- by Trish Whelan
C-MAX production model for Geneva
20 February 2003: The Ford Focus-based MPV, the C-MAX, will be available in Ireland later this year, following its upcoming introduction at the Geneva Motor Show.
The C-MAX Concept was first revealed to Irish motor enthusiasts on IrishCar.Com last September from the preview before the Paris Motor Show. The car fits into the Ford range between the new Ford Fusion and seven-seat Ford Galaxy MPV. With a drag coefficient of only 0.29, it is the most aerodynamic car in its segment.
The Focus C-MAX will feature all-new 1.6-litre 110 PS and premium 2.0-litre 135 PS Duratorq TDCi common rail diesel engines, and a new 6-speed transmission will be available, as will a new Duratec HE 1.8-litre petrol engine developing 120 PS.
Safety levels are high, with ABS and full-size dual-stage driver and passenger airbags, seat-mounted side pelvic thorax airbags standard on all models, along with optional inflatable side curtains to protect from head injury.
For security, Ford’s passive anti-theft system (PATS) employs an electronic-coded transponder key matched to a unique code of each vehicle. If the code of the key is not the same as that programmed into the vehicle during production, then the car will not start.
A special rear seating system is offered on certain models. The centre rear seat can slide into the luggage compartment, and the outer two seats can be adjusted not only forward and backward, but diagonally toward the middle of the compartment. This configuration gives considerably more leg and shoulder room if just two rear-seat passengers are carried.
“Retaining the Focus name emphasises the strengths on which C-MAX is built,” says Eddie Murphy, Chairman and Managing Director, Ford Ireland. “As Focus itself did in the compact family class, I am confident C-MAX will raise the bar in the growing mid-sized MPV segment.”
©2003 irishcar.com