Small is Big

As fuel prices grow, cars shrink. Chasing fuel economy is one of the most difficult challenges the automakers face. So how do you make a vehicle that can be fuel-efficient, practical, and fun?

This is an easy question for Ford, since it’s been making small, fun cars for decades. Think Focus, Fiesta, Ka, and Escort. With the same enthusiasm, Ford will be introducing the Verve to the American market in the not-too-distant future.

It’s hard to decide which looks better, the sedan or hatchback. It all starts with the familiar three-bar grille that announces its Ford bloodline. The projector-beam LED headlights stretch back along the side panel, and the large lower air intake provides a broad face that projects both confidence and performance.

The concept vehicle sported 12-spoke alloy wheels and 18-inch tires that filled the wheelwells to convey serious driving fun. By fun, we mean a car that’s fuel efficient, as the Verve is rumored to powered by Ford’s new EcoBoost inline 4-cylinder engine that will probably be the powerplant for many future products.

Besides a new powerplant, the Verve boasts other technological goodies such as navigation system with SIRIUS Travellink, Sync™ communications system, and a level of standard safety technologies that will be hard to match in other B-segment vehicles.

The Verve is based on Ford’s new, global platform of small cars that will first appear in Europe and Asia. The target audience is what marketing gurus call “Millennials,” that cluster of 13 to 28 year olds who are either just reaching driving age or are still establishing themselves.

Ford Group Vice President of Design and Chief Creative Officer J Mays notes: “Customers in this segment demand the best. While young in age, they are sophisticated, globally connected and demand the best the world has to offer, be it consumer electronics, fashion or automobiles. The Verve concept shows people that when it comes to style and sophistication, Ford can compete–and even outshine –the best in the business.”