Hyundai sports sedan

Hyundai has released the official images and information about all-new Genesis sports sedan, the flagship model that debuts at the 2008 Detroit Motor Show and goes on sale this summer.

With capabilities and features comparable to $60,000 premium sedans, Genesis will go on sale on summer 2008 with a starting price under $30,000.

Design

According to Hyundai, "Genesis' design is a progressive interpretation of the modern rear-wheel drive sports sedan. To match its dynamic capabilities, Genesis combines strong, sculpted forms which integrate precise details, natural materials and innovative lighting to provide a well-crafted, premium design aesthetic."

The result is a well-proportioned sedan with a balanced and modern appearance. It doesn't have a very original and personal style - the Hyundai badge is not even present in the front grille.

Some remincesceces of the Lexus and Infiniti models can be found in the front and side view, while the tail lamps are similar to those of the latest BMW 3-Series.

Features

Based on the Genesis Concept unveiled at the 2007 New York Auto Show, Genesis is built on a new rear-wheel-drive architecture and will be available with 3 powertrains, including 3.3-liter and 3.8-liter V6 engines, and the new 368-hp 4.6-liter Tau V8.

Both Genesis V6 engines use an Aisin 6-speed SHIFTRONIC automatic transmission, while the Tau V8 unit is mated with a ZF 6-speed transmission.

Exclusive features include XM NavTraffic, Adaptive Front Lighting System (AFLS), Smart Cruise Control, Lexicon® audio systems and electronic active head restraints.

The targeted competitor models are cars like the Chrysler 300 and Pontiac G8, while engineering benchmarks were Mercedes E-Class, Infiniti M, and Lexus GS.

The unibody structure makes extensive use of high tensile steel in critical areas, providing the car with 12-14 percent higher dynamic torsional rigidity and a lower body structure weight than the BMW 5-series and Mercedes-Benz E-Class.

Among the many features of the interior are the Lexicon state-of-the-art audio system featuring LOGIC 7® technology (the same offered on the Rolls-Royce Phantom), a navigation system with an 8-inch display and heated and cooled driver's seat.

(Source: Hyundai)

Hyundai sonata

Hyundai has taken the wraps off its next generation Sonata for the 2011 model year. What will be perhaps the most unique and confident-looking Hyundai yet represents a large advancement in style and image for the brand.

Hyundai's new mid-size sedan is a four-door coupe with shades of Mercedes CLS and Toyota Camry.

While the general outward appearance may not look totally convincing, the significance of this generation is incontrovertible. Interior and exterior design both stand out as large steps forward for the brand, establishing new cues that may find their ways to other new Hyundai offerings.

The design language is what Hyundai is calling "Fluidic Sculpture".

It's already shown up on the more aggressive 2010 Tucson, and will most certainly be spanning the entire range (looking forward to seeing it translated to the Genesis Coupe).

Exterior

This is, essentially, a quantum leap forward for the Sonata. A striking point of interest is the chrome accent which--rather than being used simply to punctuate the greenhouse--runs nearly the entire length of the car, beginning at the trailing edge of the headlamp, terminating at the rear of the DLO.

  In concert with the chrome-accented beltline is a long, sculpted character line.

The complex surfacing may not be aesthetically pleasing to everyone, but it certainly exhibits well-resolved solutions to incorporating its accents into the overall forms.

Front-end graphics are unlike anything else on the road and the grill strikes me as both confident and a bit luxurious (though perhaps slightly plasticky).

The front fascia is subtly and intricately sculpted, and does well to incorporate fog lamps into the lower intake. The rear-end graphics are bold and uncomplicated; the upper bounds of the tail lamps are defined by the same side character line that wraps around the rear quarter panel and finds its way to another non-traditionally-shaped bit of chromework.

Interior

Slightly Acura-esque, there is a high level of resolve and an apparently above-average level of attention to detail for this price-range vehicle.

The surfaces flow together, but stay distinct and controlled with attractively shaped and well-placed parting lines.

The dual binnacle instrument cluster, sleek center console, and attractive steering wheel make for a more than decent place to spend your time... though it is a bit surprising that more care wasn't taken in making the glove compartment release something special.

A stylish, confident exterior and modish interior surely make for a solid mid-size entry.

