It’s the eve of the Geneva motor show and Ford has unveiled this, the Iosis-MAX concept, at a press conference in the centre of town.
The car is the latest incarnation of Ford’s Kinetic design language and points the way for a new generation of global compact family cars due in 2010, likely starting with either C-Max or Focus.
Significant features include a vaguely coupe-esque side window design, long wrap-around rear lights and an all-new five-bar-grille front end. Along with a full-length glass roof and that unique yellow paint, these will all likely make production.
The concept also shows off a split rear tailgate that works in a similar way to that of the Skoda Superb and sliding rear doors that pop open to give you a decent view of the interior (and almost always get binned once the real car gets past the drawing board).
Inside, there’s Star Wars-style dash with more than a hint of X-Wing about it and an all-new new touch-screen interface. This’ll obviously get toned down for production, mind, along with the four netted carbon-fibre chairs – likely to be replaced by a conventional five- or maybe even seven-seat layout.
The new global C-segment cars will ultimately offer a choice of powertrains including petrol, petrol-electric, diesel and plug-in electric, but the show car was previewing Ford’s new EcoBoost engine. It’s a 178bhp petrol turbo with automatic stop-start and a VW DSG-style Powershift twin-clutch gearbox, likely to appear on Mondeo and S-Max within the next year or so.
But let’s set the detail aside. What’s important about this car is that it shows us a glimpse of how Ford cars will look in the future and the big question is: do you like it? Answers below please…
Hmm, looks a lot better than my Mondeo….!! (Hey!!!! First poster, ha!)
The Lambo Face in Porsche Yellow and that firendly focused arse.. What´s not to like ?!!!
orkneyman, wan´t a medal ? anyone you´d like to thank perhaps ?? in any case, congratulations, you deserve it !
I think the headlights are way too big for the car… i know they’re trying to make the thing look smaller than it actually is. but stil…
looks better than what they make now
It looks very much like a ‘pimped’ fiesta. I’m not sure i want a whole range of cars that are identical in all but size. Each sector should have it’s on identity. Who would buy a Mondeo if a smaller Focus looked the same, had the same engines & cost a lot less?
agree with shane, look at that front bumper, bucket seats and crazy lights, a bit over the top me thinks, however apart from that it looks brilliant!
well guys, consider that this is a concept car after all. however, do pray that most of the concept car look actually makes it into production and that we get to see the new focus come out of it because this is one compact to die for.. my god it looks good!
Nice to see that Ford hasn’t forgotten to design the rear end this time, but they seem to have overdone the front, which is trying to hard to be cool. Way too much Peugeot there…
And this interior would require months of getting-used-to, or else you will get distracted every 10 seconds. It’s just too busy! Would be happy to see that toned down a bit.
make that “too hard”
uncool, plain, conservative, same, same, same,
if this car represents ford’s future… then i think ford’s future will be BORING…
That Iosis max is a carbon COPY of the Citröen C-Sportlounge concept from a few years ago. It’s exactly the same!! Google it. That shouldn’t be allowed…
well, I just wish they’d actually make the production version look like that..is it just me or does that car look like it came off of a Japanese cartoon?
I’m going to say that I have never been a fan of the current trend for egg shaped hatchbacks, be it an “x-MAX” or new Fiesta. The new front is trying to be Peugeot, and I’m not a fan of that either.
Give us the American style 3 bar grille, on a nice big saloon car.
Why can’t they make production cars like the concept ones?
Why do they have to tone down all the exciting styling bits to make it more bland and boring?
Why do they have to make all production cars ugly and boring?
Why can’t they make exciting looking production cars like they make their concept cars?
They certainly show they can make exciting looking cars by making exciting concept cars. But then they slap us back with another boring mondeo.
Why?! Why is it only Lamborghini who’s got the balls to make cars with radical and exciting designs which make you go bonkers just by looking at it?!
Why can’t all car manufacturers do it??!
Actually Af, I think they are starting to show some balls! Look at the new Fiesta – almost the same as the concept, and looks fantastic.
That yellow look like the colour that German taxis use.
@ Af. Maybe you hadn’t noticed that Lambos are much more expensive, im-practical, and too school boy compared to a Fiesta, or this car.
Just thought I’d point that out.
I think it looks pretty good.
The grill,the lights, the side mirrors,the wheels, the spoiler, the huge french look-alike glass and the entire interior probably won’t be produced. Soooo, if i’ll want a tuned fiesta (lovely looking car) i’ll do it myself.
The back lights looks amazingly similar to the Maserati’s one and I really don’t like the colour. How is called? Infection yellow?
Sarcasm apart, the new fiesta style is nice and fullfill the dynamic-razor-shaped EU ford style.
The interesting point is, will they Europeanise the u.s line up? I’m asking because the huge chromed grille looks frightfully american, so why they would put u.s style element in a european prototype ?
the iosis-max is a fiesta thats been fattened up, lowered and got some new lights it looks lije they designed it on ‘need for speed’ and what a weird name iosis what does it mean?
hmm, I, with the exception of a select few, don´t usually like fords but this one is astonishing ! It´s progressive eccentricity just blows me away. What a Ford ! What a car !!! I think I want my wife to want one ! Hell I want one !! Brilliant, simply brilliant ! Can´t wait to see one on the road ! Good job ford, you´ve done well !!
looks really nice i think it looks more like a supercar than a ford cant help feelin it wont look anythin like that though
‘…and the big question is: do you like it?. YES!!
