When Ford unveiled the second Verve concept - a sedan - in December at the Guangzhou motor show, the company let slip that a third - and final - Verve concept would make its way to the Detroit auto show. We now can show you the secreted final Verve - another sedan.

If you're suffering from a sense of concept-car déjà vu, you're not alone. Although Ford reps do insist there are changes between this concept and the one shown in China, you've got to be eagle-eyed to spot many of them.

(Click through for more on the Detroit Verve)

For instance, the front fascia of the Verve was restyled to "appeal to American tastes." Not seeing it? For starters, the Detroit car now has a larger grille, a taller unit sporting those ubiquitous three bars, instead of the previous slit. Marker lamps, previously mounted in small round lenses, are now in triangular arrays that incorporate a faux air intake. It's a little change, but it does help - visually, those openings ape the bumper on a European Focus, and it balances well with the car's profile.

Other changes, outside of a panoramic glass roof, are limited to mostly trim and color changes. The Detroit Verve wears a magnetic red metallic ("Rouge Red," says Ford), and sports a vivid red-on-black two-tone interior. It's attention-grabbing, for sure, but it may be a bit too boy-racer. The more subdued two-tone used on the original Verve hatchback in Frankfurt may be a better option for production.

And speaking of the Frankfurt car, we're told the hatch will also be on display to Detroit show-goers. Although presently only a sedan version of the eventual production car is slated for the 'States, Ford will be carefully watching North Americans' reaction to the hatch. If it's mostly positive, there's a chance it may make it to these shores.

At any rate, the production car is currently slated to launch in Europe in late 2008/ early 2009, with introductions in Asia and North America following in 2010. Seeing as the design is a breath of fresh air for Ford's small car lineup, we wish Ford would take a leap and bring it here at the same time - it can't come quick enough.

Be sure to stay with WINDING ROAD throughout the day as we sit in and photograph the Verve's official Detroit introduction.

FORD RELEASE

DETROIT, Jan. 13, 2008 – Ford Motor Company is revealing the Verve, a concept vehicle that makes clear the vision for the new small cars Ford soon will introduce in North America.

The Verve is bold and sophisticated – to help it clearly stand out from other small cars on the road. Ford is building on decades of small car leadership in Europe as it develops new small cars for North America to appeal to increasingly savvy customers who value technology, design and fuel efficiency.

Both four- and three-door Verve body styles are being unveiled at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, as curtain-raisers to a new global family of small cars set to debut in Europe and Asia beginning later this year and in North America in 2010. The four-door is the basis for the production vehicle that will be sold in North America. The European three-door is being shown to test market reaction to the bodystyle – as a possible additional small car for the North American market.

The Verve concept has been developed with Ford’s new global product development strategy that better leverages the company’s global strengths. Globally, Ford is building on its European small-car expertise to stake a bigger claim in this critically important segment. Ford’s celebrated small car lineup in Europe includes such top-sellers as the Ford Focus, Fiesta and Ka.

“We’re looking at every aspect of what’s defined Ford as a small-car leader in Europe and working to build on this expertise in driving dynamics and design across a global family of Ford cars that are as exciting to drive as they are to look at,