FORD Motor Company Limited unveiled a Sport Activity Vehicle Concept (SAV) at the Geneva motor show last week. A stylish three-row mono-space, SAV Concept provides a glimpse of a new design direction for Ford of Europe. Sleek and purposeful, the Ford SAV Concept demonstrates new ideas for people and load-carrying flexibility. Martin Smith, executive director, design, Ford of Europe said: "We believe that within the family car market there is great potential for a non-traditional vehicle with the profile, proportions and appearance that reflect an active lifestyle.

The Ford SAV Concept also demonstrates how we can use our flexible vehicle architectures to create a broader array of model variants that will attract more people to the Ford brand. This is the beginning of an evolving story and is indicative of an exciting future."

Positioned between the Ford Galaxy and Mondeo, the Ford SAV Concept explores the future possibilities for even more diversity in the heart of the Ford family car range. The new concept takes the innovative 'business class' flexible rear seating concept, first seen in Focus C-MAX, to the next level, introducing a remote-controlled rear-seat configuration system and an integral stowage system.

At the touch of a button, the three individual seats, which form the SAV Concept's rear seat row, can be reconfigured. Using electric motors, the middle seat slides rearward into a central location. It nestles between integrated, fitted luggage trolleys, which provide built-in armrests for the third-row passenger. The two outer seats then shift inward slightly to provide each occupant with greater spaciousness and comfort.

The silhouette of the SAV Concept is unique, characterised by a very fast, raked windscreen and an arching roofline that ends in an integral tailgate spoiler. A distinctive side window graphic with a strong 'kick-up' at the rear lends a dynamic quality to the profile and creates a strong D-piller shape.

The front of the vehicle offers a very bold graphic solution composed of the large, dual-lamp headlamps, raked bonnet and bumper sections shaped around a wide, deep inverted trapezoid lower grille opening. The interplay of intersecting lines converges on the Ford Oval bedecked grille.