What’s cool about the Ford Reflex Concept 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 not one we’d likely see in a mass-produced small car. Think turbo-charged four-banger, perhaps. 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 – though probably long after our car buying lives are over.

Hopefully, we’ll see a variation of the Ford Reflex before then.