J Mays introduces the Ford Reflex Concept at the
North American International Auto Show in Detroit

The technological features include the advanced diesel-electric hybrid engine, solar panels, flexible interior made from synthetic and regenerated materials, and such advanced safety features as inflatable safety belts in the rear.

The Reflex is powered by a diesel-electric hybrid engine and new-generation lithium-ion batteries that enable to achieve an excellent fuel efficiency (up to 65 miles per gallon).

Design: "Small is Big"

The concept underscores Ford's intent to offer bold, American designs regardless of vehicle size.

"From consumer electronics to urban dwellings, small is becoming big in America," says Peter Horbury, executive director, North American Design.

"The bold and innovative design of Reflex stretches the traditional boundaries of a subcompact car.

"Reflex delivers the fuel economy and flexibility that Americans have come to expect."

The North American market for small vehicles will grow 5 percent per year through 2008 to reach more than one-third of all cars sold.

Reflex underscores the bold, American design direction for all Ford vehicles going forward.

"Ford Reflex is a small car that doesn't feel small," says Freeman Thomas, director, North American Strategic Design.

"It is a gorgeous sporty car that delivers guilt free performance with a hybrid engine. And thanks to its innovative approach to the interior, it has space for growing families."

Reflex is set off with Ford's three-bar grille - made of high-strength anodized extruded aluminum, which is hand polished to a matte finish.

The concept's shoulder line flows upward to the B-pillar and back down into the wheel arch. Reverse butterfly doors aid vehicle ingress and egress.

The vehicle's low-voltage circuitry is exposed beneath the glass roof and rear hatch, giving a clever nod to accessible technology – even as a fashion statement.

The roof also features self-powered solar fans that cool the car when parked.

The Ford Reflex concept showcases exposed low-voltage circuitry on the roof glass and rear hatch.

Reflex's aggressive 20-inch wheels are polished alloy. The large diameter, narrow width and unique Michelin tire design provide low-roll resistance for improved fuel economy.

Technical Features

Reflex features an advanced diesel-electric hybrid propulsion system that harnesses diesel, electric and solar power. This combination of power can deliver maximum fuel economy – up to 65 mpg – without compromising performance.

The concept features an electric motor on the rear axle in addition to the hybrid propulsion system on the front axle. The rear motor provides all-wheel-drive capability, improved driving dynamics and the fuel economy benefits of a full hybrid vehicle.

The Ford Reflex concept features solar panels in the headlamps and taillamps that recharge the hybrid-electric battery pack, and solar panels in the roof that power electric fans to cool the interior while the vehicle is parked.

Reflex's energy is stored in a new-generation lithium-ion battery pack, using the same technology found in cell phones. Ford was the first manufacturer to produce an electric vehicle using this type of battery system when it introduced the electric Ford Ka research vehicle in 2000.

Also contributing to Reflex's power and performance are unique headlamps and taillamps that integrate solar panels.

The Ford-patented battery-charging lighting system improves fuel economy by using the sun's power to charge the on-board batteries, while capturing and reusing the daylight at night.

Interior

Lightweight, space-efficient materials define the interior with its innovative 2+1 backseat configuration.

Mesh seat covers are transparent and sheer, offering maximum airflow for comfort and style. Unexpected colors – red and robotic white – create a sense of warmth and accessibility.

The interior of the Ford Reflex concept features lightweight inner seat frames wrapped in mesh. The white mesh fabric is offset with warm red carpeting.

The cockpit comes alive with keyless activation. At the touch of a button, the instrument cluster controls appear in a cool blue hue as organic light-emitting diodes (LEDs) switch on.

Located in the center console, touch-screen technology helps reduce driver distraction. Shift paddles that control the 6-speed semiautomatic transmission are tucked behind the steering wheel.

"The interior of Reflex is modern, with no wood and leather," says Thomas. "The color and materials challenge many of today's dark plastic interiors by offering a blend of warm and cool colors. It is a fresh approach that will inspire future trends in many industries, including fashion and home furnishings."

The back seat offers the ultimate in small-car flexibility. A second-row "love seat" can accommodate two children or one adult. With a push of a button, a divider bar raises through the seat bottom, transforming one seat into two.

Rear-seat passengers can benefit from two small flat-screen monitors mounted to the lower portion of the front seatbacks.

