Small, green, smart and fun, the Ford Start won admirers for its decidedly playful take on kinetic design. More than a design exploration into the feasibility of a future small car, it previews the smallest engine yet in the growing Ford EcoBoost engine family. Ford has confirmed that the 1.0-litre turbocharged I3 EcoBoost engine powering the Start is going into production, destined for use in future Ford small cars, where it is expected to deliver the same power as a larger petrol I4.

Describing the Ford Start as “the kind of concept we can wholeheartedly embrace”, AutoWeek journalists gave the nifty package a ready thumbs up.

“Great design for such a small car, and innovative use of Ford's EcoBoost technology with an I3 engine,” said Roger Hart, AutoWeek’s executive editor.

Inspired in part by a growing global trend towards mega cities, the Start is Ford’s journey into solutions and ideas for the future.

“With the Ford Start Concept, we didn’t set out to design some sort of utilitarian concept to save the world, nor were we interested in following the competitive trend toward an overly noisy design language,” said J Mays, group vice president Design and chief creative officer, Ford Motor Company. “What we did set out to do was design a personality-driven car that exudes warmth, charm and aspiration…to design a car worth bonding with.”