Take a closer look at http://www.hyundaisonata.com/

Talking Design

Ken Okuyama talks about automotive design from a position of deep experience: Currently the Chair of the Transportation Design Department at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, Okuyama has held senior design positions at Pininfarina, Porsche and GM. Examples of his work run the gamut from the sleek Ferrari Rossa sports car to the Metrocubo, a practical box on wheels with dual sliding doors. AD&P sat down with Okuyama to get his thoughts on the current state of automotive design and where he thinks it's going in the future.

AD&P: What is lacking in automotive design in America?
Okuyama: In Detroit, too much of the focus is on styling instead of functionality. Design is the combination of engineering and styling. Designers have to know more about engineering function and what people want–not just how to make a pretty picture. It's not enough to put a nice shiny skin on top of whatever. You need to understand the production process. For example, whether the car is made out of sheet metal, or fiberglass or SMC [sheet molded compound] means there are different tolerance issues and designers have to understand that.

AD&P: When it comes to that kind of practical approach, Asian makers have often been cited as worthy of emulation.
Okuyama: Yes. The designers there work very closely with the production facilities. Many design studios in Asia are actually within the assembly plants. What's good about that is that you know all the details and you know who to talk to address things like gap and quality issues. The problem is that you are so close to reality that you don't know how to foresee the future and initiate advanced projects. That's been the problem with many Japanese companies. Although the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry are nice cars and they work every day, they don't really give you something more than you expected.

METROCUBO: Ken Okuyama, chief designer of the Metrocubo, describes it as the car version of the iMac. His design team chose the geometrically simple cube shape to evoke "reassuring solidity in spite of its small dimensions."

AD&P: Okay, which car companies do give you the unexpected?
Okuyama: Right now, German com-panies are doing that. They have a good combination of quality control and the ability to handle every day functional issues, but at the same time they give you vision. Audi is a great example. Ten years ago, Audi was just a mass market brand. Now it is exclusive.

AD&P: Which automakers have the hot studios right now?
Okuyama: When you talk to designers, they want to work for Audi, Chrysler and Renault.

AD&P: What role will niche vehicles play?
Okuyama: They will be the dominant trend in the future. So many different cars can be made off of the same platform that we don't have niches anymore–niche has become mainstream. That makes the future market difficult to focus on because there is no large mass of vehicles anymore. Look at the minivan: you have a PT Cruiser, mainstream minivans, smaller minivans in Europe–we have to assume that there won't be any mega-trends in the future. Before, you could determine whether the future of car design was say, either round or square, but now you can't tell, those waves don't exist anymore.

AD&P: What design concepts will drive future vehicles?
Okuyama: What we are trying to do is change the priorities so that when you design a car you locate the people first and put the architecture around them. You then squeeze the components in afterward. Right now, the first thing designers do is set the dimensions, base the structure around the engine and the major components, and then squeeze people in.

FERRARI ROSSA: Okuyama isn't just about cube-shaped vehicles; he also designed the Ferrari Rossa – "an organic vision of how a traditional front-engined two-seater open car might evolve in the third millennium."

AD&P: What role will fuel cells play in design?
Okuyama: When fuel cell cars become the majority, it will greatly change the architecture of cars. It's not like today where the engine is this big chunk you have to design around. Fuel cell componentry can be taken apart and put all over the car.

AD&P: How much of future car design is going to come from suppliers?
Okuyama: Suppliers are very important from the point of view of introducing new technology, but it is difficult and expensive for smaller companies to have design studios. Companies like Magna, JCI or Visteon can do it. But to run a full design studio for a year costs $100 million. To run a successful studio you need talent, equipment and time and I don't think many suppliers can afford that.

AD&P: What are your views on automakers' advanced design efforts?
Okuyama: One of the reasons I came back to Art Center after working for Pininfarina, GM and Porsche is that I feel that there is a lack of vision for advanced future programs among the automakers. They are so close to the current market. In car companies now, when you show an advanced model to the president of the company he will ask you, "When will this go into production? When will it be profitable? How much will it cost?" He will ask these questions about a very advanced model and the designer has no idea when it will come out. But that is the mentality at car companies nowadays. Many makers are closing down advanced design studios because they can't afford them. So, we want our school to act as a think tank for advanced design.

http://www.autofieldguide.com

Camaro Designer joins Volkswagen Santa Monica

Sang Yup Lee has resigned from GM and joined the Volkswagen design team in Santa Monica as Cheif Design of Exteriors. Mr. Lee has been credited with the exterior design of the new Camaro, as well as the Stingray Corvette Concept featured in the Transformers sequel.