I think it would look better if it didn’t have the narrow upper grill. Just the badge would do, making the front look cleaner and a bit more purposeful
I like it- lets be honest – it will both handle well and be reasonably reliable like all modern Fords.
And it look so much better than that Insignia pos!
eww it’s ugly, ford makes good looking cars already, why would they change that? thats like if aston changed the DB9, it doesnt make any sense.
the back looks alright though
Not sure about the grille :/
Looks brilliant!
I like it.
i thought it would never look anything like that but why shouldn’t it, what with fords styling with the new fiesta. the only thing i’m slightly curious about is the interior, that’ll be completely different.
Qasim said…
@ Af. Maybe you hadn’t noticed that Lambos are much more expensive, im-practical, and too school boy compared to a Fiesta, or this car.
Just thought I’d point that out.
I think it looks pretty good.
Yes indeed the Lambo is a much more expensive car but i’m not speaking about impracticality here. I’m speaking about radical and exciting car designs. A exciting design doesn’t need to be impractical. And i’m much more prefer a cool looking car with compromised practicality than a practical snot box.
Also again good design doesn’t need to be expensive. The Fiat 500 and maybe the Mini and the Toyota IQ are perfect examples of cheap cars with cool designs. There are a few more cars with exciting designs too. Like the Ford Fiesta is another cheap good looking car.
But then back in the land of Mercedes, BMW and Audi executive cars which are pretty expensive, we’re back to boring, luxurious boxes.
The Citroen C5 and the Renault Laguna looks much better than the much more expensive BMW 5series and Merc E classes.
My point is car manufacturers do prove it that they can put out cool looking cars (as in their concept cars) but why do they have to tone down all the fancy and exciting bits to bring it into production? Why can’t they leave the suicide doors, wacky interiors, fancy alloys and all the exciting stuff on the car when they bring it into production?!
Why they can’t put them in production with the strange good looking bits?
For many different reason. Strange interior cost a lot,some of them can’t be build by robots, and will probably kill all the passenger in case of crash. Spoilers slow the car,add weight and make them use more petrol. lights are over-regulated, so you can’t do almost nothing with them. wheel and tyres need to be considered with the suspension geometry. Generally all this stuff cost a lot of money to make and to buy. This and other reasons are why road cars are different from prototypes. The good thing is that every problem have is solution. The solution of these problems is called money. And i don’t have it. And i don’t have a solution for that
i think if is all too much future in this car .ford go back to your roots .Well people ford started in ireland ,and it is not think about the european people here with this m.p.v .at all .
@32, speedster what on earth are you on about ? H.Ford in ireland ? On a booze tour ? Searching for family ties ?? Would you like the Model-T back ? Everyone´s entitled to an opnion but what ever happened to common sense ? This car is futuristic because it is intended for a market in the future. In the firts couple of years after 2010, when they first become every day objects they will be contemporary next to Honda czv-s, insignias and the likes.. You don´t have to lke it, it´s just the way it is man !
menat 34. speedster…
people its just a flashy C-max! boring. none of the cool stuff will make it into production and it looks far to rounded! no thxs ill pass on tht.
@Af (32) – MONEY!! Some crazy bits and glitzy over-chroming look great in the show hall but are too flash outside and too expensive to mass-produce.
And I’m still saying it’s an utter rip off of the C-SportLounge.
It’s a shame you haven’t got any decent photo’s!
Looks, like a lot of cars lately (especially Fords), awfully fat and ungainly. Front is miiiiles deep too.
Yes it looks good and the reason all the concept parts don’t make production is that they either won’t work in an old platform that is being reused or it would cost to much and price the car above the Market, who would pay £20,000 for a base focus with some nice lights and a funky dash when you can get a base 3 for similar money
Eww this is basically a brightly painted van with 4 doors and funny lights. It’s horrible.
Well, if the new C-Max looks as good as this (which is likely – compare the new Fiesta with the Verve Concept – great!!) it will certainly appeal to a wider range of buyers in this country. MPVs are kinda looking good at the moment – C3 Picasso, This, the new Renault Scenic… Up-and-coming, certainly compared with last years slight lack of new MPVs…
Let’s just hope that Ford read this!
So, TG, could you send this link to them??!!
gotta drop that front grill; looks like jaws–that james bond villain’s teeth
Although this does look truly brilliant like all new fords do, this to me is just a fiesta thats fallen in the photcopier and been tarted up with some paint and chrome. Don’t get me wrong even looking remotely like the fiesta is no bad thing but, really who are they fooling.
that is the future of design i am telling you!!
Fantastic design, other than the way-busy interior (angle-happy?) and the lower grill that looks like either dental braces or fake platinum teeth. The rest is fantastic. I can’t wait to buy the new Fiesta when it gets here next year. I’ve loved it since Clarkson dumped it in the water drove- err.. floated it out. I only wish we got the UK’s Mondeo!
