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2012 Ford C-Max U.S. Spec
With Ford's retooled, uber-flexible c-car factory online now building the 2012 Ford Focus in Wayne, Michigan, it can afford to gamble on sub-segments that haven't done well here before. Ford product chief Derrick Kuzak says the company can shift production from a slow-selling variant to a new, hot variant cheaply and quickly.
So, are we ready to buy small minivans? Mazda sells about 15,000 to 20,000 of its four-cylinder Mazda5 minivans per year in the United States. While that's a very small number, it's done with virtually no marketing effort here.
The '12 Focus launches early in '11 with two bodystyles, the four-door sedan and four-door hatchback. Next up will be the 2012 Ford C-Max, recently introduced in Europe. At 178 inches overall on a 109-inch wheelbase, it's 22.2 inches and 10.3 inches shorter, respectively, than the new Toyota Sienna minivan. For young families who feel compelled to buy a minivan as soon as they have their first child, the Ford C-Max may fit the bill. It seats up to seven people, which means mom or dad can drive her or his kid and five classmates and be a responsible car-pooler.
A competitor for such models as the Opel Zafira, Renault Scenic and Chevrolet Orlando in Europe, the C-Max features American minivan-like sliding rear doors on both sides, complete with visible rail openings between the rear doors and the taillamps. The one-box look is sleeker than most of the competition, however, with a rakish a-pillar and header.
Ford calls the three rows of seats a "5+2" arrangement, with two extra seats that fold down and out of the way in the rear cargo compartment. While a first-drive of the North American model is still a ways off, we've driven the European version, and those two extra seats are best suited for kids on their way to and from school or soccer practice, or for a particularly affectionate couple coming along for the short ride to a concert or restaurant.
The center row features a neat feature: the middle seat flips forward and then to its right. Then you flip up the seat-cushion of the passenger-side second row seat, and the middle seat folds neatly underneath, for 2+2 seating. Both outboard second row seats slide and recline.
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| 2012 Ford C-Max U.S. Spec |
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| 2012 Ford C-Max U.S |
Finally, Ford has a new-age answer to its 1965 Country Squire dual tailgate feature.
Other features designed to make the C-Max feel like a premium model include ambient lighting. Standard safety features will include AdvanceTrac and Curve Control. Ford expects five-star safety ratings for the vehicle.
While Europeans will be buying the C-Max with turbodiesel engines, North America of course will have a choice of two gas engines. The bigger four-cylinder will be the base engine, a 2.5-liter preliminarily rated at 168 horsepower and 167 pound-feet of torque. The optional engine is Ford's new 1.6-liter EcoBoost four, the first Ford to get the 1.6-liter turbo for the American market. The engine is estimated so far by Ford at 168 horsepower (180 when running on premium) and 173 pound-feet. Both engines hook up to a six-speed automatic, for optimal fuel economy.
Ford has declined to announce the North American on-sale date and pricing, and won't say whether it will be built at the Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, near Dearborn, along with the Focus, though that would be a good bet. We'd expect the C-Max base price to be about $20,000, just north of the Focus, with typically-to-well-equipped models in the $25,000 to $30,000 range. Look for it to go on sale here as early as Fall '11 and probably no later than Spring '12.
Will Americans embrace European-sized minivans? Too early to tell, though if gas prices rise above $4 per gallon again, the C-Max will look like a better buy next to larger, V-6 minivans. And if it is a hit, don't be surprised to see Chevrolet rethink its decision not to sell the Orlando here.
2012 Ford C-Max U.S. Spec
2012 Ford C-Max U.S. Spec
Post Title → 2012 Ford C-Max U.S. Spec
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