Sang Yup Lee has astonishingly resigned from GM and joined the VW design team in Santa Monica as Cheif Design of Exteriors. Among Lee's works are the exterior design of the new Camaro and the Stingray Corvette Concept featured in the Transformers sequel.

 

His journey to his automotive design celebrity started  in Korea receiving his Bachelor of Fine Arts at Hongik University, after which he moved to Southern California receiving a Bachelor of Science degree from the Art Center College of Design in Transportation Design.

Having done internships at Pininfarina and Prosche, Sang Yup might make a rather interesting edition to the ever expanding VW power house.

Good Luck Sang Yup, we look forward to reporting on what work you will be pushing out of the Southern California Design team.

(Source: Autoblog.com)

Citroën

Citroën Eclipse Concept is a research study of a cost efficient, eco-friendly futuristic car which uses nano technologies to absorb the infrared energy emitted from the sun after sunset. The designer is IED graduate Vladislav Domanin.

The Citroën Eclipse Concept design study is characterized by the use of innovative nano technologies that enable the car to absorb the infrared energy emitted from the sun after sunset.

This approach uses a special manufacturing process to stamp tiny loops of conducting metal into a sheet of plastic.

As Vladislav Domanin explains, "Each nanoantenna has a width of 1/25th diameter of human hair. Because of their size, the nano antenna absorbs the infrared energy outside the range visible to the human eye.

"Some of the infrared energy radiated by the sun is soaked by the earth and later released as radiation for hours after sunset. Nanoantennas can take this energy with higher efficiency than the conventional solar cells."

The body of the car is composed of three layers of distinct sizes which arranged together form positive and negative surface inorder to absorb the maximum amount of energy both from the sun as well as from the earth.

The windscreen is embedded with transparent solar cells while the side as well as the bottom body panels are covered with plastic nano sheets.

The opening system of the car is similar to an aircraft cockpit, with doors that can retract into the body with the help of magnetic fields.

About the Designer

Vladislav Domanin is a transportation design graduate from IED Turin, Italy.

Contact details:

• email: barke100@gmail.com
• online portfolio: Portfolio on CDN

show supercar

Updated SSC @ the Dubai Motor Show

With 2009 nearly over, we have some final events to cover. The first of these is Dubai's biannual motor show which makes every other modern show look like a rental car lot. Our feature gallery by Himasha Widyaratne and Benjamin Coutan has an impressive amount of supercars that wouldn't be assembled anywhere else.

Another great event we attended this summer was Gordon McCall's Motorworks Revival. It opened the Monterey weekend with a spectacular display of supercars and airplanes. Among these were the Hennessey's Camaro line, Ferrari Dino Competizione and two Morgans that had 100 years in between them. Supported by the Bonhams auction, Gordon hosts the best jet center party of them all.

As the new motorsport season approaches some teams are on short vacation. Recent releases include the Honda HSV-010 GT, Subaru Legacy B4 GT300 and Ford's Mustang BOSS 302R. Furthermore, the final supercars from the fourth quarter included the Lotus Exige S Type 72, Mansory Cyrus, Superformance MkIII-R Edition and the FAB Design Panamera from Dubai.

Honda closes European Design Studios

Honda has announced the closure of its automotive and motorcycle design departments at the European Research & Development Center based in Offenbach, Germany. The activities will end on 30 November 2009 after 17 years since opening.

Honda has announced that it wil close the Design Department of its European Research & Development Center based in Offenbach, Germany, as part of the company's measures aimed at limiting the losses of the economic crisis.

The current facility is a two-floors building with a 3,000 square meters area, which was inaugurated in 1992.

The design center created several concept cars, including the Neukom presented at the 1999 Tokyo Auto Show, the Small Hybrid Sports Concept (2007) and the OSM (Open Model) Concept (2008).

The Design Studio in Offenbach (Left map source: Bing)

The design department will cease its functions on 30 November 2009, while all the other research and development activities will remain.

The decision, made in September, follows Honda's absence from the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show, the sale of the Formula One team and the temporary closure of the UK-based production plants.

The design activities for the motorcycles sector could be absorbed by the Honda studio in Rome, Italy, while a new role could be played by the small 200 square meters Advanced Design center "Segno Milano Srl" opened in 2001 and located in Milan.

Art Center of Design Fall Show 2009

exclusive report of the latest Graduate Show from the Art Center College of Design, which took place on Thursday December 10th, 2009. The projects on display included a wide range of vehicles, companies, and potential hybrid branding.

