The new Ford B-MAX is now available to order priced from £12,995 to £18,895. Ford's latest model is based on the existing Ford Fiesta platform and is available in three trim levels - Studio, Zetec and Titanium.
Featuring Ford's Easy Access Door System, the B-MAX has traditional hinged front doors and a pair of sliding rear doors that do without the need for the central pillar structure.
When both doors are opened fully, the B-MAX offers an opening that is more than 1.5m wide. Both front and rear doors can be opened independently.
Entry-level Studio models are offered with a 1.4-litre petrol engine and a five-speed manual transmission. Standard specification includes electric windows, electric door mirrors, remote central locking and front, side, knee and curtain airbags.
The Zetec is available with a choice of three petrols and one diesel engine including the new 1.5-litre TDCi and 100bhp 1.0-litre EcoBoost. Buyers also have a choice of manual or automatic transmissions. The Zetec also comes with 15-inch alloy wheels, LED daytime running lights, fog lights, manual air-conditioning, a leather trimmed steering wheel and a DAB digital radio as standard.
The new B-Max will slot below all of those, and will be based on the Fiesta. It'll be a five-door-two front doors, two rear sliders, and a rear hatch-and should seat five. Ford promises that it's worked on packaging with the new model to maximize space and versatility.
That promise extends to the car's trickest feature: it has no B-pillars. The front doors latch to the floor and ceiling of the car, while the rear doors are anchored at the floor and to the slider that runs down the back of the car. As a result, Ford promises that the car will have easier ingress and egress, as well as a little bit more room when the doors are closed.
The B-max, which is just 110mm longer than a Fiesta, also has another ace up its sleeve: it'll be available with the punchy, economical 1.0-litre Ecoboost, which has impressed CAR in the Focus. It’ll be available in 100PS and 120PS versions, the latter returning 57.6mpg.
Other engines include a new 75PS 1.5-litre diesel, capable of 68.9mpg and 109g/km. The 95PS 1.6 TDCI, and 1.4- and 1.6-litre petrols will also be offered.
Company executives are peeved that Ford's brand equity still lags Volkswagen's, and RVs on cars like the Mondeo are pegged to anvil-off-a-cliff depreciators like the Insignia, rather than the floatier Passat. The hope is that, long-term, innovative cars like the B-max will help lift Ford above the shark pool of Korean, French and other rivals. source:carbuyer.co.uk,automobilemag.com,carmagazine.co.uk
