Ford displayed its Visos concept car at the Frankfurt show this week, which it says shows the future look of Blue Oval models. What do you think this concept says about the future of Ford?
Ford displayed its Visos concept car at the Frankfurt Motor Show this week, which it says shows the future look of models that can be expected from the manufacturer. What do you think this concept says about the future of Ford?
“We wanted Visos to be a car from which we could take ideas and features and flow them through into future models. Above all, we wanted to remind everyone that, despite the hugely competitive nature of today’s automotive business, the young design group inside Ford of Europe can express themselves in a more esoteric way,” said Ford of Europe design director Chris Bird.
The interior features LCD panels and futuristic controls, which operate through “active surfacing” – a technique that sees the technologies of the vehicle hidden, until they are called for by the driver, the road condition or the vehicle’s dynamics.
Ford said that at the push of a button, the inside of the Visos can change from a laid-back saloon into a sports car. For a saloon feel, comfort mode is activated where the lighting is softer and the seats more comfortable.
In sports mode, the lighting becomes brighter and the seats automatically reshape to hug your body. The steering wheel slides closer to the driver, and the angle of the seat adjusts to a more sports-car like position. The instruments also switch to sport mode.
The front passenger seat has a recline mode and an extending footrest. With the front passenger seat in non-recline mode the Visos has adult-sized individual rear seats divided by a full-length centre console that runs from the instrument panel through to the rear bulkhead. Mounted on this console, between the rear seats, are dedicated controls for the rear seat audio/visual entertainment systems.
Visos is powered by a six-cylinder bi-turbo engine, mated to a six-speed advanced ASM transmission, driving all four wheels.
It has classic coupé styling, with a sharply curved C-pillar, reminiscent of the Capri. The B-pillar is hidden behind tinted glass. The A-pillar is sharply raked, consistent with coupé styling. Two intake vents are situated on the rear three quarter panel, while 20-inch wheels fill out the lightly flared wheel arches.
The windscreen, the roof and the rear screen blend into one, incorporating at the rear the deployable aerodynamic spoiler and in the roof the retractable panels that give easy access to the rear seats.
The front of Visos consists of a deep air dam, with twin air intakes that reflect the same design as the exhaust pieces. A narrow grille with a chrome surround sits above the air dam.
“The Visos whispers passion in every curve, every seam, every angle. It is an emotional prodigy of our young and eager design team,” said Derrick Kuzak, vice-president of Product Development at Ford of Europe
“But most importantly it is a Ford. It speaks Ford’s design language, the visual culture that unites all the members of our family of cars. It builds on a history of Ford icons like the Model-T, the GT 40, the original Escort, the Puma and the Capri. And it says something about where we’re heading in the coming years.”
