Ford Motor today unveiled a design concept for its Fiesta replacement here.
The concept is a “significant hint” at how the US carmaker's new global small-car family will look, Ford said.
Called the Verve, the two-door concept will debut at next month's IAA in Frankfurt.
Ford will sell a production version of the concept in North America, Asia and Europe.
Shared global vehicles are a centerpiece of Ford CEO Alan Mulally's strategy to turn around the carmaker.
Ford earlier this year created a new global engineering team for its next-generation small-car family by merging regional teams in Europe, North America and Asia. The team is based in Cologne, Germany.
The Fiesta replacement will debut in Europe late next year. Versions for North America and Asia will go on sale sometime between 2008 and 2010.
Ford plans to make at least 1 million units of the Ford-branded small car and its platform sibling, the Mazda2, Joe Bakaj, Ford of Europe's head of product development told Automotive News Europe at the Verve's unveiling today.
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Ford of Europe CEO John Fleming said the carmaker gave its designers a free hand to create an exciting concept for the future small-car family.
He said Ford will test public reaction at next month's IAA.
Martin Smith, Ford of Europe's design director, said the concept's chic, modern styling will appeal to a “demanding and fashion-conscious” generation.
Ford designers in Dunton, England, and Cologne, Germany created the concept.
The Verve is the first of three concepts for a new small car that Ford will show over the next few months at auto shows in Germany, China and Detroit.
It is not yet known if Ford will keep the Fiesta name for the production car.
