Ford Tourneo Custom Concept

Ford is set to unveil its eight-seater Tourneo Custom Concept at next month's Geneva motor show, previewing new features that will give the vehicle car-like appeal.

Ford designers have given the commercial vehicle the character of the company's Kinetic Design passenger car range, emphasizing movement, including a trapezoidal grille, a strong and muscular shoulder line, prominent wheel lips and a DLO with distinguishing kicks at the rear of each element.

"We set out to create a design with clean, futuristic lines and with a real sense of occasion," explains Paul Campbell, chief designer, Ford of Europe.

An new interior design is highly driver-focused and a fully trimmed cabin imitates the cockpit of a modern multi-seat sedan.

The instrument panel around the driver features technologies that are closely-related to those in Ford's car range. The Kinetic Design theme continues into the car's interior, a prime example being the taut, wing-like section of the upper instrument panel. The interior uses a two-tone color scheme with hand-stitched leather seats along with cloth inserts.

Campbell says, "We wanted to give the driver, and the rear seat passengers, an interior which has the same standards of design and quality they would experience in a modern multi-seat saloon car, but with ample space for people and luggage."

Multi-adjustable and removable rear seating, an advanced SYNC voice-activated in-car connectivity system and the latest Ford low-CO2 ECOnetic Technologies all feature within the car.

The Tourneo Custom Concept indicates that Ford's commercial vehicle range, to be introduced later this year, will be moving in a completely new design direction.

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