2007 Ford Verve Concept

Ford of Europe has successfully built a line of impressive small cars that are both stylish and economical when it comes to fuel costs. Rarely, however, have any of these vehicles managed to cross the Atlantic and find their way to showrooms in America. Instead, Ford has steadfastly kept the design and production of their small North American cars in-house, despite calls from critics to shore up their not nearly as successful domestic offerings with a few international ringers.

In 2008 Ford decided to listen to this growing chorus of voices and unveiled the Ford Verve Concept at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show. The Verve is a 4 door compact sedan that opens a new chapter in styling for the Dearborn-based manufacturer. With a body shape that could be described as an extended tear-drop, the Verve is a big change from the more abrupt-looking Ford Focus which has ruled their compact lineup in American for many years. The dual grille design is very reminiscent of recent Chrysler products, as a small widened v-shaped grille is separated by a thin body line from the larger grille opening in the lower part of the front bumper. Sharply-angled headlights tear into the front fenders and form a top style-line that cuts the hood from the upper section of the fender. Large fog lights resembling air scoops can be found on either side of the front bumper. Ford has said that they will be installing a 4 cylinder engine into the Verve with a focus on economy rather than performance. There has been much speculation, but no one has yet given any definitive word on what current motor in the Ford stable is destined to end up under the hood.
Ford has also debuted a smaller, 3 door hatch version of the Verve at the Frankfurt Auto Show, with an even larger front grille and a shorter wheelbase that has more in common with the city car market that is popular overseas. Ford is uncertain as to whether they will eventually import the hatchback to America, preferring to wait and see how well the 4 door Verve is received by consumers. The Verve employs LED tail lights in the rear and sits on 18-inch wheels all around.

The interior of the Verve is not lavishly appointed but it does contain all of the elements that compact buyers typically look for. An LCD screen controls the entertainment center and Ford has included space in the center console for depositing an MP3 player or a portable phone, presumably to make it easier to line-in to the stereo system. Heating controls are the typical dials made of inexpensive plastic that seem to plague all compact cars, and gauges are tunneled deep into the dash.

Ford is clearly counting on their excellent international reputation in the field of small cars to translate into big sales when the Verve eventually hits American shores. It is difficult to say if these expectations are realistic or not. While Ford has been able to ride a wave of success in Europe based on several decades of solidly engineer compact cars, it is also true that Europeans are far more interested in buying smaller cars than their North American counterparts. Ford will have to deal with the perceived quality gap between imported economy cars and domestically produced gas savers, a gap driven ever wider by the stream of disposable garbage that left Detroit factories in the 80’s and early 90’s. It is definitely an uphill battle, but the longest journey always begins with one small step, and the 2007 Ford Verve Concept looks to be Ford’s best foot forward in a long time.




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May 15, 2008, 8:41 am