Since 2005, Ford has been talking about their iosis (yes, it’s purposely all lowercase) concepts and how this new perspective will pave the way for the future designs at the Ford Motor Company. At the 2005 Frankfurt Auto Show, TheCarConnection.com covered the first iteration of the concept, which consisted of an “RX8 like” four-door coupe with swing up doors made out of carbon fiber and other interesting technological goodies. Then at the 2006 Paris Auto Show, Ford reveled the iosis X concept aimed at the sport crossover market. This particular example showcased a design that complied with new European pedestrian safety regulations and used interior design inspiration from helicopter cockpits. Now, at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show, Ford has uncovered the newest version of the iosis concept line-- the iosis MAX.

The one thing all of the above have in common is this “kinetic design.” Are you wondering what in the world “kinetic design” means? The term “kinetic design was coined by Martin Smith, Ford of Europe’s Executive Design Director and was derived from the idea that Europeans want “dynamism, emotion and refinement” reflected in their automotive designs. Smith felt that “kinetic” expressed all of the attributes that they wanted reflected in Ford’s new designs-- energy, movement, and the notion of movement in a stationary object. These factors culminated to bring you the birth of the term kinetic design (read more over at carbodydesign.com).

Ford iosis MAX concept

Ford iosis MAX concept

 

Now that we are all up to speed, lets look at the latest concept to break into the lime light at the ’09 Geneva Motor Show. The new iosis MAX is a small five-door hatchback concept that showcases some innovated uses of design. The most unusual feature is the sliding rear doors (opening like a minivan), which incorporates a pillar-less design. The new concept also features Ford’s 1.6-liter EcoBoost engine with the Auto-Start-Stop system-- a system that shuts down the motor when the vehicle comes to a complete stop to save fuel. It is the opinion of our expert reviewers over at TheCarConnection.com that this concept isn’t just “academic,” but that these designs may end up in American showrooms in the near future. 

To read the full scoop directly from the 2009 Geneva Motor Show, check out TheCarConnection.com’s blog. And if you are craving more Ford news, reviews, photos and more, then roll over to our partner site FordReports.com.