ROADTEST FORD C-MAX:IT MIGHT seem like just another indistinguishable people carrier but the new C-Max is much more than that: it underpins Ford's most important future models. This functional bodyframe sits atop the next generation of platforms for everything from the next Focus to Ford's plug-in future.
But first to the C-Max. In a way this is a two-car review rolled into one. Or rather it’s the C-Max in its two very different iterations. On paper it would seem that its merely an extra row of seats between the regular and the Grand version, but there’s more to it than that.
Ford has opted for a two-model line-up for the new C-Max based on expectations that about 50 per cent of customers in this class desire a third row of seats, but not frequently enough to justify an S-Max. It’s understandable when you look at the competition. From the likes of the updated Mazda5 through to the Volkswagen Sharan and Renault Grand Scenic, all offer a third row of jump seats in the boot. Ford is merely following the trend.
Whatever about the motivation, the end result is a five-seater Ford that takes the strengths of the current model and improves on them but a seven-seater Grand version that’s always going to be overshadowed by the better-looking big brother to this car, the S-Max.
The effect of the extra row on the styling of the Grand C-Max is significant. It loses all aspirations of eye-catching appeal, becoming yet another boxy people carrier. Throw in the fact that with three rows in use the Grand C-Max has little or no boot and you are left wondering if those 50 per cent of customers might not be better to beg, borrow or steal the few extra euros and move up to the S-Max.
To put it in context, with all three rows in operation the Grand C-Max leaves you with just 56 litres of bootspace, enough for a suit bag. That might be in line with its rival people carriers but for us it’s main rival is from within the Ford ranks. The S-Max with three rows occupied still leaves you with 285 litres.
We tested two engine variants – the 1.6-litre 150bhp petrol and the 2-litre 163bhp diesel.
The best news for Irish buyers in terms of C-Max powertrains is that there’s a 1.6-litre diesel on offer in both formats that emits only 119g/km in the five-seat version and 129g/km in the seven-seater. Of the two engines we tested, we preferred the refinement of the 1.6-litre petrol with its impressively wide rev range that allows you to drive the six-speed manual transmission in fourth or fifth as if it’s an automatic.
However the diesel’s lower fuel consumption and emissions (meaning a lower tax band) makes it the obvious choice for Irish buyers and the only one to opt for if you want to protect your resale value.
Aside from the seating change, the other obvious difference between the two C-Max versions is that the Grand comes with twin sliding doors, making entry easier for those extra passengers. However, they only reinforce the feeling that this is a van in everything but name.
On the plus-side, there’s an ocean of space inside. One smart feature in the Grand C-Max is that you can choose to have a six-seat format by simply folding the middle seat of the second row away. It’s a quick and easy operation that leaves significant space between the two remaining seats and will serve as a surrogate boot when the third row is in operation.
The other piece of good news is that the five-seater C-Max continues Ford’s efforts to bring a bit of stylised fun to the people carrier market. It’s a smart, spacious and stylish incarnation.
The seven-seater on the other hand shows that achieving that in the larger models remains an aspiration rather than a reality. Due to the need to have a high roofline right to the back door in order to leave headroom for the third row, the rear looks disproportionate to the rest of
the car and it’s certainly not as well proportioned as most of its rivals.
The importance of the C-Max to the Ford family is much more than an extra row of seats in one of its iterations however. This car boasts the first of its new generation of mid-range family car platforms and will underpin the next-generation Focus, due for launch early next year.
In that regard we have nothing to worry about for the Focus in terms of ride and handling characteristics. Continually lauded as the benchmark in handling in the hatchback market, the new platform suggests the Blue Oval retaining that respect.
So what’s it like? Well, while the Grand C-Max seems a heavier beast, the five-seat version is as nimble as before.
It’s a fine mix of comfort and agility that often makes you forget just how much metal you’re towing along with you behind the driver’s seat. It’s on the corners that this ability really excels itself however. There’s none of the wallowing and pitching that you would expect in a car of its size and stature. Although the seven-seater feels a bigger car, the chassis is sophisticated enough to make even it feel lighter and more agile than the laws of physics should allow.
Of less certainty is the fact that many of the other constituent parts of the C-Max will also feature in the Focus. Ford has moved to a new higher-set central console in the Fiesta and continues here with a control panel that lies more horizontally on the top of the dash. It’s a myriad of small buttons and controls that takes time to get used to. We found the whole effect rather fiddly and not in keeping with more intuitive controls in the outgoing version.
Prices have yet to be confirmed, but the five-seat C-Max is expected to be in line with the outgoing range, starting at about €24,000 for the 1.6-litre diesel and €28,000 for the 2-litre diesel. With the S-Max starting at €31,000, that leaves only a small window for the Grand C-Max and for our money it’s not going to be enough.
But the good news is that the five-seater version just got better and its new platform proves that Ford has lost none of its talents in making functional cars great fun to drive.
Factfile
C-Max (Grand C-Max)
1.6 Ecoboost petrol
Bhp: 150
Emissions: 154 g/km (159g/km)
L/100km:6.6 (6.8)
0-100km/h:9.4 secs (9.9 secs)
1.6 TDCi
Bhp: 95
Emissions: 119 g/km (129g/km)
L/100km: 4.6 (4.9)
0-100km/h:TBC
2.0 TDCi
Bhp: 140
Emissions: 134 g/km (139g/km)
L/100km:5.1 (5.3)
0-100km/h:9.6 secs (10.1 secs)
Prices: expected to start at €24,000 for five-seat C-Max