You’re probably familiar with the idea of concept cars, vehicles seen at motor shows that won’t go into production but hint at design ideas or technology that manufacturers are working on.
Last week, this little cutey made its debut at the Beijing exhibition in China. It’s called the Start and is Ford’s vision of what’s needed to get around the world’s mega-cities. The theory is that right now half the world’s population live in urban areas and by 2050 the figure will rocket to more than 70 per cent. I thought the ultra-successful Ka did quite a good job of meeting that need already, but hey, what do I know?
Interestingly, Ford’s top brass is very definitely warning people off concluding that this car hints at the next generation Ka. So what’s the point of it? Good question. Bosses are suggesting it’s more of a ‘global car’ that will sell right across the world, rather than something like the Ka, which is a Europe-only model. More on the concept of global cars in my next posting.
What’s really interesting about the Start is that while rivals are unveiling electric cars as city runabouts, this vehicle is powered by a 1.0-litre petrol engine. It’s a powerplant that will become a reality. Slightly less likely to see the light of day, at least in the short-term, is the idea that the Start’s functions can be controlled using your mobile phone.
Breakdown Cover from 
