Tuesday 8th April 2014

Ford unveils S-Max Vignale concept

How to make an S-Max glamorous? Plonk some 21s on and launch it in Milan!

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Remember the Mondeo Vignale concept from last year? Thought it had been quietly forgotten about? Worry not aspirational PHer, the Vignale badge is back! On an S-Max.

Kids will definitely appreciate this

The premise behind Vignale is fairly simple, albeit cloaked in appropriately flowery PR blurb. Vignale Fords will be more luxurious than the base models, with more expensive materials and subtle styling tweaks. Vignale customers will deal only with a single dedicated salesman and visit ‘Vignale Lounges’ (yes really, and in regular Ford dealers) for servicing and sales. The car will be collected and delivered for servicing, of course. Ford coins it as a ‘unique upmarket product and ownership experience’ with the concept expressing ‘the premium design, craftsmanship and exclusive specification customers can expect from Ford Vignale'.

To make the plush S-Max a Vignale outside, there are 21-inch wheels with ‘fine detailing and high quality finish’ as well as ‘jewellery-like appliques and chrome mirror caps’. The grille is new as well and the paint is ‘Milano Grigio’. Wonder what Bermondsey Blue will look like?

Coming to a 'Vignale Lounge' near you soon

Given the S-Max is a car that’s well known as a durable family hack, carting family paraphernalia around in a fairly unpretentious way, it seems like an odd choice for subjecting to a glamorous overhaul. How useful extended quilted leather in an interior ‘taking inspiration in part from current menswear trends’ will be to families (or minicab passengers) remains to be seen. The overall effect is actually quite pleasant, it just seems a little out of place.

Nevertheless, Ford is planning a production version of the S-Max Vignale, to follow after the Mondeo. The latter is due sometime next year, presumably to be based on the new Mondeo now.

[tim milne]

I'd love to know what research they did to conclude that this is worth doing. OK, a bit of extra stitching and some fancy wheels aren't a massive risk, but 'dedicated Vignale salesmen' staring out the window of empty Vignale Lounges will be harder to disguise if this doesn't work.

I guess it might work, if the special quilted leather is ice cream-proof.

[Fetchez la vache]

I actually rather like that
Seems a far better resolved design than the Mondeo, that to my eyes just seemed plain awkward.

[hornetrider]

It'll make a nice airport taxi.

[Fetchez la vache]

CarBuyer seems to think this'll be aimed at A4's and BMW 3's, so expecting it to be priced around £35k...

..whereby the top of the range Titanium X Sport is currently "from" £30,195...

[E-B]

Why don't they just go whole hog and bring the Mercury and Lincoln brands to Europe? That way they would compete with VAG.

Vignale, just another way of saying Ghia as a model spec surely?

[kambites]

Seems like a reasonable idea. I don't know enough about marketing to know whether it'll work, though.

[Jezzerh]

Yeah it's going back to the Ghia days isn't it? Not a bad thing, my first car was a 1987 Escort 1.6 Ghia in chestnut metallic, and I also owned a Mondeo Ghia at one point.

As mentioned already though, not sure they'll be able to wring enough money out of Ford purchasers to make it worthwhile or market it well enough to tempt people away from the recognised premium brands.

[SexySpecimen]

Hopefully they give it atleast 300bhp.

[Soupie69uk]

I think it will sell as the S Max is quite popular with all ranges of buyers. Quite a few familys use them as the bus when they could easily afford something more expensive and have a few other cars.

[GTEYE]

I wish them well, but I can't see that there are that many people that would pay premium German prices for a Ford, however highly tinselled.

Not saying they are bad cars, but history would suggests the market is niche in the extreme.

As some have noted above, the S-Max/Galaxy are (unfairly) viewed by many as just airport taxis....

[Chicane-UK]

tim milne said:

I'd love to know what research they did to conclude that this is worth doing. OK, a bit of extra stitching and some fancy wheels aren't a massive risk, but 'dedicated Vignale salesmen' staring out the window of empty Vignale Lounges will be harder to disguise if this doesn't work.

I guess it might work, if the special quilted leather is ice cream-proof.

You'd also think that punters would realise despite all that "tinsel" it'll still be getting serviced by the same Ford technicians in the same dealerships, who're doing the same servicing work on non-Vignale models - but you'll just be paying a premium for it. What's the point.

[hornetrider]

Chicane-UK said:

You'd also think that punters would realise despite all that "tinsel" it'll still be getting serviced by the same Ford technicians in the same dealerships, who're doing the same servicing work on non-Vignale models - but you'll just be paying a premium for it. What's the point.

Do you know that there is a premium on servicing costs?

[LA167]

Rearrange these 3 words - pointless, fking, completely!

[kambites]

Chicane-UK said:

You'd also think that punters would realise despite all that "tinsel" it'll still be getting serviced by the same Ford technicians in the same dealerships, who're doing the same servicing work on non-Vignale models - but you'll just be paying a premium for it. What's the point.

I'm not really sure what your point is? Are you actually suggesting that Ford dealers carry out lower quality work than the dealers of more expensive marques? The point is that the coffee is nicer and the seats are comfier, same as the difference between a Ford dealer and an Audi one.

[Shaw Tarse]

I think it looks quite good

[Twin Turbo]

I like that (as I did the Mondeo Vignale). Effectively, the Ghia X returns

[MrTappets]

I feel guilty but I really like the look of this. Might be a bit of a bargain in three years' time.

[Wills2]

I like that, but it will be a white elephant and I can't see it doing what they want it to do, needs to come with a 3.0 V6 250hp+ diesel ZF 8 speed box and 4WD.

[Greg_D]

It's hilarious that they have to collect and deliver the car for servicing in order to not burst the bubble that their vignale is going to the local ford dealer. Talk about deluded.

[cybersimon]

They forgot the door handles