Ford introduces a hands-free liftgate system on its new 2012 C-Max.
When it’s time to set up a joke on late-night television, there are several things that will always get you a laugh. Mention New Jersey, for one. Or minivans. The much-maligned people mover is seemingly a stand-in for everything worth jibing about with suburban American life.
Which is funny because, when it comes down to practicality, perhaps no vehicle more serious about doing its job than the classic American minivan. They’re roomy, safe, practical, efficient and, well, try to squeeze nearly as much stuff into the back of an SUV, or simply get the kids in and buckled up without that signature sliding door.
Which is why, despite the most dire predictions, the minivan market hasn’t dried up and blown away. If anything, it’s regaining strength after hitting last year’s segment low – and giving hope to Ford Motor Co. that its newest offering will finally help the maker capture a solid share of what it prefers to call the “people-mover segment” with the all-new 2012 Ford C-Max.
Call it what you will, but this compact 7-seater could finally give Ford a shot at buyers who have long ignored offerings like the Windstar and Freestar (Click Here for more.) And if we see the serious run up in fuel prices many predict, the C-Max could become a serious alternative to the bigger minivans that currently comprise the vast majority of what’s available in the U.S.
The 2012 Ford C-Max is surprisingly roomy, despite its compact footprint, attractive, affordable and fuel efficient. It also offers a number of interesting innovations – including a new hands-free liftgate that we expect competitors like Chrysler, Honda and Toyota racing to reverse-engineer.
Ford will offer both a 1.6-liter EcoBoost and a 2.5-liter I-4 when it launches the 2012 C-Max.
A product of Ford’s grand global product development strategy, known inside the company as One Ford, the C-Max is one of 10 products the automaker eventually intends to develop using the same compact platform shared with the upcoming remake of the Ford Focus. The minivan we’re getting in the States is actually known as the Grand C-Max in Europe, where the basic C-Max nameplate actually refers to a slightly smaller model.
We had the chance to drive both offerings around the southern part of France, recently, and were impressed by both models. The more compact European C-Max is, as one might expect, the more nimble and spirited package. But it’s also simply too small for American tastes, at least for those who want a true minivan alternative, so Ford made the right choice if it were to bring only one of the two models over. (And it is considering options for the smaller Max model, company officials admit.)
Unlike Ford's other "people mover," the 2012 C-Max gets a pair of sliding doors.
Even so, the American version of the Ford C-Max is small – a bit more compact than the smallest of the first-generation Chrysler minivans, from 1984. Total length is 178 inches, with a 109-inch wheelbase. Ford bills its 2012 model as a “five-plus-two,” which means there’s a comfortable amount of room for five adults, and a tolerable third row for kids, especially on short, ‘round-town errands.
One of the many innovative features is the way the middle seat in the second row folds away for easy access to the back of the van. In that mode, you get two comfortable second-row captain’s chairs. You can, by the way, delete the third row if you prefer to just go with five seats and lots of cargo capacity.
The 2012 Ford C-Max has a handsome interior, one with a similar feel to the Ford Focus.
The rest of the interior will likely remind you of the new Ford Focus – which is no faint praise. The automaker’s strategy of platform sharing is designed to reduce costs and increase component commonality. What that means is you get a better interior because it costs Ford less to build in feaures like soft touch dash padding and plush armrests.
And, as with Focus, the 2012 C-Max offers a surprising amount of standard equipment, notably on the safety side, something minivan buyers pay close attention to. That list includes three-row roof-mounted airbags with rollover sensing, ABS, Traction Control, Electronic Stability Control and Ford’s new Curve Control. That technology is designed to sense when you enter a corner too fast, automatically slowing the car down and using brake intervention – much like ESP – to guide you through the turn.
AThe 2012 Ford C-Max gets a capless fuel filler.
There are plenty of infotainment features, standard and optional, the latter including an audio upgrade to a branded Sony package, and a Sync system with a full LCD navigation display.
Motorists also can order a backup camera, active park assist, HD Radio, a panoramic sunroof and plenty more.
But expect to hear a lot about the new hands-free power liftgate. If you’ve ever tried to find your key fob in a bulky jacket pocket while juggling both arms full of packages you’re likely already thinking about placing an order. The system is surprisingly simple. The keyfob stays in your pocket but identifies you to your C-Max. To open the liftgate simply stick your foot under the bumper triggering a pair of sensors. Ford insists the system won’t be fooled by animals or obstacles.
The entire vehicle measures just short of 200 inches, bumper-to-bumper.
Even forgetting the auto liftgate, that’s only part of a long list of features that aren’t always available on bigger, more expensive minivans. And it’s a rarity in the compact van segment. Of course, there isn’t much in that niche to choose from, at the moment. In past years, a number of automakers tried to fill the gap, though usually with tall wagons like the old Mitsubishi Expo and the variants sold under Chrysler nameplates. Right now, the only competition for C-Max is the Mazda5.
Familiar? Yes, the two makers, who’ve been partners for decades, cooperated on some of the basic underpinnings of their two micro-vans, but they then went their own ways early on, so there’s a surprising amount of difference between the Mazda5 and C-Max. And, we were pleased to note, that didn’t leave Ford with the softer, less appealing version, as has happened in the past.
Another look at the 2012 Ford C-Max.
“This is not a refrigerator,” insists Jim Farley, Ford’s global marketing czar. “This is a vehicle you can toss around.”
To be blunt, the smaller European C-Max is definitely the more sporty version of all. You can absolutely whip it around corners and forget you’re driving something in the van clan. There’s a bit more mass to the Grand C-Max – and American C-Max – which you definitely feel in sharp turns. But it still falls into the fun-to-drive category, so much so you might forget you’re flogging the corners with a car full of kids.
The only true direct competitor to the Ford C-Max is the Mazda5.
Sadly, we only got to drive the European Grand C-Max with a diesel powertrain. Well, maybe not that unhappily. It gave us another reason to press Ford to bring over that oil burner for us Americans. But the diesel is definitely not the package you want if you’re pushing for max, make that C-Maximum. performance.
We got to drive the smaller version of the van with the 1.6-liter EcoBoost, an I-4 powertrain that will change what you expect from a small engine. Mated to a 6-speed automatic, it turns out a solid 180 horsepower and 173 lb-ft of torque. That should be enough to put some spirit into the bigger van, as well.
The C-Max seats fold down - but the 2012 Ford also can be ordered in just 2-row configuration.
The alternative powertrain package, for U.S. drivers, will be the 2.5-liter I-4 shared with Ford’s midsize Fusion sedan. It makes 168 hp and 167 hp. It’s a competent package and the numbers might not seem much different from the EcoBoost, but here’s where numbers don’t always tell the whole story.
Ford is betting a lot on the downsizing trend, with products like the Fiesta, Focus and, now, the 2012 C-Max rolling into its U.S. showrooms. All three give good reason for motorists to consider what used to be called trading down. The fact is, with the C-Max, you’re not giving up much. But you’re getting quite a bit in return. It may be a truly mini-minivan but it fits in the maxi category when it comes to what you get for your money.