Every year Art Center puts on three, yes three, graduation shows to show case its graduating students accomplishments during their time on "The Hill" (the term used to define the main campus).

Every qualified graduating student is put the task of creating their own showcase. Often with 3-5 samples of their upper term work.

Now often when you see a grad show you can expect a new take on a Ferrari, or the ever so popular micro cars, especially because of the recent economy.

The class of Fall 2009 really pushed the envelope when it came to range of vehicles, companies, and potential hybrid branding for vehicle development.

From forest fire trucks, long distance big rigs, super yachts, production car replacements, blue sky design development, avant guard fashion vehicles, hypothetical racing series, extended life/legacy vehicles… no stone was left unturned.

I was fortunate to have a chat with a few of the students and the department chair of the transportation design department, Stewart Reed.

Anthony Simms is an interior aficionado that has some very clever and clean designs that accentuate his style.

His senior project was based on the concept of what the marriage of Koenisegg and SAAB would look and feel like.

Oof course we all know that didn't pan out the way we had hoped but Anthony's concept had some interesting ideas of bringing the dutch flavor back to SAAB.

He started with the less is more and clean is luxury theme and carried it through-out his form flowing, natural color pallet and seamless appearance of hardware exposure.

Also on display was the work of  Jack Luttig. When you enter the show you are immediately drawn in by his dynamic expression of the automobile. Extreme and dynamic is Jack's visual expression captured in each of his models. Drawing inspiration from avant guard fashion trends.

"I drew inspiration from from developments, second reads, and different attitudes for different cars, light and shadow is what drove this design."

A stunning achievement was a rendering of the final concept on a 2.5 meter by 6 meter canvas painting.

Lili Melikian was one of three graduating women in the Transportation Design program this show.

I had a chance to speak with her to get some insight on, what she refers to as "her baby".

With the Lexus SC430 being phased out, what on earth shall take its place? Lili decided to explore her brain and see what it was.

David Leetz took on the big boy toys award for the evenings showcase putting on display his larger than life 1/5 scale Volvo Trucks internship project.

Mr. Leetz also had a driving passion since his entry into the school to work on making the forest fire fighting vehicles more task and user effective.

The Type 3 Wild Life Fire Engine seats 5 and was divided into two parts both the trucking aspect and the fire aspect.

"I wasn't reinventing the fire engine I was basically creating the next generation continuing market for International Trucks."

Transportation Design Department Chair Stewart Reed commented "…this particular grad show is very gratifying to me."

Overall the show left the audience with a sense of achievement. Southern California Design is here to stay and Art Center still has a few cards up its sleeve.

Master in Transportation Design 2009-2010

The Politecnico di Milano University in partnership with Fiat Group has organized the second edition of the Master in Transportation & Automobile Design, which will run for 15 months and will be open to 30 graduates. The deadline for applications is 20 December 2009.

The 2009-2010 is the second edition for the "Master in Transportation &Automobile Design", organized by the Politecnico di Milano University - Industrial Design, Arts, Communication and Fashion Department (INDACO) - in partnership with Fiat Group Automobiles.

The Master is open to a maximum number of 30 students with a degree in Industrial Design, Architecture or Engineering. Students will attend more than 1,500 hours of classes spread over a period of 15 months.

The total cost is 9,500.00 Euros. Requests for admission must be submitted within 20 December 2009.

The course is aimed at training new car designers, "focusing on the development of their creativity, in a peculiar and innovative way.

"A theoretical and academic approach will be integrated with practical training finalized to teach the full styling development process as typically used in car industry.  "

"Special focus will be given on virtual development tools, on interior design and on understanding of materials and colors."

The master course comes directly from the relationship established between teachers of  Politecnico di Milano and FIAT Group Automobiles car designers.

Fiat Group is already supporting several didactical initiatives for the Politecnico di Milano School of Design students, either with internships, or inviting students to participate to car design contests.

Fiat will support this Specializing Master course with direct teaching, to assure coherence with the car design market companies needs. Furthermore, Fiat will offer some students internships inside its Centro Stile.

The Specializing Master in Transportation & Automobile Design has been designed and promoted by Politecnico di Milano School of Design and will be managed by Politecnico di Milano INDACO Department. It will be 15 months long and has a value of 60 ECTS.

Students will be involved in at least 1,500 hours of studies and activities. For more information visit www.tad.polimi.it. 

