Ford calls its new design ‘Kinetic’, which means ‘energy in movement’ and will have a future in the brand’s overall product portfolio. When it was presented for the first time with the Iosis research study at the Frankfurt Show 2005, this innovative design theme had not yet been fully developed: only the S-Max MPV-crossover shared the Kinetic principles of the Iosis. Now that the Paris Mondial of 2006 has come to an end, the global significance of Kinetic design has become evident; in effect it is the successor to the ‘New Edge’ design language adopted by Ford in the Nineties.
In short, Martin Smith, executive vice president design of Ford Europe, describes Kinetic design as follows: “It consists of key visual elements and includes dynamic, totally positive surfaces that create a muscular form but also a variety of graphic elements like the ascending waist-line and the V-shaped rear window. The front side is characterised by the typical reverse trapezoidal grille and the explicit form of the lighting clusters. Kinetic design can be applied to any car, in particular to compact models”.
In Paris, Ford presented a car that is above all else the anticipation of the new Mondeo station wagon, but with which it has also shown that the Kinetic theme can evolve in a production model destined to meet the demands of a huge customer base. It has clear elements of the Iosis prototype, but with a higher and more practical roof line and global architecture, while certain details like the front air intakes are less marked. The elegant wrapround rear bumpers of the Mondeo are a typical demonstration of the evolution of design at this stage, albeit at such a short distance in time from the S-Max.
The article continues in Auto & Design no. 161
