Future 2012 Ford C-Max

The 2012 Ford C-Max will likely arrive in North America during the fall of 2011. The 2007 European Ford C-Max is shown here.

Consumer Guide’s Impressions of the 2012 Ford C-Max

A popular European people-mover is redesigned for U.S. sale--and production. It’s one of the new fuel-savers that Ford needs to counter “pump shock” and boost sales.

What We Know About the 2012 Ford C-Max

Things are grim in the auto biz these days, and looking grimmer all the time. The North American market is being particularly hard-hit. Soaring gas prices, rising unemployment, and new inflation fears have hammered demand for cash-cow big trucks, while a sharp consumer swing to smaller, thriftier vehicles has caught Detroit woefully unprepared. Even seemingly invincible Toyota is having tough times lately.

Ford Motor Company and General Motors are now racing to meet the new market realities by tapping their overseas branches, which have long specialized in exactly the kind of vehicles more and more Americans now want. Ford had already started doing this in hopes of making its North American business profitable again by 2009. Though recent events likely make that impossible now, the company is moving full speed ahead with the “One Ford” global product strategy announced by CEO Alan Mulally nearly two years ago. The aim is to reduce costly, needless duplication by developing “world” models that can be built and sold successfully anywhere, the U.S. included. Not surprisingly, the plan emphasizes new cars and crossover SUVs in the subcompact, compact, and midsize categories. All aim to steal sales from the likes of Honda, Hyundai, Nissan, and, of course, Toyota.

The first of these vital new Fords arrive as 2011 models, starting with the subcompact Fiesta sedan and 4-door hatchback that are due to go on sale in early 2010. A redesigned Ford Focus compact follows later that year in the same two body styles. Next comes the 2012 Ford C-Max, a compact “multi-purpose vehicle” that’s been popular in Europe since its 2005 introduction as the Focus C-Max. The new-generation Focus platform looms large for other near-term future U.S. Fords, including an expected 2012-model replacement for the Escape compact SUV, and perhaps an even smaller companion crossover. By that point, some sources predict the Blue Oval line will count at least half-a-dozen European-designed models, most of which will be built locally to take advantage of the weak dollar. Though the Fiesta will be sourced from Mexico, the next Focus and C-Max are expected to come from either the Focus plant in Wayne, Michigan, and/or the Louisville truck factory that Ford is now fast retooling for smaller vehicles.

The North American 2012 Ford C-Max should be a slightly scaled-up evolution of the current design. It’s basically a tall-body compact wagon like the Mazda 5 and Kia Rondo, with four conventional side doors, two rows of seating, and room for five passengers. Recent U.S. sightings of test prototypes suggest modest additions to wheelbase and body length that could make just enough room for an optional 3rd-row seat. Styling should pick up various cues from the “kinetic design” Fiesta, such as a prominent two-tier grille, a tapered hoodline, trapezoidal headlamps, muscular wheel-arch bulges, creased lower-body lines, and postmodern “geometric” taillamps.

As a Focus spin-off, the 2012 Ford C-Max should rely on front-wheel-drive/4-cylinder powerteams, but we don’t rule out an all-wheel-drive option at some point. The same goes for a gas/electric drive similar to the current Escape Hybrid system. The European C-Max currently lists three gasoline engines and four diesels in the 1.8- to 2.0-liter range. We don’t see the “oil burners” coming here immediately, and the gas engines look a little weak for U.S. driving conditions. Accordingly, we think “our” 2012 Ford C-Max will employ the 2.5-liter 4-cylinder that becomes the new base engine for Ford’s 2009 Escape and the 2010 Fusion midsize sedan. And don’t be surprised if it’s a “flex-fuel” unit with the capability to run on E85 ethanol-blended fuel. A 6-speed automatic is likely, too, though a 6-speed manual may be standard. The suspension will be four-wheel independent, with components borrowed or adapted from the Focus.

Euro-market small cars don’t skimp on features, and neither should the U.S.-built 2012 Ford C-Max. Current models already boast standard ABS, antiskid system and traction control, front side airbags, curtain side airbags that cover all seating rows, and top-level European crash-test ratings. All should apply to the American version. So, too, a flexible rear bench seat with three sections that can be tipped, tumbled, or removed in any combination, plus outboard sections that can be pushed together once the middle part is stowed.

Look for at least three trim levels, an available Sport Package with handling and cosmetic upgrades, and perhaps a luxury package of some sort with leather upholstery, upscale trim, and non-essential niceties like “ambient” interior lighting. Other options should include a full-length sunroof with solar-control glass, automatic climate control, navigation and rear entertainment systems, cell phone and iPod connections with Ford’s Sync voice-control, and steering-linked headlamps with bi-xenon bulbs available separately. Look for standard 16-inch wheels on lower-priced models, 17s on uplevel versions, and 18s as a likely option for most.

With minivan sales plunging along with big-truck demand, the 2012 Ford C-Max is nothing if not timely, promising the same flexible practicality in a smaller, handier, more fuel-efficient package. Will it be a hit? Could be. With the way things are going, anything is possible.

A 2.5-liter 4-cylinder will likely power the 2012 Ford C-Max. The 2007 European Ford C-Max is pictured here.

A Notable Feature of the 2012 Ford C-Max

Many cars help occupants breathe easier with ventilation air filters, but Ford is going a step further, at least in Europe, with “allergy friendly interiors.” According to a company press release, this effort, which actually began back in 2005, involves reducing airborne concentrations of organic substances associated with commonly used plastics and chemical treatments. Examples include formaldehyde, phenols, phthalates, and solvents. The European Focus and C-Max were the first Fords to receive an allergy-tested seal of approval from Germany’s TUV Rhineland Group, an independent testing and assessment organization. Ford hasn’t talked about this much over here, but we hope it extends this program to all its U.S. vehicles in light of the rising incidence of asthma and other respiratory diseases.

Buying Advice for the 2012 Ford C-Max

Minivans aren’t as mini or fuel-efficient as they used to be, so the C-Max should be an appealing option for minivan buyers who are willing to sacrifice some space to get more miles per gallon. The Mazda 5 and Kia Rondo are its only close rivals at the moment, but General Motors will introduce its own compact people-mover in the 2010 Chevrolet Zafira, and other brands will doubtless weigh into this segment. The current C-Max has been widely praised for its high utility and car-like moves. The new version may add eye appeal to the mix, but those who don’t find it cool enough can opt for any number of small, sporty hatchback cars and crossover SUVs such as the Best Buy Suzuki SX4 and Honda CR-V.

2012 Ford C-Max Release Date: Ford hasn’t even confirmed a U.S.-market C-Max, let alone hinted at an on-sale date, but fall 2011 seems a safe bet, given what we know of current schedules on other new Ford products--and those prototypes seen testing in the desert Southwest.

2012 Ford C-Max First Test Drive: If the above proves out, media previews should be on for spring or summer of 2011.

2012 Ford C-Max Prices: We can’t be too sure this far out, given the rapid rise in energy and commodity costs that are causing fits for product planners at most every automaker. But taking an educated guess, we see the C-Max overlapping Ford’s Focus and Fusion pricing, which could mean a base-sticker range of $15,800 to $22,500.