AutoCritical

Having high expectations on designs that come out from Ford would not be unreasonable if you were to see the examples of the Mondeo, Fiesta (Fast as a spear) and in some ways, the Taurus (Elegance that needs cosmetic surgery). I have to be honest, the first visual impact-opinion I had when seeing the new Focus was that of a brave boldness, mostly referring to the gaping vents at the front, and to how dramatic they were.

I don't mind the front end in the production version. It is distinct. But you can see what they were trying to relate to (the Fiesta - sketch)

Now that I’ve calmed down a bit and seeing the front end as an isolated element, I can see where they were coming from with that front end in its relation to the successful Fiesta, but am struggling to see why they didn’t try and make it more obvious as the vertical bars that support the lower in mouth seem weak, almost flimsy.

Front end comparison

Along the fenders are muscular wheel arches created by curved lines that lead over a belt line that connects them visually. A resultant intersection of surfaces and lines has a dynamic effect which again is pretty cool in isolation, but I have to admit struggling to see the harmony in relation to the rest of the car. It just seems a bit forced… can you see it?

A typical rear end - Not sure about that rounded section though.

Rounding up the rear is effectively a result of connecting the surfaces over the rear fenders. The graphical breakup is typically Ford, being inoffensive except for the tail lamp that seems out of place, and the surface of badge placement that seems a bit round. The front also seems a bit stiff around the bonnet area, now that I take a second look.

Some lines create forced surfaces that don't match. The tail light also seems out of place.

Overall the proportions of this design are desirably proportioned, just like the other products in the Ford range. However, with the high standard expected from those products, it becomes easy to notice the awkwardness when there are a couple out of place elements.

Suzuki – through one of their research and development divisions in India, have come up with a compact MPV concept thought to be in preparation for the Delhi motor show, called the R3.

Rightly so, there is a trend in trying to make potentially dull cars (like vans and MPVs) to be dynamically styled. In Suzuki’s attempt there are many lines along the body side that emphasize this directional movement. The most interesting is the in the belt line of the car that uses light catching on the rear to contrast heavily with the dark shadow just behind the front wheel arch. Interesting DLO frame treatments that are sympathetic to the lower half of the doors create that conceptual interest that I would love to see in production.

Dramatic lines bring movement to the design

Themes of glass (represented in black) are strongly reinforced with the large opening on the rear backlight and are all connected with the sides and front with the sky lights on the roof. This results in a ‘light’ appearance on a car that could otherwise be heavy due to large areas of color.
A secondary theme that is perhaps more cohesive in the interior is the satin finished metal work. Hints that appear on the front, and streak though the body side are fed through the console with a vein-like functionality.

Clever use of satin chrome and black help reduce the visual weight of this type of car

Deliberate techniques of visual mass reduction make this a successful concept with clever uses of non-color (inside as black surfaces, and outside as glass). As a result this compact MPV, the R3, is far from static and heavy looking. I hope they put this one into production!