Ford iosis X Concept Previews New 2008 Niche Model SUV

Motoring Channel Staff - 29/Sep/2006

Paris, France — Following on from its iosis concept, which first appeared at the 2005 Frankfurt Motor Show in Germany, Ford of Europe's design team has presented the Iosis X concept, where the X - or 'cross' - denotes a rugged, off-road persona.

Interpreted the company's distinctive new 'kinetic design' form language, the new crossover concept made its debut at the 2006 Paris Motor Show, sporting a high ride height, sleek styling and teeny tiny side mirrors mounted high above the window line.

The Ford iosis X is very clearly a concept and is not intended to be representative of a future production model. Instead, it sets out to explore the ways in which Ford's kinetic design form language and detailing can be applied to a niche vehicle in a rugged and exciting way. In other words, the numerous styling cues may be used as inspiration in a new sporty AWD designed by Ford of Europe.

In his concept vehicle at Frankfurt 2005, Martin Smith and his team revealed the new form language that ultimately will be applied in varying levels across Ford's future European vehicle portfolio, and can be seen in the new Ford Mondeo, for example. The original iosis presented all of the key elements of what Ford identified as 'kinetic design' in their purest form.

Ford has revealed that one of the specific purposes of iosis X is to prepare the public for the introduction of a future Ford of Europe (FoE) niche model. "There's been a lot of speculation about Ford producing a compact crossover or Sport Utility vehicle," said John Fleming, the President and CEO at Ford of Europe. "The iosis X is intended to send a very strong message that we will be entering this market in around eighteen months from now, and that our new model will be both stylish and individual."

Looking at this latest prototype vehicle, the front of the iosis X features the bold new Ford of Europe face translated into a more rugged look to convey the strength of the vehicle. Most noticeable are the strong inverted trapezoid elements, including a prominent lower grille section.

"We're calling this car iosis X as a deliberate link to our 'kinetic design' concept car lineage started last year," said Martin Smith, Ford of Europe's chief of design. "The link is not just in the name – there's a strong visual relationship between the two cars, and the 'X' signals the new vehicle's crossover capabilities.

"The iosis X is an exciting 5-door sports-crossover that proves we can extend the boundaries of kinetic design into a niche market vehicle," added Smith. "It takes our 'energy in motion' philosophy even further and shows how different Ford cars will be in the future."

Appropriately for a crossover, the lower grille has been enhanced further by reducing the upper grille to little more than a ram air intake – a horizontal slot bisected by a bright metal bar and featuring a deliberately large Ford blue oval badge that appears to be thrusting forwards from within the engine bay.

In side profile, muscular surfacing and these strong and athletic shoulders run through the car, and are underscored by a dynamic undercut line that gives iosis X an extremely dynamic stance, further enhanced by very bold wheel lips. Air vents aft of the front wheel arches, a key signature on the original iosis, appear also on iosis X, drawing air from the front brakes.

Side doors hinge outwards at the leading edge of the front door and rear edge of the smaller back door and are designed without a B-pillar to give easy access and an uninterrupted view of the stunning interior.

Key elements of kinetic design are trapezoidal shapes and three-dimensional forms and the interplay between them. Whilst the inverted grille at the front is the most obvious trapezoidal graphic it appears in many other interpretations throughout the exterior: the intakes at the front, the chamfers at the base of the windscreen and rear window, within the wheels, in the ‘C’ post kink and the ridges running down the bonnet are all elements of this basic shape.

A bird’s eye view is the best illustration of iosis X’s 'three-plane' form but this is also hinted at within the unique wheels, which Stefan Lamm, head of exterior design at Ford Europe considers to be the most extreme so far designed by his team." Mixing the finishes within the wheels heightens the three-dimensional effect, especially on the perimeter castings that look as if they could almost be scooping the mud and water out of the way."

Lighting elements have developed significantly since the original iosis concept, and for iosis X, the FoE team has been able to capitalise on the use of latest lamp technology. Both front and rear lamps employ LEDs in a highly detailed execution featuring swept back top edges. But what excites Lamm is not just their 3-D structure but the way in which they seamlessly follow the contours of the body.

Ford's interior design team, led by Nikolaus Vidakovic, has created a dramatic and exciting interior for iosis X. The interior is dominated by a new 'interlocking bridge' centre console structure inspired by modern helicopter cockpit design. The large console dives down from the instrument panel dividing the front and rear pairs of seats and dominating the interior before dramatically sweeping upwards at the rear and into the roof.

The rear section of this console has a practical side to it as well, as it provides a support and opening mechanism for the one-piece rear hatch in place of traditional hinges. It also provides a secure location for the spare wheel. A central overhead panel contains personal lighting for the front and rear occupants plus ambient lighting and an entertainment screen for rear passengers. It also houses three passenger grab handles which would traditionally be located on the cant rails above the doors.

Twin glass roof panels flank the central overhead console, and these are complemented by a totally unique feature - not just a glass roof, but a solid glass floor beneath the drivers and passenger seats. This offers a most unusual view of the terrain below, and may make some passengers nauseous.

New technology has allowed the interiors team to locate hardware for the information, entertainment and heating, ventilation and air-conditioning systems remotely away from their controls. This has dramatically freed up space under the instrument panel, creating a floating centre console and offering a greater feeling of spaciousness. It also allowed the team to develop a range of practical storage facilities that customers could choose from, allowing them to tailor that area for their own needs. A similar section in the rear console opens up the floor space for the back seat passengers. 

The slim instrument panel flows through into the door lines, creating a dramatic cockpit feel for the front seat occupants. Facing the driver is a radical steering wheel developed from that used in the original iosis, featuring orange perspex sections and contrasting white 'piano' inserts. The controls in the iosis X concept employ soft touch screens and touch sensitive controls in the centre stack.

Although iosis X is not intended to be a mechanical prototype, it is fitted with an electronic sequential gear change control in the centre console. Its innovative design is similar to that found on many computer games consoles, and fits snugly into the palm of the hand. Surrounding the gear shifter is a series of soft touch buttons for dynamic controls, including suspension and traction settings. 

Air vents, which are usually a dominating feature of any fascia, have been subtly disguised with fine mesh blending them into their surroundings. "We’ve spent a lot of time developing this mesh over the years," revealed Vidakovic. "It took a lot of work to get it right so that the mesh wouldn't vibrate or restrict air flow to the passengers."

Orange mood lighting, created by light emitting diodes and light pipes, helps to illuminate the interior. However, not much lighting is needed in a car that features not only frosted glass panels in the roof (to continue the twin silver stripes from the bonnet over the roof) but also a glass floor.

The glass floor also led the design team to develop a unique mounting system for the front seats with runners either side of the glass panels. The added benefit to this is that it gives the rear seat passengers more foot room beneath the front seats. The seats themselves are highly complex and have been designed specifically with the rigours of cross country or light off-roading in mind, featuring more supportive padding in the upper back section and integrated seat belts.