Blue In A Green World

Red is a color which is very much associated with revolution so perhaps one would expect to see a great deal of it being used in the Z.E range.

Why then is this not the case? Red symbolizes an incredibly bold and assertive move, and furthermore to a fifth of the World red can be seen to represent luck – surely these vehicles will need some luck on their side in order to succeed.

On the flip side, red is the color of flesh and blood – it can signify danger, anger and of course anarchy. Red is hot headed, impassioned, irrational and overtly emotional.

Red then is not the color of a calm and ordered state of mind and because of this it could be said that red might wish to consume resources such as petrol at an irresponsible rate and thus edge us ever closer to 'Peak Oil' (if we aren't already there).

The Z.E concepts of course do not contain a single tail pipe between them so are therefore actively attempting to remove visual signs of their association with unsustainable consumption.

Perhaps even more importantly, we might do well to remember that the visceral emotions red represents are associated with the generation of a great deal of heat. 

And as things get hot they tend to melt, so perhaps the consumer might get the wrong message – the Z.E. range are designed to significantly lower the amount of CO2 being released into the environment (Co2 is of course a 'greenhouse' gas responsible for heating up the planet). These vehicles have been created to help protect Earth's icecaps and glaciers, not to accelerate their demise.

As the green movement and the battle to reduce global warming is probably the most pressing challenge to face the planet, why not go the whole hog then and splash these vehicles with green?

It is, after all, the color of a fresh start, Spring, new shoots, renewal, refreshment, peace and calm.

However, with the introduction of photovoltaic cells and electric motors unsupported by an internal combustion engine, the consumer is dealing with technology which has been placed in an unfamiliar context – the automobile.

Cars are expensive, and the color green is also associated with inexperience and naivety – no customer wants to feel as though they may be gullible (another context in which green is found) so perhaps this is why greens are limited to being used on some very well thought through details across the Z.E. range.

Worse still, the color green can be linked to expressing a feeling of  nausea – cross that with a passenger who is prone to being travel-sick and the results could be devastating.

Green too is the color of something slightly odd, something not of this earth, a life form which might come from outer space. With this information in mind, it is perhaps slightly surprising that Renault chose to illuminate the windows of the 2008  Z.E. concept with a lime green hue.

The fact that the days of the familiar and reliable petrol burning engine may be numbered might create a certain level of anxiety in some consumers (and of course some car companies too).

What this situation needs then is a calm, measured approach.

Customers need to be given the opportunity to reflect and contemplate in order to be sure that their next vehicle is the intelligent and rational choice, one which is made in order to aid the long term wellbeing of the planet and its inhabitants.

Consumers also need to know that the technology they are about to invest in is trustworthy and dependable and not temperamental or prone to the fits that new technology can be associated with.

Blue certainly ticks all these boxes and the blue spectrum features very heavily in the Z.E range. Blue of course also very literally says 'electricity'.

Blue does have perceived negative connotations too as it can be seen as cold, distant, perhaps even removed and can signify a state of depression.

The 'coldness' of blue can however be advantageous – in these vehicles there is surely a hint of the hue of the headline-making icebergs which are in such need of being protected.

Moreover, perhaps the overall 'coldness' of the Z.E. range is symbolic of automotive companies needing to be perceived as distancing or indeed detaching themselves from their past in order to promote an image of actively pursuing a more responsible future.

Blue is also an extremely spiritually significant color and represents serenity.

This symbolism is surely a very important factor in the choice to invest in a zero emissions vehicle. Knowing that one has done 'their bit' makes a person feel they are a better human being – and as Renault are keen on being perceived as leading the way, perhaps they are informing potential customers that their next car will stand as an example to drivers of other vehicles and will encourage them to change their irresponsible ways.

It appears that blue has captured the zeitgeist – this revolution is cerebral and serene rather than visceral and bloody.

About the Author

Aysar Ghassan is a Snr Lecturer in Transportation Design & Design For Industry at Northumbria University.

His interests include form, branding and semiotics.

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Aston Martin Supercar of 2025 Designs

Students at the Istituto Europeo Di Design (IED) Turin have designed concepts for an Aston Martin supercar for 2025. The idea was to create a car that would be fit for the roads of the future, and also live up to the sporty design, performance and elegance that is expected from an Aston supercar. (Pics and videos)

Aston supercar design

Designed to occupy the very highest echelons of automotive performance, the One-77 is not a tarted-up DBS.

