Ford admits that it has chosen this specific time to entertain the idea of entering the posher side of the European car market with the Vignale concept (and subsequent sub-brand), because it noticed the established luxury automakers’ downward migration, in an attempt to reel in some of their buyers, the ones after a top-spec but not premium offering.
These people are ushered into Mercedes-Benz, Audi and BMW dealerships, ending up leaving in low-to-mid spec A-Class, A1/A3 and 1-Series models. Now, the bright minds at Ford have collectively agreed that it would be a good time to try to fight back, by offering a luxurious vehicle and an equally luxurious customer experience, while still keeping the price bearable.
However, the all-new Mondeo has not been launched in Europe yet, and to me, this talk of flashy front grilles, diamond stitched seats and soft leather dashes is just a bit silly in the current context. They are trying to justify the move, but the fact of the matter is those looking for a premium vehicle aren’t necessarily looking for the best (or best value) offer, but merely want to associate their face with a logo, with either four rings, a star or a propeller.
What is actually of more genuine interest is the S-Max concept, which looks really sleek, yet so close in appearance to a production ready car… We’ve seen a lot of it in the Frankfurt motor show photos that we have up, but those are static, and don’t do it justice. Thankfully, a more dynamic promo/presentation has been shared by the Blue Oval and it, along with two new videos about the Vignale concept, are posted below.
By Andrei Nedelea
VIDEO