Martin Smith, Ford of Europe's executive design director, had this to say of his new style: "We are calling this new language Ford 'kinetic'
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| "We are calling this new language Ford 'kinetic' design, because we believe it expresses energy in motion," commented Martin Smith, Ford of Europe's executive design director (left).Lewis Booth, Chairman and CEO Ford of Europe at right. (Photo: Ford of Europe) |
design, because we believe it expresses energy in motion." With a profile as sleek as the latest Aston Martins, it would be hard to make the iosis look any more kinetic without drawing "whoosh" lines behind it and little exhaust puffs to boot.
While enticing for a blue oval concept, I can't say the iosis comes across as entirely original. Little bits and pieces viewed in isolation hint at muses that are perhaps not so esteemed as PAG's standout Aston brand. The bulging fenders are strongly reminiscent of Mazda's RX-8, which is no bad thing under normal circumstances, but slightly less
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| One feature that seems terribly out of place despite being chrome is the grille: it still seems so down market that it throws the rest of the car off balance, more like an afterthought than an intrinsic part of the initial design. (Photo: Ford of Europe) |
distinguished than Aston credentials. One feature that seems terribly out of place despite being chrome is the grille: it still seems so down market that it throws the rest of the car off balance, more like an afterthought than an intrinsic part of the initial design. I can just here the conversation initiated by some Ford exec, "Now how do we fit our traditional grille on this stylish new design, Martin"? When I talked it over with a few colleagues at the office, we came to the conclusion that Ford must have lifted it out of the Crown Victoria parts bin. It might not be identical to Ford's old North American taxi cab cum cop car (see photo gallery to decide for yourself), but it still doesn't appear like it could have been part of the original iosis theme, which is shame because Ford's designers got it right on the SAV.
