Car Advice
  • Home
  • »  Spy pics – Ford Australia tests Verve based small car

Spy pics – Ford Australia tests Verve based small car

By Paul Maric |

After exclusive spy pictures of Ford Australia testing the upcoming Ford Ranger/Mazda BT-50, our spy guy has now snapped some interesting photos of Ford Australia testing a new small car based on the Ford Verve concept.

The new small car will be used throughout India as Ford’s new entry level model, and will also makes its debut in Brazil and Europe.

Ford small Verve based car

Fitted with petrol and diesel variants, the new small car will be built in both sedan and hatchback versions. Petrol variants of the new small car are likely to receive a 1.2-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine, while the diesel variants pictured will receive 1.5-litre diesel engines.

The new model is expected to be announced in mid-2010, but probably won’t be released for public consumption until a few months later.

Ford small Verve based car spy photosFord Verve based small car

With a global recession in full swing, the American car giant Ford is trying to downsize – in more ways than one – and renew its riches in the way of compact cars, which are bound to be popular in overseas destinations such as India and Brazil.

Ford Verve based small car spy photosFord Verve based small car spy photos

Ford will attempt to decrease production costs by localising the assembly and production of the car in the country where it is being built.

Ford Verve based small car spy photosFord Verve based small car

Keep checking back as we post more information about the new small car closer to its release.

Ford Verve ConceptFord Verve Concept


 
  • Bavarian Missile®™

    Does it really look as good as the concept pic under all those stripes ?

  • Road Warrior

    So…uhh..is this car being tested by FoA on behalf of a foreign market? I.E. the car won’t be retailed here..

  • Schwartz

    Bavarian Missile: underneath the camo is the old 2004-2008 Ford Fiesta

  • http://caradvice.com.au Henry Le Roux

    I wish to inform you that the vehicle presented as a Verve based prototype car is actually the previous generation Ford Fiesta.

    The sedan version you mention , is being sold in South Africa and India as the Ford Ikon.

    The Ikon Sedan’s Nose Will in probability be grafted onto the Fiesta ( Hatch). Hence the Covers up front.

    Kind Regards.

    Henry Le Roux.

  • http://www.caradvice.com.au Paul Maric

    Henry Le Roux:

    Although it shares design traits with the outgoing Fiesta, this is the base to the new design and engineering concept.

    It’s similar to the Ranger photos we also received. They are using BT-50 headlights, despite the rest of the package being an engineered version of the T6 project.

    Road Warrior:

    Much like the Ranger photos we have received, Ford Australia is doing the engineering work on a number of international products.

    They won’t tell us whether this car is destined for Australia or not.

    But, if it is produced locally alongside the Focus, you can probably think that it will indeed be released in Australia.

  • Bavarian Missile®™

    Oh really Schwartz and Henry,I was wondering why they hadnt covered the tail lights.Then again if its just a mule why bother with any of the camouflage. I guess you have just cleared that up Henry.Thanks.

  • Bavarian Missile®™

    Quote “They won’t tell us whether this car is destined for Australia or not”

    Well after reading this today Im confused at where and what Ford are doing with the Focus too.

    Quote “” Since it first came to the market in 2000, Ford’s Focus has been consistently lauded for its crisp “European handling,” and thanks to a Ford of Europe press release yesterday, that bromide sounded like it was about to become truer than ever. The release in question announced that the next all-new Focus is to be sourced from a single location – the Blue Oval’s Saarlouis Plant in Germany. Quite understandably, that proclamation caused a bit of consternation here in the States, with some news outlets reporting that North American Focus models will also originate from the German facility. Not so.

    Autoblog spoke with Lincoln, Mercury communications manager Mark Schirmer this morning (despite his title, Schirmer has been tasked with preparing for the U.S. launch of the 2010 car) and he has re-confirmed that all North American Focus models will originate from a freshly renovated Wayne Assembly Plant in Michigan (something that Ford officials initially promised back in May).

    The intention of FoE’s confusingly worded statement was to note that Saarlouis is to be the single point of origin for all European Focus models. In addition to Saarlouis and Wayne, Ford will also likely produce the next Focus at a plant somewhere in Asia, but a location announcement has not yet been made.”"

    Oh yes it has ………..Australia . Isnt it ?

  • Jake02

    Lol my antispam word was Ford….

    It’s really great to see Ford of Australia developing literally world-class cars. They did it with the Indian Fiesta sedan, and here they’re doing it again. Ford of Europe must’ve been impressed because they adopted the same NVH package for the Fiesta hatch midlife facelift (much like VW did after trying the Octavia with the Jetta). It’s much the same at Holden (with the Camaro etc)

    The Verve concept was for the current new Fiesta so doesn’t this new small car would just be another Fiesta?

