The C Concept has been 'designed with today's upscale, urban consumer in mind', and as a 'sensible indulgence', according to design director Peter Horbury.
He reckons that people are comfortable with the idea of downsizing - they've done it with music players, cameras and other consumer goods, after all - 'so long as the vehicle has all the attributes they want'. The low-slung, Focus-length C's fitted with a turbocharged 1.6-litre EcoBoost engine developing 180bhp and 180 lb-ft, and six-speed dual-clutch sequential-shift transmission. It's capable of 51.6mpg on the highway.
It features a system Ford calls Assisted Direct Start - stop-start, cutting the engine while idling then automatically restarting again when the brake pedal is released or throttle pressed. Expect this to be added soon to Ford models already in production.
Finished with the trademark Lincoln chrome grille and a glass roof, the C has LED lamps front and right the way across the rear, aluminium bodyside trim and rear-view mirrors with LED indicators, rear-view cameras and blind-spot sensors.
Its door layout recalls the 'suicide door' 1961 Lincoln Continental, with rear-hinged front doors; these would be unlikely to make production now, but in a show car, they allow for the elimination of the B-pillar and an unobstructed view of the interior.
The cabin is almost all-white, with chrome details, light grey recycled wood trim, white chromium-free leather seats, instrument panel and door panels, and white alcantara headlining.
The extended width of the cabin - two inches wider than conventional C-class vehicles, says Ford - allows for bench seating, with thin but ergonomically-curved soy foam-filled seats. Cleverly, the headrests retract when a seat is not occupied, allowing for optimum rearward vision. Decorative details include laser-engraved floral etching on the passenger-side seats, floor and on the back of the driver's seat.
The white leather/chrome dashboard houses a hubless white-rimmed steering wheel with chrome gearshift paddles, and toggle switches for the navigation system and control menus. There's also a touch-screen control, the latest version of Ford's SYNC communications system with an avatar-type character, and an internet-connected camera.