Ford iosis Shows New Design Direction

Ford will unveil a head-turning new concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show next month, to express its design strategy for the next generation of European road cars.

Styled from a radical new design brief,Ford iosis* is an exciting four-seater saloon within a muscular coupé profile. iosis follows the recent SAV concept launched at the 2005 Geneva Motor Show in demonstrating the company's new "kinetic" design direction; making future Fords look more sporting, dynamic and exciting.

This startling new design, penned by a team led by Martin Smith, Ford of Europe's executive design director, showcases visual elements that will strongly influence a new generation of Ford products. It is not the precursor to a production model, rather an indicator of future trends.

"Ford products are acknowledged for their class leading driving dynamics, our objective, quite simply, is to express this leadership in our design," said Martin Smith. "We are calling this new language Ford 'kinetic' design, because we believe it expresses energy in motion.

"We’re bringing together all of the elements of this exciting design language into one concept vehicle," he added. "We want this new expression to make our cars totally irresistible, so they actually turn heads."

Every car company has identifiable generations of vehicles and Martin Smith has been tasked with developing the next generation for Ford. When he arrived at Ford last year, Smith recognised that Ford's leadership in driving quality needed to be reflected in the product’s emotional and visual appeal.

"The forms will be more distinctive and emotional, more athletic and muscular," explained Smith. "Equally, we have to combine safety and dynamic performance and still keep the brand identity. The iosis has great stance, it is powerful, assertive and confident, and it just cries out to be driven. That’s kinetic design - energy in motion," says Smith.

Smith and his team quickly identified the graphic elements that are the recognised key signatures of Ford design. Amongst the most important is the ‘inverse trapezoid’ air intake below the grille. Together, these upper and lower grille graphics represent the new face of Ford.