This is a supercar?
Does it have V10 twinturbo?
Top speed of 235mph?
0-60mph in 2.3sec?
If answer is no,than you would notice that this front end of the car is completly unnecesery…
It looks like he is going to eat everything that stands in front of him,but no-with a 2.0 TDCi diesel,it will hardly eat your grandmothers breakfast…
what on earth are they thinking, it looks like its been designed by a ten year old that plays Need for Speed 24-7. whats with the MASSIVE front grill? are they trying to say the modern car engines overheat easily, or what? back to the drawing board i think!
The grille is too big, and would require an enormous (=ugly) piece of plastic for the numberplate. The lights look odd, although that probably has something to do with the colour. At least its rear end looks fine.
I don’t think it’s quite ugly. It just isn’t very pretty either.
brilliant!!!!! lets hope a lot of these design ideas remain….dont forget you lot that a lot of designs are watererd down by the big wigs in the accounts dept…not the designers.
I still don’t like those low, stretched dashboards. I always feel like I’m about to fall over an edge, peeling potatoes or doing a nr two. Just do me an oldschool dash and a more or less straight-up windscreen, right in front of me. No more cab forward design for me plz.
Love@firstsight.go!
It’s easy to see why Ford’s US arm is having so much trouble. They’re not using any of this imaginative design work stateside. Shut down the Dearborn design op and just use the Euro crew!
I luv my C-max 2 litre diesel (had 2 of em). I hope they havent sacrificed practicailty for “flashiness”
SK
OMG I need 1 of them!!!
A Fiesta on steroids?
But come to think of it, I want mine with a more “peaceful” less eye-poking dashboard/interior, other than that its perfect… =]
I like this Ford (besides the GT)
I really hope that doesn’t go into production. It’s a good-looking Fiesta turned sour. Really sour.
Now that is a greate looking and wwill be practical to, if they leave the sliding doors, car. Now all we have to do is get that”Astin Martin” scrapped. The “Hamster ” will never be able to see over the bonnet. The Ford however looks good all round.Lets hope it reaches production without too many conservative changes.
that looks exactly like the new fiesta bar the futuristic details
i think it looks good at the outside the innside is abit futuristic and as always they ar going to change almost ewrithing about it before it is going into production so it will be softer and less cool a good axampell the citroen c6.
i think it looks good at the outside the innside is abit futuristic and as always they ar going to change almost ewrithing about it before it is going into production so it will be softer and less cool.
oops forget the last bit
WTF? thats not a concept car! its just a fiesta with some LED’s…..what a rip off of a concept
the interior looks like a joke and the body looks like the new fiesta.
it is nice for a ford and i cant wait for it to come outin top gear so i can drive it
i LOVE THIS FORD
How can anyone like that? It is terrible. It’s fat too tall, narrow and the bonnet is almost non-existant. It has horrid angles everywhere and looks to have been made as a prop for a 1980’s sci-fi film. The sooner Ford forget their stupid kinetic design philosophy the better. Bring back the Capri, and don’t dare spell it with a ‘K’.
It’s all well and good giving us these glimpses but just look what hjappened to the mondeo after the show……………….
I don’t see why people think the new Mondeo looks good anyway… it’s no where near as good looking as the previous model; especially the ST varients.
YO! Wobbletastic,
I couldn’t agree more the best car ford have made especially the ST220 unfortunately i could only get the Titanium x (although it’s the V6 3Litre variant) I don’t like this “Concept” God what am i gonna buy next????????????
What is it with the trend of having the grille of cars designed to look like a basking shark’s mouth… Plain ugly if you ask me – god knows where the number plate will go – stuck on the roof like a minicab???
Yep the previous mondeo was very well proportioned and smart. I hope this heap on this page never makes it as far as having to find a place for the number plate. Come on Ford; chuck out these rubbish futuristic designs and start bringing out things that actually look like cars.
is this what u people clled good looking,amazing car?this is what it means by good design cars?u people must b blind or design idiot??well,i dont know why must diz small cars hav such enormous huge grill…wanna attention?easily overheated?it looks like a cheap mummy cars over modified by 16yr son using pocket money..got it?its hideous..i dont even know wht the order of the design..just like a japanese cars..this designer must be over confident and designig thins like this is jsut as good as masterbating…designing for our own satisfaction..n for foools who asked why production cars not like the concept one..let me tell u,concept cars are design to fools people like u..who easily satisfied and happy,excited with this unknown source design..n all the gadget put in,if were used in production,mayb diz kinda car could go up to $30,000-$40,000…seriously u wanna buy this little ugly wit this kinda price tag?sure u dont..so ask wisely
jeeesz! what a design.. I don’t really like it but hey but it looks futuristic and that’s awesome =P
i hate new concept cars ford will never be the same again as like the ford sierr’s and escorts the fiesta’s and granda’s and cortina’s those were the best fords now they are just rubbish
sorry about the speeling man lol u know what i mean anyway innit lol.
i think ford are making good looking cars the past few years