Despite employing classic Aston Martin long-nose styling proportions, One-77 is a bespoke engineering project - hardly surprisingly considering its Bugatti Veyron besting price of £1 200 000.
DTM based?

Built on a carbon-fibre monocoque tub chassis, One-77 cues its engineering credentials from the German DTM racing series.

According to Aston engineers, DTM racing showcases the most advanced front-engined, rear-wheel drive cars in the world. Subsequently it was a perfect design foil for the One-77, which had to remain true to Aston's roots with a front-engined, rear-wheel drive layout.



One-77 features carbon-fibre chassis and inboard pushrod actuated suspension. James Bond wished he had one of these.

The typically stunning Aston Martin styling hides a very sophisticated suspension configuration, blending a classic double-wishbone all-corner set-up, curiously located inboard, with pushrods. These pushrods transfer vertical suspension movements to the horizontally mounted damper units, it's pure track technology.

Damping itself is fully adjustable – Aston will send engineers to your house to help you set it up too – and employs dynamic suspension spool valve technology (DSSV), Aston claiming it as a road car debut for the technology. These spool valves enable damper characteristics to be manipulated without having to remove the dampers themselves from the car.

Rolling on bespoke Pirelli P Zero Corsa tyres (255/35 ZR20 front, 335/30 ZR20 rear) developed specifically for the One-77 (though nearly similar in specification to the Lamborghini SuperVeloce also on show at Geneva) One-77 should provide a unique rear-wheel drive handling experience.



Some industry pundits feel the Vantage based Aston Martin design proportions have been overused as the company's entire production range template. We don't know what they are on about either...One-77 looks simply epic.

Bigger, lighter V12

Powering the One-77 is a Cosworth fettled version of the Aston Martin DBS 6l V12. Swept capacity has been increased to 7.3l, though engine mass has been decreased by 25%, which should mean plenty of exotic materials constituting the block, heads and moving bits.

Adopting a dry-sump lubrication system allowed engineers to mount the 7.3l V12 100mm lower in the chassis than any previous V12 engined Aston Martin, accruing weight distribution and handling benefits.

Aston Martin claims to still be rounding off the engine output figures, yet admit they are condiment these should tabulate to a peak well in excess of 500kW.

On target to produce the One-77 in road going form with a rolling mass of less than 1 500kg, performance figures should factor in a 3.5 second 0-100km/h time (it's rear-wheel drive only remember) and top speed in excess of 320km/h.

With Aston having now shown the first rolling chassis at Geneva, our next hope is for them to announce the One-77's actual production name, before the first owners take delivery of their cars later this year.

car Ford Fiesta

Ford has unveiled the first details of the new global compact car, that will use the name Fiesta and will be launched worldwide between 2008 and 2010. The design is based on the 2007 Verve Concept.

Designed and developed in Europe for customers in Europe, Asia, South Africa, Australia and the Americas between 2008 and 2010, the new Fiesta is the first major product of Ford's new global product development process. 

This new small car's name keeps alive a model with more than 30 years of history.

The dynamic new look for this global family of small cars was previewed in three Ford Verve Concept vehicles which made their debuts at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2007, the Guangzhou Motor Show in November 2007 and the North American International Auto Show in January 2008.

In Europe, the new Fiesta will debut at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show in March and will go on sale in fall 2008 in three- and five-door hatchback body styles.  

By 2010, the new Fiesta will be on sale in markets across Europe, Asia, South Africa, Australia and North America in a variety of regionally tailored models derived from a common platform.

The range of engines will include five 4-cylinder powertrain choices from the 68-hp TDCi diesel to the 1.6-litre Ti-VCT gasoline engine which delivers 115 hp.

Full technical details of the new Fiesta range will be released closer to the launch in autumn 2008.

Below we report excerpts from the official releases about the exterior and interior design.

From the official Press Release:

Exterior Design

The new Ford Fiesta brings the dynamic Verve Concept exterior and interior styling to production reality, demonstrating that small cars can be stylish, sophisticated and emotional.  It rejects the notion that an affordable small car has to be a commodity.

The bold colours, dynamic shapes and sculpted surfaces of the new Ford Fiesta indicate how deeply the spirit of the Verve Concept has been carried into production as the latest model of Ford's 'kinetic design' family.

New production colours include 'Squeeze' and 'Hot Magenta', which is a production version of the unique colour developed for the three-door Verve Concept car.

