Ford bets big on all-new Euro compact people-mover
Nice, France - What we have here is a flat-pack car review with some assembly required. It involves driving two different vehicles, neither of which is coming to Canada exactly as we experienced them.
But major portions of them are destined to cross the Atlantic, and will play important roles in future Fords.
The unifying element in all this is Ford's new global C-car architecture (C1MCA). This is the platform that underpins the all-new Ford Focus that recently went public in all its versions - sedan, wagon and five-door hatchback - at the Paris auto show.
C1MCA will also form the foundations for a panoply of other future compact cars, SUVs (read: Escape) and multi-purpose vehicles (read: this article).
The third-generation Focus goes on sale in Canada in early 2011, thereby bringing our Focus back in sync with the rest of the world (remember, we never got the second-generation Focus, instead being fobbed off with increasingly stale "freshenings" of the first-gen car).
But despite the relative imminence of its debut, the Focus was not the C-car derivative that Ford brought us to France to drive.
C-car platform will underpin two million Fords annually
Instead, we got to drive two other spawn of C-car: one that is not presently planned for Canadian consumption at all; and another that is coming, but not until late 2011.
The one slated to stay in Europe is the C-Max. This is the second generation of Ford Europe's tall wagon that is notable for a back seat that can morph from fairly cosy three-seat bench, to two bucket seats with expansive leg and elbow room, all without any seats actually being removed from the car.
Mind you, the C-Max could come over here if there's enough interest; a key tenet of its global-ness is that any C-car is already pre-engineered to be saleable in any market, with only minimal adaptation.
Ford's main purpose in putting us into the C-Max, however, was to sample its new 1.6-litre four-cylinder EcoBoost engine. There are big plans for this mighty-mite engine on our side of the Atlantic.
The Grand C-Max is the one that is coming across the pond. As the name implies, the Grand is a stretched C-Max, with 140 mm of extra wheelbase providing room for a third row of seating.
But despite its sliding rear side doors, Ford says this is no minivan, with all the negative baggage that entails. It's a compact, nimble and economical car that just happens to have room for more people than your typical small car.
New options for a new generation of breeders
"The Millenials are starting to have babies, and they will make different choices than their parents," says Ford global marketing supremo, Jim Farley.
The Grand C-Max will present them with a new option that "is fuel-efficient, a seven-seater, and not a refrigerator."
In the U.S., the Grand C-Max enters a market niche which really only has one other player - its cousin, the Mazda5.
North of the border, the Ford will face more competition: not only the Mazda5 but also the Kia Rondo (which is no longer sold in the U.S.), and Chevrolet's forthcoming Orlando (which won't be sold in the U.S.).
In both markets, incidentally, the seven-seater will be labelled simply as C-Max, as there's no need to distinguish it from the not-for-us five-seater.
Having tried an Orlando on for size on at the Paris auto show, I'd say the Chev bests the (Grand) C-Max for third-row roominess and ease of access. But the Orlando looks as dull as dishwater.
And although I've yet to test one, I'll be surprised if the Orlando is as engaging to drive as either of the C-Max models.
Chassis dynamics a foretaste of the new Focus
Over a route that encompassed stages of the Monte Carlo Rally, the Grand C-Max demonstrated that its road moves are not just entertaining for a utility vehicle - they are entertaining, period.
One can only imagine how good the lower and lighter Focus will be.
Admittedly the electric power steering relays little true road feel, but these days how many of them do? The car steers keenly into curves, though, and carves through with tautly controlled body motions and secure grip. Yet, as best one could tell on unfamiliar roads, the ride is quiet and pliant.
Still, athletic handling is a bonus feature, not the main event. I already mentioned that third-row access is easier in the Orlando than in the Grand C-Max. But that assumes an adult is clambering past a second-row seat that has been tilted and slid forward.
The C-Max has another option, aimed at the little people most likely use the third-row seat. The second-row bench is split 40/20/40, and the middle 20 can ingeniously be made to disappear under the cushion of the seat to its right.
The result: two captain's chairs, and a central walk-through for kids to access the third row without disturbing any seats.
The thinking behind this is that the outboard second-row chairs are often occupied by child safety seats, and who wants to bother with removing those for tilt-and-slide access to the third row?
A word about engines
The Grand C-Max we drove was propelled by a 2.0-litre turbodiesel not presently planned for North American consumption, though the good news is, Ford isn't saying "never."
As it stands, our version will get its motivation from a choice of two different four-cylinder gasoline engines: a naturally-aspirated 2.5-litre, and the turbocharged 1.6-litre EcoBoost.
Depending on the engine, other nationalities can choose between five- or six-speed manual transmissions, or a six-speed dual-clutch automated manual. We will get only a conventional six-speed automatic.
The 2.5 engine appears to be unique to North America, and is rated at 168 horsepower and 167 lb-ft. of torque.
In Europe there are multiple versions of the 1.6, but we will get the most potent EcoBoost version, which produces 168 hp on regular fuel or 180 on premium.
Either way, preliminary figures credit the 1.6 with 173 lb.-ft. of torque - not much more than the 2.5, except that the 2.5 needs 4,500 rpm to achieve peak torque, while EcoBoost punches out peak thrust all the way from 1,500 to 4,500 rpm.
I'm guessing we'll also see the 1.6 EcoBoost in future Fusions, and maybe the next-generation Escape.
Meanwhile, our first sampling of this engine was under the hood (the engine, not us) of the five-seater C-Max.
Ford's EcoBoost strategy - replacing naturally aspirated engines with turbocharged smaller engines that yield similar or better performance but with much lighter fuel consumption - is not unique.
GM (Cruze) and VW (countless models in Europe) are doing the same thing with 1.4-litre mills. (Heck, BMW is even working on a turbocharged 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine).
Despite its greater displacement, the 1.6-litre Ford felt no stronger in real-world driving than a Volkswagen 122-hp 1.4-litre turbo that I recently experienced in a European-market Jetta TSI.
But it's an impressive piece nonetheless. As intended, it performs like a much larger, naturally-aspirated engine. Meaningful thrust builds linearly from below 2,000 rpm, and no matter how hard you whip it along, four-cylinder buzz is kept to a minimum.
So there you have it. A practical seven-seater not-a-minivan that should be harmful to neither your bank balance nor your self esteem.
And a four-cylinder engine that can step out like a V6 when you need it to, or sip fuel like a subcompact when you don't. Whichever way you put the pieces together, "small" has a big future at Ford.
2012 Ford C-Max
Price: TBA (est. low $20,000s)
Type of vehicle: FWD compact multi-purpose vehicle
Engine: 2.5-litre, DOHC, 16-valve I-4
Power/Torque: 160 hp/146 lb.-ft.
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel consumption: TBA
Competitors: Chevrolet Orlando, Dodge Journey, Kia Rondo, Mazda5
2012 Ford C-Max EcoBoost
Price: TBA (est. mid $20,000s)
Type of vehicle: FWD compact multi-purpose vehicle
Engine: 1.6-litre, DOHC, 16-valve I-4 turbo
Power/Torque: 180 hp/173 lb.-ft.
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel consumption: TBA
Competitors: Chevrolet Orlando, Dodge Journey, Kia Rondo, Mazda5
PREVIEW SUMMARY
PROS
Amazing versatility and passenger capacity in a compact package
Agile and fun to drive
Standard or available safety and convenience features usually reserved for pricier cars
CONS
Those seven passengers had better be children or small adults
Won't be available with manual transmission in Canada
Seats-folded cargo deck uneven and gappy
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