Safety

Ford’s experimental inflatable safety belts provide a broader contact area with the potential to spread impact forces across the chest, further reducing the chances of injury. The small, tubular-shaped inflatable bag deploys inside the shoulder belt in the event of a crash.

Reflex takes safety innovation a major step forward. Advanced safety technologies include inflatable safety belts and BeltMinder™ for backseat passengers. The inflatable safety belt helps reduce injury risk to second-row occupants. Ford's patented BeltMinder™ technology alerts the driver when second-row occupants are not buckled up.

Reflex also is equipped with side air curtains. The love seat is fitted with an integrated rear-facing child safety seat.

Understanding that the responsibilities of a parent don't end once the car starts, Reflex designers added a strategically placed "baby cam" in the headliner. From this vantage point, the driver can see streaming video images of the rear-seat occupants.

Reflex also uses ground rubber from scrap athletic shoes, called Nike Grind, as insulation to reduce noise and vibration in the car's interior.

Technical Specifications

Audio Files

	"Reflex is a name that we came up with because we want to really signal the agility that a small Ford Coupe could have. We thought that Reflex actually started to elude to that in a very positive way." : 12 sec.
	(Mays insists that you have to see the way the logo is written on the car and then you'll see that the spelling of the word "Reflex" is anything but common.)

	"You’ll have to see the logo as it's written on the car as well and see that we’ve done a little bit of playing with the 'e', and we’ve turned one 'e' around to create a 3. The ‘3’ is very significant in the logo of the car cause it represents, what I call, a three Plus seating configuration. Now this is not a two-seater, it’s also not a 2+2….and 3+ actually eludes to a "Love Seat" in the back of the vehicle that can either hold one adult or two small children in a more compact format, yet it doesn’t suffer, from having the effect, of looking as though it’s all about space. So it’s an interest space utilization concept, it’s a very interesting package and yet it’s a very dynamic profile." :36 sec.
	(As stated earlier in this story, "Small is Big" and Mays explains exactly what that means today.)

Cut# 3:	"Well small is big these days, I probably don’t have to tell your listeners if they think about the purchases they’ve made over the last decade, particularly over the last 5 years outside the automotive sector, I don’t think any of us a decade ago would have thought that we would all be carrying around Cell phones the way we do, at this point, I don’t think any of us would have thought that we would have had digital camera’s that would slip into our pocket….we certainly would not have thought about the i-pod and the success that that’s had….and I think that same mode of thought is going to be relevant to the auto industry as well. " :29 sec.
	(Conversely, J Mays was quick to point out that consumers will realize, "small" does not equate with "cheap," but infact equates with "compact," which also happens to have more content and amenities.)

Cut# 4:	"This vehicle is almost 3-feet shorter than a Mustang….what makes the car look aggressive and what makes it look very sporty, is that although shadow of the vehicle is very small, or the overall length to width ratio, the wheels are pushed out to the corners of the vehicle, which makes it look very, very modern and also makes it looks like it has an agility, that possibly previous cars in that class have not had." :23 sec.
	(So what are the chances of this vehicle coming to a showroom near you?.)

Cut# 5:	" We do take very seriously the market research that we do with these cars, so we’ve shown it to a very small group of journalists and the reaction has been very positive from the last day that I’ve gotten feedback on this car….but we will wait until after the auto show to see what the customer reaction is, see how it resonates at the auto show and at that point, it will either find it’s way into a product development discussion or it’ll be put in the basement." 24 sec.
	(Reflex features gull wing doors, the roof features exposed low voltage circuits visible in the roof glass and rear hatch window, and the profile of the Reflex is dominated by its 20-inch wheels, finished in high-gloss chrome. Meanwhile the interior design is very modern, intentionally leaving out the wood and leather. The driver-oriented cockpit is pure sports car, and the face of the vehicle is the new Face of Ford according to J Mays. )

Cut# 6:

"The new face of Ford is what is encompassed in what we call the ‘three-bar-chrome’ horizontal grill. We’ve seen it rolled out two-years ago on the "427-Concept" it resonated so well we adapted it immediately to the Fusion and I think based on what I’ve seen from all press reports it’s one of the key reasons that car has resonated with the American customer, because hey guess what it has an American front end on it. It’s a boldness that you would not find on Japanese car or certainly not on a German car."28 sec.

(Source: Ford)