Ford FOCUS C-MAX 1.6
Theres No Shortage Of Potential Customers Looking For A Reasonably Priced
Mini-MPV But Who Dont Want Something Shoddily Built. The
Ford Focus C-MAX 1.6 Range Could Be The Perfect Solution. Andy Enright Reports
Graduating to a mini-MPV can be a fraught business. Typical buyers are often at that time of life when the realisation has finally overtaken them that the slinky coupe or cramped hatch just isnt doing it anymore. With a growing family to budget for, its also a time when the pennies have to be carefully monitored, one reason why the cheaper end of this particular market sector has boomed. In the 1.
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6-litre versions of their Focus C-MAX
mini-MPV,
Ford have done everything possible to make the transition as painless as possible. An affordable asking price is allied to car-like handling, excellent build quality and a shape that wont have your friends buying you a pipe and slippers for your next birthday.
The 1.6-litre Duratec 16v engine that powers the entry-level model probably wont win many traffic light Grands Prix, accelerating to 60mph in 14.6 seconds and on to a top speed of 107mph but its nevertheless a very sweet revving and willing powerplant thats fun to zing up to the redline in each gear. Of a little more relevance is an average fuel consumption figure of 41mpg that is anything but average.
The CO2 emission figure of 166g/km is also respectable stuff for such a vehicle. The more advanced 115bhp 1.6-litre Ti-VCT has variable camshaft timing technology. That helps it get the C-MAX to 60mph a second faster, emit 160g/km of CO2 and average 43mpg.
Prices start at £13,490 for the standard 1.6 Studio model that comes replete with six airbags, anti lock brakes, electric windows but no compact disc player. Trade up to the £13,990 LX model and youll find the archaic tape player has been replaced by a disc slot and youll also get air conditioning. This seems like £500 well spent.
The top of the 1.6-litre line up is the Zetec version that carries a sticker price of £14,440 but adds alloy wheels, body coloured trim and a more versatile sliding rear
seat arrangement that genuinely differentiates the Focus C-MAX from its hatchback sibling. The Ti-VCT engine is only offered in LX and Zetec form and costs £250 more in each case. Ford have thought long and hard about this car, bringing it to market a full six years since
Renault drove a coach and horses through the turgid hatchback sector with their Scenic mini-MPV.
In choosing to offer only five seats instead of seven, Ford have taken a gamble and its one that may not pay off. The Focus was, after all, one of the most spacious cars in its class and many will wonder quite what the C-MAX can offer on top, especially as these models carry a hefty price premium for no additional seating capacity.
Volkswagen, who offer their Touran with a choice of wither five or seven seats, have already reported that some 70 per cent of customers are ticking the box for the additional pair of seats, making Fords claims that few would ever want or need seven seats in a car of this ilk appear a trifle disingenuous.
"Few mini-MPVs can put a smile on the drivers face. This one does"
Notwithstanding these issues, Fords marketing department is utterly convinced that theres an untapped market for vehicles that offer five seats with MPV-style headroom and versatility but which still offer keen driving dynamics and styling that doesnt resemble a downsized burger van. Think about how we use our cars for a moment. Many of us rarely even use the back seats for anything but shopping bags and jackets. If youve got a family in tow, you may well need four or even five seats but if you seriously need seven seats, it makes sense to go with the additional carrying capacity of a full sized MPV like a Ford Galaxy.
Sales figures at the time of the C-MAX launch showed the Xsara Picasso a car endowed with a mere quintet of seats residing in the number one position. Is the market focus shifting? Ford have a lot riding on it staying as is. If the exterior may be a little underwhelming, the C-MAX more than makes up for it with the ideas factory that is the cabin. Although its unlikely to be available on entry-level versions, Fords rear seat flexibility system really is the ace in the C-MAX hole.
A 40-20-40 "tip and tumble" rear seat fitted to the Zetec version sees the centre section flip rearwards into the luggage compartment, leaving the remaining two seats to slide diagonally along a runner towards the centre of the car, giving unprecedented levels of space for four. The rear seats are set high, which does away with the usual mini-MPV complaint of virtually sitting on the floor and means that the kids get a great view forward. The flipside to this is that if youre regularly carting taller passengers about, that sloping roofline may cause a few grumbles. With 100mm of extra legroom and 60mm of additional shoulder room, space is otherwise pretty generous in the back of the C-MAX.
Even in the standard three-abreast bench position theres plenty of room, offering 946mm of legroom and 582 litres of luggage compartment space. Remove the rear seats altogether and theres a monstrous 1,692 litres available. One trick Ford did miss was the ability to tumble the front passenger seat forward to a flat position. The fascia design of the C-MAX reflects the exterior lines in its calm maturity.
The riot of bisecting lines, angles and arcs that the Focus introduced have been replaced by a quietly styled dashboard with classy Sony branded stereo equipment taking pride of place. The gearlever is mounted high and feels more natural than a floor mounted stick. Materials quality has taken a noticeable hike too, the soft-touch plastics used on the upper dash surface being reminiscent of latter day Audis. Ford claim the C-MAX moniker is an amalgam of both the C-segment in which it competes and a combination of maximum comfort, maximum confidence and maximum control.
Whilst some of this sounds like marketing flannel, its a source of great importance for Ford that the C-MAX should uphold the reputation of its Focus progenitor as a sparkling drive. Rumour has it that during the development cycle, an all-electric steering was developed that developed far better feedback than any electric power steering system to date. Thing was, it still wasnt as good as the Focus existing helm, so despite being undoubtedly clever, it was ditched. Instead Ford uses a hydroelectric pump system that offers great feel and a three per cent fuel saving over conventional systems.
This, coupled with the celebrated control blade rear suspension, ensures that the C-MAX feels a very capable handler. Riding on the chassis of the next generation Focus hatch, the C-MAX is the car to go for if you want your MPV to handle and cant run to the £17,000
Honda charge for a Stream 2.0 Sport. In this respect at least its as much of a true multi purpose vehicle as anything you care to mention as it offers a very entertaining drive as well as being able to cope with more mundane duties.
Few mini-MPVs can put a smile on the drivers face. This one does. If the concept of a south-east Asian cheapie doesnt appeal, its worth forking out for one of the Focus C-MAX 1.6 models.
The handling and ride are one reason why, the interior build quality another. Its the most affordable of the genuine premier league sector, undercutting the other chief protagonists the Renault Scenic II and the Volkswagen Touran. As a top quality half way house into mini-MPV ownership, the Focus C-MAX 1.6 has a whole lot going for it.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Ford Focus C-MAX 1.6 range
PRICES: £13,490-£15,190 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUPS: 5-6
CO2 EMISSIONS: 160-166g/km
PERFORMANCE: [1.6 16v] Max Speed 107mph / 0-60mph 14.6s
FUEL CONSUMPTION: [1.6 16v] (combined) 41mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front, side and curtain airbags, ABS, EBA
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Heightmm 4333/1825/1558
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