2008 Detroit Auto Show: Ford Verve Concept

• Looks like: Ford is thinking ahead for its next small car
• Defining characteristics: Bass-mouth lower grille and sharp headlights
• Ridiculous features: Shower nozzle influenced controls
• Chance of being mass-produced: Ford says its new small car is coming for 2010 and we’re betting it’ll look a lot like this

Ford is in need of a small car. Sales trends show that the rise in popularity of small cars and the influx of millennial drivers (today’s teens and twenties) will come to a peak around 2012. Hopefully, Ford can deliver a real-life version of this concept by its own 2010 date.

The Verve is going to be a global car and this concept is similar to ones shown in Asian and Europe. By selling variations of the same car globally, Ford can afford to offer a high quality — think Mini Cooper quality, not Toyota — small car here in the U.S., where vehicles in the class have been hard to make money on.

There aren’t a lot of ridiculous concept car oddities stuffed into the Verve. Instead, we get to ogle the racy lines and radical headlights. The dimensions are quite interesting, though. The Verve concept is roughly two feet shorter in length than a four-door Toyota Yaris, but offers similar front leg and headroom. Ford hopes to throw a fuel-efficient four-cylinder under the hood to get the thing moving, but isn’t saying if it will be a new powerplant of something borrowed from the past. For now, check out the photos below.

Comments

Wasn't this posted here like a month or 2 ago??

Wasn't this posted here like a month or 2 ago??

this is the North American version of a trio of similar concepts.

what is so appealing of this car? it looks like a jelly bean?

i like it...quite a bit actually. i hope they're serious about mini-level quality. it's hard to find a really good small car out there. put a small turbo four (really, like 1.5L) in it that has decent power and fuel economy near 40mpg on the highway and i'll buy one.

If Ford wants to revive it's small car business they will build this as is.

The small car market is already crowded with others such as the Yaris, Fit, Versa and xD. The Verve better have the goods.

Ford did a misktake, that car can't be 145in (3.7m) long. Current European superminis are around 4.0 meters long with hatchback body styles, and 20-30cm longer with sedan or station wagon body styles.

NaBUru38,
Could you explain your post for those of us that don't understand, namely me, especially if this car is, hopefully, destined to be sold here.

This car is one of the best looking small cars Ford has designed in a long time. It actually looks modern. I think it could become the best-selling subcompact here if they were to actually build it, and that's only if it has a drivetrain that is more fuel-efficient than the competition. I would hope that it is offered with a base direct-injection 1.5L or 1.8L engine and a 6-spd manual. As long as the car is very lightweight, the power from a small engine should be adequate for even spirited acceleration. Of course, if someone wants more power, then maybe there could be an optional 2.0L direct-injection engine (maybe w/a turbo option).

Is it the US version of Mazda 2?

It's on the same platform as the Mazda2, but is a different car. It is the new EU Fiesta. Think of it like you would see the (EU) Ford Focus and Volvo S40 - same platform, entirely different car.

You can view more details on the ford verve here: http://www.ford-verve.co.uk/

I was initially very excited when I heard they were bring this car back. I had a Fiesta when I was 19. A zippy little car that got me 38 MPGS driving back and forth from Arkansas to Missouri on weekends. Now I'm hearing the new one will get 32-35. What a joke! Have they spent all their time trying to figure out the right name? They certainly have'nt been working on fuel economy.