CARS are about passion. And passion is about indulging the senses: the feel of the road. Or at least according to Derrick Kuzak, Vice President, Product Development at Ford of Europe. That’s why, he says, Ford created the Visos.
Design Director Chris Bird, says Visos is the fusion of a true sports car and a luxury touring car, delivering a motoring experience that is “as stirring and inspiring as the appearance of the vehicle itself”.
It is, claim Ford, an exciting car, packed with innovation and new technologies. The inside bristles with LCD panels and futuristic controls, while the outside remains sleek thanks to Active Surfacing — a technique that sees the technologies of the vehicle hidden, until they are called for by the driver, the road condition or the vehicle’s dynamics.
Visos is a strong hint at the shape of things to come, giving a glimpse not only of what Ford of Europe’s future vehicles may look like, but also of the challenges that designers will face.
Fitting four adults comfortably into a sleek sports coupe silhouette, only marginally longer than a Focus, is unprecedented. By giving Visos dramatic wide shoulders equipment that would normally be found behind the instrument panel can be moved into the car’s flanks. This allows a dramatic decrease in the size of the instrument panel, freeing up valuable cabin space.
While the doors open in a conventional way, they extend deep into the roofline. The roof itself lifts up and folds inward on either side, for easy access to the rear seats.
“Despite interior space that is appropriate to a luxury touring car, we managed to retain the energetic lines of a sports coupe,” says Design Chief Chris Svensson.
Chris Hamilton, Exterior Design Manager, made use of Active Surfacing and was able to hide the aerodynamic aids normally associated with high performance cars and only call on them when required. “This retains the purity of Visos’ purposeful exterior shape without compromising its performance potential,” he says.
Visos has classic coupe styling, with a sharply curved C-pillar, reminiscent of the iconic Capri. The B-pillar is hidden behind tinted glass, giving the side-view a smooth, uninterrupted flow. The A-pillar is sharply raked, consistent with coupe styling. Two intake vents are situated on the rear three quarter panel, while 20-inch wheels fill out the lightly flared wheel arches.
When the driver selects Sport mode it initiates a series of changes to the exterior, the interior and to the performance characteristics of the car. Externally, this results in the deployment of the front splitter, the rear diffuser and the rear spoiler. In Comfort mode the vehicle does not necessarily require the same aerodynamic assistance and so these devices are retracted into the body.
Regardless of the operating mode, the aerodynamic aids are deployed automatically at 90 kph.
Active Surfacing is also evident in integrated door cameras that fold flush into the door panels when the vehicle has been ‘shut down’. When the engine is started the cameras automatically rotate out of the door surfaces. The camera imaging system provides a clear rear view and it features blind spot detection to warn the driver if it is not safe when changing lanes. When the car is parked the cameras retract into the car’s bodywork, ensuring that they are fully protected from dirt or damage.
The inside of Visos is full of technology and innovation. The sculpted instrument pod, mounted on the steering wheel, consists of a large analogue circular dial flanked by two customisable LCD panels. This is another design element that demonstrates the car’s dual personality, with displays that can be either performance-orientated or luxury-inclined.
To allow easy central control and assessment of all vehicle functions, most of the conventional dials and switches have been replaced by a high definition LCD monitor in the centre console.
At the push of a button, the inside of the Visos can change from a laid-back saloon into a sports car. The lighting, soft and calming in Comfort mode, can turn brighter and more purposeful, while the seats automatically reshape to hug your body. The steering wheel slides closer to the driver, and the angle of the seat adjusts to a more sports car like position. The instruments switch to Sport mode supplying an array of information to suit the keen driver and the gear lever is deployed from the centre console to operate the sequential shifter on the advanced ASM transmission.
Push the button again, and you’re back in Comfort mode. Gentle lighting is resumed and the seats are restored to a more comfort-orientated configuration.
Passenger needs are also fully catered for, with the front passenger seat offering “a full, first-class recline mode” and an extending footrest. With the front passenger seat in non-recline mode the Visos provides adult-sized individual rear seats divided by the full-length centre console that runs from the instrument panel through to the rear bulkhead. Mounted on this console, between the rear seats, are dedicated controls for the rear seat audio/visual entertainment systems.
“I miss tinkering under a car’s bonnet. After all, many of us are real car enthusiasts, and enthusiasts will always appreciate having more control,” says Chris Hamilton, Visos Exterior Designer.
With the Visos, Ford is welcoming the enthusiast back under the bonnet. An LCD monitor, mounted to one side of the engine, displays the current set-up. By plugging a laptop computer into a USB port, next to the LCD monitor, the user can change settings that control such attributes as the dampers, rev limiter and much more.
Users can even download preset configurations from a dedicated Ford server on the Internet, or swap setting files with other owners.
Visos is powered by a six cylinder bi-turbo engine. It has a power output of 350 PS, and 400 Nm of torque is available. The engine is mated to a six-speed advanced ASM transmission, driving all four wheels.
“Visos is designed to be a feasible, practical vehicle. We didn’t want a pie-in-the-sky vehicle. We wanted to show something passionate and emotional. Something that is dramatic, yet achievable. We believe Visos matches these high aspirations,” says Chris Bird.
