The vehicle has a lightweight construction as it features composite body panels (made from deformable, pre-colored composites) and a hybrid aluminum & high strength steel body. The latter uses an aluminum safety cell that offers a rigid attachment structure for the glass and roof.
The study’s styling was created by a global team of designers working at Ford’s Irivine, California Strategic Concepts Group Studios, and represents an evolution of the kinetic design concept.
The Start concept previews a new Ford EcoBoost engine that has a 1.0 liter displacement and uses advanced turbocharging together with spark-ignited, direct injection fuel management systems to offer the power of a naturally aspirated 1.4 liter unit. The powerplant is mated to a six speed manual transmission and is expected to emit under 100 grams of CO2 per km.
The vehicle also offers a high level of connectivity, as it features the MyFord Mobile concept technology, which provides a driver interface that increases road safety. The car’s functions can be controlled through a voice activation or using the toggle and scroll controls located on the console, with the info being displayed on a six inch screen. The system offers mobile phone support, allowing users to control the device through voice activation.
“With the Ford Start Concept, we didn’t set out to design some sort of utilitarian concept to save the world, nor were we interested in following the competitive trend toward an overly noisy design language. What we did set out to do was design a personality driven car that exudes warmth, charm and aspiration…to design a car worth bonding with,” said J Mays, Group Vice President Design and Chief Creative Officer, Ford Motor Company.
Google News