Official press release:

Ghia's APV - Seven-seat concept car for the 1990s

A new space-efficient, seven-seat concept vehicle, designed for the 1990's, is to be shown by Ghia of Turin on the Ford Stand at the 1984 Geneva Show.

Similar in size to an Escort estate car, the Ghia APV (AllPurpose Vehicle) incorporates an extra row of seats so that seven passengers can be carried, as well as 27 per cent more luggage capacity - about 453 litres - with the second and third rows of seats folded flat.

Additionally, the APV offers walk-through access plus a driving position that places the driver 20 cms higher than in the present Escort. APV has been designed to combine passenger car levels of ride and comfort with the functional characteristics of a station wagon or light commercial vehicle.

The aerodynamically-efficient design of the APV achieves a drag coefficient of only 0.33, thanks to a rounded-off front end with 60° windscreen, flush-mounted glass and door handles and partially-covered rear wheels.

Stepped-up Roof

The rear two rows of seats are covered by a stepped-up "vista-vision" roof section which incorporates two flip-up glass panels which can be removed for increased ventilation, aided by air extraction vents incorporated at the rear of the roof.

The double-action tailgate also has a flip-up glass upper half, while the entire tailgate hinges upwards so that it can be walked under when the APV is being used as a camping vehicle. Additionally, two high-mounted lights on either side of the tailgate can be used to illuminate the camping area.

Tne passenger door of the APV slides back along the body side.

Powered by an experimental 1.6 litre four-cylinder petrol engine driving the front wheels through a five-speed transmission, plus the option of a similar displacement diesel, the APV weighs approximately 1088 kg. It has an ergonomically-designed driver's compartment with the ten main control switches located in satellites within fingertip reach on either side of the steering wheel.

The second row of seats has a split back to give access to the third row or cargo area, and with both second and third rows folded flat the APV has 2106 litres of cargo volume.

In-car entertainment is provided by the latest level of stereo U/M/L tuner incorporating tape deck and graphic equaliser using four separate speakers; the rear speakers are removable and have extension cables for positioning them outside the vehicle when camping.

"With APV we are predicting the possible shape of tomorrow's family car," says Filippo Sapino, Managing Director of Ghia Operations. "It shows that a low coefficient of drag can be achieved on a high-cube vehicle with an excellent utilisation of space."

Specification

Overall length: 4094 mm
Overall width: 1676 mm
Overall height: 1688 mm
Wheelbase:  2405 mm
Wheels: 330 mm cast alloy
Tyres: 175/70SR13
Engine: 1.6 litre experimental    four-cylinder
Transmission: five-speed manual, driving    front    wheels
Coefficient of drag: 0.33
Weight: 1088    kg