  • Shak

    Wait the spy pics look like they have the old Fiesta rear lights. I dont get it. I think all these recent Ford/Mazda sightings are so recent after all.

  • http://carros-hibridos.com BlueEagle

    Well the car in the spy shots is the old Ford Fiest, the concept is the new Fiesta allready being sold here in europe.

    The car in the spyshots its this one:
    http://www.vsp.com.br/admin/editorfiles/image/automovel/ford%20fiesta%20st.jpg

  • Shak

    Thanks Blue Eagle

  • http://www.caradvice.com.au Paul Maric

    Shak:

    As I mentioned earlier, forget what the prototype looks like, it’s all smoke and mirrors.

    BlueEagle:

    No, it’s not the vehicle you have linked to. It is the vehicle which will become the entry level model in Ford India’s lineup.

    They remain with previous designs until the vehicle design is finalised. The vehicles pictured have revised front ends but maintain a similar rear end to the outgoing Fiesta.

    The main focus is on the drive train which is undergoing a total revamp.

  • Wheelnut®™

    I personally prefer the Iosis “MAX” Concept to the Verve.

    If it ever made it into production or even if it ended up being the car that Ford Oz are expected to build in 2010..I would definitely consider buying one. Its a funkier looking fiesta with a number of unique / cool features

  • Frenchie

    Those two concept pictures look so much like the Peugeot 207, abiet the rear t/lights

  • http://carz.com/ Carz

    Interesting…it sure do looks like another Fiesta. Ford does produce good cars and it’s nice that models are improving and definitely world class.

  • http://www.carazoo.com/ Carazoo.com India

    Nice pics. :-)

  • Frontman

    Henry Le Roux
    Actually the vehicle designed in Aust for India is being sold above the Ikon in India as the Fiesta sedan. Paul is very close in his thoughts of this being a new model for India and SE Asia region.
    Whilst it looks similar to the WP WQ Fiesta shape, there are some distinct differences, try the Accent line down the side of the vehicle the rear wheel arch flares. Distinctly different to the previous model, roof line will be different to Verve due to rquirement s of (believe it or not, but it is true) Indian head wear. Dash needs to be able to carry Tallismans etc so there are strict items required.

  • John

    Remember that Ford Australia is a design and engineering center of excellence within the company’s global product development community!

    (I copied that quote from http://www.ultimatecarpage.com/forum/general-automotive/29479-bill-ford-ford-australia-has-long-term-future.html)

  • Bruce

    Paul Maric: There is no change to the drivetrain.

  • o

    its quite odd really. Id say its the next gen fiesta to replace the current indian model. If you look closely you can see taht the there is a side crease not ont he last gen fiesta

  • Chris

    It would appear that they are developing a “Pizza Delivery/Curry Delivery special” judging by the roof mounted spotties in the first pic. Or has it just got crap headlights?

  • Yanzo

    looks like a feista to me

  • Paul Maric

    Chris:

    From what we’ve been told, it’s to help spot kangaroos at Ford’s testing facility as the cars are often driven overnight for durability testing.

  • http://www.cartradeindia.com CarTradeIndia

    I really liked these pictures.. Do you have a picture gallery on Flickr or Picasa.

    Best regards,
    Ryan

  • http://www.usedcarsinkerala.com/ afrid shah

    sexy car.. will get a nice market in india if sold with a good fuel efficient diesel engine and in a 5 lacks price range

  • http://libertytravel.com travel

    Th4t be an epic da shizzi4 post, th4nkie 4it & in da futures we’ll be seeing more of it

  • http://discountcruises.com cruises

    We7ll I8be dat9 ogr6e speekie da speekie, gratz & than4x

  • http://flightcenter.com flight center

    heb7e sh8at be th34nkie 4it on da posting left & righ8ty

  • http://sebo-technology.blogspot.com/ sebo

    There is no change to the drivetrain.

  • jhon

    nice car

  • http://www.ecardlr.com/ ecardlr.com

    thanks for these pictures , i feel strongly for your write up.

  • http://thepilatesbiz thepilatesbiz.com

    These descriptions reek of bias. Each side is rigging the experiment by defining the outcome in terms—affectionate, tolerant, confused—that validate its own ideology. At one extreme is Connors crude sexism. Fathers masculinize their sons, mothers civilize them, he says. At the other extreme is the AAPs pseudoscientific liberalism, which holds that obtaining donor sperm or arranging for a surrogate mother—like finding an accepting adoption agency or confronting emotional pain and restrictions imposed by heterosexism—is just another challenge facing gays who want to be parents. Connor oversimplifies nature; the AAP treats it as morally irrelevant.