SAV Hints at New Face of Ford Europe Design

GENEVA – The first step toward a new Ford of Europe design language is unveiled here on a new cross/utility vehicle concept.

“Our vision is clear,” says Martin Smith, Ford of Europe executive director-design, in showing “the new face of Ford in Europe,” at the auto show here. He says the actual design language of the future is still a work in progress, but the SAV (for Sport Activity Vehicle) Concept should “plant seeds” of the finished product to come.

“It won’t happen overnight, but the SAV Concept shows some important first steps.”

The SAV is designed as a sleek, athletic and muscular package, with a dramatically raked windshield and an arching roofline. An integrated tailgate spoiler, 21-in. wheels and bold wheel arches with front-end brake ducts further punctuate the proposed design language.

Ford SAV concept dons new design language.

Large headlamps underlined by circular fog lamps and a wide inverted trapezoid lower grille adorn the front end. The bottom-most portion of the fascia is outlined by a pair of prominent aluminium air dams.

The actual production version is expected to be shown at the Frankfurt auto show in September. Smith says the vehicle will be a conglomeration of shared global technologies.

The SAV will slot between the Ford Galaxy large multi-purpose vehicle and Mondeo sedan, taking the family car concept a step beyond the Focus C-Max by introducing more of a business-class seating arrangement.

The SAV interior is considered ultra-flexible.

The concept CUV “explores different possibilities within the monospace format,” says Lewis Booth, chairman and CEO of Ford of Europe.

There are three rows of flexible seating in an interior patterned after sportswear and dressed in leather, titanium-tinted aluminum and mesh.

The rear-seat system is remote-controlled with the touch of the button, with integrated luggage trolleys that double as armrests when the middle row is shifted back as an individual third-row seat. The two outer seats can shift inward slightly for a roomy ride, much like a pair of captains chairs, when the middle seat is shifted rearward.

Meanwhile, the Ford Ka is freshened, and the Galaxy gains a new, more-powerful 1.9L 148-p turbodiesel variant (the seventh engine option). Transmission choices include 5- and 6-speed manuals, a 4-speed automatic and 5-speed select-shift automatic.

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