Ford keeps saying the America is getting big on small. That small cars are becoming big in America…that Americans think small cars are the next big idea…that small is big…that Americans are big on the value of small things…well, you get the picture. And it’s true, except there really is no getting to be got – Americans have been buying smaller vehicles for awhile now, though we have a tendency to want our performance fix AND our better fuel economy. If we have to sacrifice space, by golly, we at least want to be zippy about it.

Ford is right on the money, alright. Problem is, the Reflex is a concept, and unlike Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Dodge and General Motors, they don’t have a small production car to show off – they have a fantasy car named Reflex, which they debuted at the 2006 North American International Auto Show. What’s cool about the Reflex is that it’s the opposite of what the competitors are doing: instead of maxing out interior space and putting a stylish shell on a “B” car, Ford has made the Reflex a sporty car, and has fitted it with an array of equipment right out of an industrial art display. Consider the metal mesh seats in front and back, for example, the diesel-electric hybrid engine that Ford says would get around 65 mpg. Now that’s a great idea, but probably not one we’d see in a mass-produced small car. In the concept version of reality, the Reflex’s hybrid powertrain would run on a lithium-ion battery pack, which actually may become “real” reality, given the fact that Ford is currently working on a battery project for their hybrid vehicles.

Another bit of reality is the design. As a production car, and with the production realities of smaller wheels, proper doors and grille, the Reflex would actually make a great stable mate to the Mustang and the Fusion. It has a low slung, sexy and edgy design perfect for young people who like to feel, well, sexy and edgy. With a good four-cylinder engine tucked under the hood, it would definitely be the small car that would get some attention, one that would be vastly different than the competitive set -- a distinction that Ford may well find to its liking.

Photos by Brian Chee