B-Segment Verve Sedan Concept: Ford’s Next Move for China?

Verve Photos

The sleek, eye-catching shape of the Verve has been transformed into a sedan for China. (Photo: Ford)

Profile-wise, it almost looks like a fastback, rather than a traditional sedan. (Photo: Ford)

A third Verve concept will be shown at Detroit. Is this the future of small Fords? (Photo: Ford)

Ford’s Verve Concept, the brand’s international B-Segment concept car, has just been launched once again. The bright magenta-colored hatchback first seen at this year’s Frankfurt motor show emerged in Guangzhou, China, at the Auto Guangzhou show, with a different body style. Whereas the original concept featured three-doors and tailgate, this latest one has been served up with four proper doors and a fully enclosed trunk.

As you may or may not know, the Chinese follow a similar trend along with Eastern Europeans and North Americans in the way they like their cars, namely with trunks. Most manufacturers who intend on selling serious volumes in these markets often come up with sedan alternatives of their fastbacks or hatchbacks. Take, for instance, almost every mainstream subcompact car with the exception of the Honda Fit – they’re all offered in a choice of body style, sedan or hatchback. Much the same applies for the concept version of Ford’s upcoming B-segment car, the Verve.

Where most subcompact and compact vehicles look forced in their conversion from five-door (or three-door) to four-door, the Verve looks fairly natural. Its rear end has a fairly large overhang to provide ample trunk space, but the extra metal is well disguised by the Mondeo-esque styling, and large, LED taillights. Ford has attempted to maintain the fastback look of the Verve sedan, done by extending the rear glass beyond the rear wheels. Overall, the decklid is quite short and stubby when compared to other subcompact sedans. Oh, and you can’t forget the color – Regal Frosted Grape. It’s not as vibrant as the magenta Verve hatchback, but it’s equally eye catching. As for the rest of the car, it’s pretty much the same as the first Verve.

Ford’s Executive Director of European Design, Martin Smith, commented, “Looking at these concepts together, you can just imagine how exciting the successor to the Ford Fiesta will be when it hits the market.”

Whereas color was important to the Verve hatchback inside and out, the interior of the Verve sedan is much more subdued. Dark grays and silvers make up the predominant theme for the cabin, but unlike how small cars are perceived in North America, the Verve sedan was given the full luxury treatment with Alcantara and leather. It is not uncommon to find dimensionally small vehicles with furnishings that are normally reserved for more expensive classes of cars. Furthermore, the Verve Sedan features the new HMI interface system which gives the angled console the look and operation of a metallic cellphone keypad (think Motorola Razr).

This isn’t the first time that Ford has shown a four-door notchback sedan concept vehicle in China. Previously, Ford debuted the current generation Focus – also in concept car form – in China. This is Ford’s way of showing the world’s fastest growing market that it is important, and like other automakers the blue oval brand will likely continue to creating custom designs for specific markets. As with the Chinese, we North Americans quite like the idea of having our subcompact cars with four-doors. This could be a sign that a new Ford “world car” is on the way. Hopefully when Ford finally enters its home market with a B-segment car to go up against Toyota’s Yaris, Honda’s Fit, Chevy’s Aveo and others, it will be as good looking as the Verve sedan. We just might find out in just over a month’s time at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit when the third Verve concept is scheduled to appear.