a little more would help in what you can carry, and I don't think people would be comfortable parallel parking it so the back window is almost touching the other car anyway. But it's definitely a nice car, and nice to see Ford spend some attention on a small car.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(nerfer @ Aug 27 2007, 10:19 AM) [snapback]502707[/snapback]</div> I have to say that it will. If you look at the picture of the Peugeot 207 I posted it has a glass roof and that is a picture of the production car. Oh, and about a year ago I sat next to an engineer for the company that makes those glass roofs on a flight to Europe.
Nice looking car. I believe the red instrument lighting will help maintain better night vision on dark roads. Ask a stargazer if I'm right.