The Verve Concept unveiled at Frankfurt in September 2007

"We were so pleased with the positive reaction to the body colour of the first Verve Concept, that we decided to adopt this colour for inclusion in the range soon after launch," said Marin Burela, Ford's Global Executive Director for small-car development.

The dynamic, coupé-like profile and sporty stance of the new Fiesta expresses the emotional appeal of the concept cars.

"All the vital elements of 'kinetic design' combine to create a visually rich, dynamic exterior shape that is very close indeed to the original concept car," said Martin Smith, Ford of Europe's Executive Director for Design.

"Full surfaces, bold graphics and dynamic lines combine coherently and harmoniously to create a dynamic spirit of fun and energy in motion." 

With a feeling of toned muscularity, the new Fiesta asserts an air of confidence, stylishness and individuality. 

Its aggressively contoured bonnet and front wings convey a broad-shouldered stance, and its face features a distinctive signature element – a bold lower trapezoidal grille that draws attention and reinforces the key Ford attribute of sporty driving dynamics.

Chrome and brightwork are used selectively, like jewellery accents, to convey elegance and sophistication. 

Large and full of character directly from the Verve concepts, Fiesta's bold headlamps become part of the shoulder shape and extend aggressively rearward almost as far as the stylishly raked A-pillars.

The headlamp units incorporate all primary front lighting and signal functions – complemented on the lower bumper flanks by round, chrome-ringed fog lamps.

New Fiesta's profile emphasises its new, cab-forward shape and an attitude of poised, sporty style.  The sweeping roofline extends appealingly from the forward-stretching A-pillar rearward, framing the bold graphic of the Fiesta side window profile to create the sporty feeling of a coupé for both three-door and yet-to-be-revealed five-door bodystyles.

"The Design team put as much importance on the shape of the five-door as the three-door," said Stefan Lamm, Chief Designer Exterior, Ford of Europe.  "Both cars are based on the same body, which makes them sporty and dynamic, almost coupé-like."

The Fiesta side windows combine to create a unified profile window graphic – a key 'kinetic design' element that communicates dynamism.  An elegant accent of chrome frames the lower edge of the side glass and accentuates the signature Ford "kick-up" at its rear.

The new Fiesta also features the signature bold wheel arches that communicate the vehicle's stance and dynamic capabilities, giving visual emphasis to new 17-inch alloy wheels.

Dynamic, 'kinetic design' lines arc from side to side, uniting the upper corners of the tail lamps with the distinctive spoiler, which incorporates a slim LED stop lamp array.  The sculpture of the body shapes is accented by elements like the new tail lamp – another Verve element that feels like it is an integral part of the body – and the V-shaped tailgate's chamfered rear glass.

"I've been saying just wait for the new Fiesta to see how kinetic design can be translated into a small car," said Martin Smith, Executive Director of Design for Ford of Europe.

"But now the wait is over. New Fiesta evokes an instant emotional response that says 'I want one' which extends the traditionally practical values of the Fiesta brand to appeal to a new, style-conscious generation of small car buyers."

Interior Design

Interior of the Verve Concept

The highlight of the Verve Concept interior – the futuristic, mobile phone-inspired, human-machine interface technology of the instrument panel centre stack – will be a core feature of the new Ford Fiesta when it hits the road.

Gone is the flat, upright centre stack of the instrument panel, a feature typical of many small cars driven by the need to package a large radio head unit behind the fascia panel. 

New technology allows Fiesta to separate the key elements of audio system – the control buttons, display and underlying electronics – in a distributed architecture that gives designers more freedom to create aesthetically pleasing, functional shapes.

Many customers of the new-generation Ford Fiesta were raised with mobile phones and they will be instantly comfortable with the design of the car's Ford Convers+ system, which follows the centre stack contours to frame a large-screen display and control panel with key buttons for audio, in-car phone and vehicle settings.

Convenient toggle switches incorporated into the steering wheel allow the driver to control the system's key functions easily and intuitively.

Another Verve Concept feature – the lozenge shaped array of large twist dials for the heating and ventilation systems at the midpoint of the centre stack – is retained in the production Fiesta design. 

This feature was inspired by the design of contemporary power showers. 

The new centre console features a convenient tray for MP3 players complete with built-in jack sockets for an auxiliary (AUX) audio cable and a USB, along with the traditional 12 Volt outlet.

This allows the car's audio system to control and charge the MP3 player.

The new ambient lighting system provides a softly red glow to discreetly highlight the interior of the car.