Ford has unveiled its second Verve (European Fiesta replacement sharing the Mazda 2 platform) concept – a four-door notchback at the fifth annual Guangzhou international automobile exhibition in China.
Go deeper with GlobalData
This makes sense – some markets, particularly emerging markets – prefer this size of vehicle (European B-segment) as a conventional four-door sedan rather than the three- and five-door hatchbacks popular in western and northern Europe. Various Ford subsidiaries – including those in Brazil and India – have built one or both of the last two Fiesta generations in locally-developed sedan form – India’s first attempt was called the Ikon. Strangely, the current – second generation – Indian and Brazilian versions are not identical.
“The fact that Ford staged the global reveal of the four-door Verve concept at Guangzhou signals the importance of Asia in [our] global plans,” the automaker said in a statement on Monday.
The three-door hatchback Verve concept made its debut at the Frankfurt motor show last September and is also on display in Guangzhou. Ford will unveil the third and last version in January at the Detroit show.
“With this new four-door…, the picture of Ford’s big plans for the small-car segment is becoming clearer,” said Phil Spender, chief operation officer at Ford Motor (China). “Our future small car is being developed as a global car. It will be designed in Europe, engineered in Germany and manufactured globally. These two… concepts demonstrate how confident Ford is in its direction and its appeal to consumers here in China.”
How well do you really know your competitors?
Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.
Thank you!
Your download email will arrive shortly
Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample
We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form
By GlobalDataFord said its designers, “buoyed by the enthusiastic reaction in Europe to the first Verve concept”, would be “carefully studying reactions to the new notchback by Chinese consumers”.
