The Ford Story: First Look at the All-new Ford C-MAX

For those of you who love our European cars, here is an early look at the latest Ford of Europe model which will debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show on September 15, 2009.

The all-new Ford C-MAX takes its design cues from the iosis MAX concept car unveiled at Geneva Motor Show earlier this year. The C-MAX brings new levels of style and desirability to the compact multi-activity vehicle market.

The Ford C-MAX will also introduce a host of new technologies to the Ford range, including an all-new 1.6-liter Ford EcoBoost^TM direct-injection engine and other advanced features to enhance convenience and safety such as semi-automatic parallel parking and a blind-spot detection system.

The Ford C-MAX will launch in the second half of 2010 and is the first in a new generation of global vehicles developed from Ford’s new C-segment platform, scheduled for introduction over the next several years. The global range will also include the all-new Ford Focus coming in late 2010.

Further details about the new Ford C-MAX will be released at Ford’s Frankfurt press conference at 5 p.m. (EST) on September 15, 2009. The Frankfurt Auto Show opens is open to the public September 17 through 27, 2009.

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28 Comments

Torrey
September 3, 2009 at 9:22 pm

Oooooooh, Come to America please! Reply

Tom
September 3, 2009 at 10:03 pm

Nice shapes. Reply

ammcpq
September 3, 2009 at 11:32 pm

Hopefully the CMax (along with the SMax and Kuga) will join the Fiesta at some point and be available in the US. GM's Saturn brand took full advantage of this idea by importing its Vauxhall/Opel european models as 'new' Saturns. The Kuga would be an excellent replacement for the older design Escape, and would be a superior product compared to the VW Tiguan, Honda CRV and Toyota Rav4 segment of the market Reply

Cathy
September 4, 2009 at 9:01 am

Why do they get the good ones???? Reply

Patrick
September 4, 2009 at 9:56 am

I know U.S. car companies like Ford and Buick are thriving overseas due to their ability to make and sell cars like these -- whereas there are severe limitations to introducing them to the Stateside market.

This is sad, because I for one would love to take advantage of Ford's 65 mpg Fiesta that sells in Europe ... but they won't sell it in the U.S. due to the fact that it runs on diesel fuel, and the fact that it's made overseas -- so importing it from Europe would make it cost-prohibitive. Ford should start making these in the U.S. so we U.S.-based consumers can purchase them -- imagine how a Ford getting 65 mpg would sell against a Honda or Toyota hybrid that gets 41 mpg (20 mpg less!) Reply

Patrick
September 4, 2009 at 12:41 pm

I absolutely can't wait till Ford debuts the all new 2011 Focus! I'm figuring it will makes it's debut at the 2010 NAIAS in Detroit in early January 2010. I know one person who thinks it will debut at the 2010 Geneva Auto Show in March 2010. I guess we'll find out soon enough. We in the U.S. will finally get the highly praised C1 Focus...WOW! I definitely want the Focus 5 door hatchback. Reply

CarlW
September 9, 2009 at 2:05 pm

@Patrick, I stand corrected on the MKIII Focus launch.It was announced today that it will be launched at this years Detroit, then Geneva, then Beijing.

I think it is great the Ford HQ will have the honors of launching one of the best Ford C class cars ever built.

BTW, my 2007 Focus wagon GHIA 1.6L Ti-VCT fuel mileage converted to US MPG average is 44mpg. I hope North Americans will be able to have such good fuel efficient Fords in the near future.

BTW congrats to Ford Europes Martin Smith and team for the great design on the new C-Max, cannot wait to see the Fiestaized interior execution!! Reply

Rex Barber
September 5, 2009 at 9:36 am

Have been driving Ford autos for almost 60 yrs, and will continue to do so as long as I can drive. Wish I could have combined the technology of my Mariner Hybrid and the body of the 2004 Focus Wagon I traded in on it (provided of course, that the combo had a diesel engine paired with electric). The Focus wagon was probably the most fun to drive of any of the approximately 75 vehicles I've owned. Keep the good cars coming FMC! Reply

Jared Johnson
September 5, 2009 at 11:17 pm

They should bring back the '32 Deuce! . . . or at least let Americans buy these good cars!! Reply

Jaim
September 6, 2009 at 11:44 am

Why does Europe always get these awesome new cars first? They are Fords!!! An American motor company. Shouldn't American customers get the first crack at buying these vehicles? They talk about "Global" vehicles. How come its taking so long for the "Global" effect to take place? Reply

Jimmie F Isbell
September 6, 2009 at 1:34 pm

I love ford vehicles , the 2006 ford fusion was my 2nd new car.Its time for me to buy a new pickup but the ford ranger isn;t big enough and i don't want a full size pickup so i want to ask if Ford has thought about makine the ford ranger a little bit bigger.I hate to say this like the dodge dakota or the toyota tacoma.Concerned Ford customer. Reply

John
September 7, 2009 at 6:38 am

The reason the USA does not get all the great European cars is because it has so many different regulations compared to the rest of the world. DIfferent diesel emissions regulations for extremely clean air, but still home of the people gas guzzler. Go figure. Because idiots refuse to wear seat belts, all air bags need to be made about 20 litres bigger. Different fuel filling requirements. Some good, some bad. Get regulations similar to Europe and then economies of scales will allow access to the best cars in the world! Reply

Mark in NJ
September 7, 2009 at 10:23 am

The reason Ford does not yet sell these awesome European models in the states is not due to regulation, but due to STUIPD American Consumers like Sally Soccer Mom who is convinced she needs a 7 passenger trucklet for her 4 person family (5 if you include the dog they take everywhere.) Don't forget her husband, Joe the Plumber who wants a Super Crew F-150 4x4 with a 300 hp V8 to drive himself to work although he never goes off-road or tows or even actually has anyone in the back seat.

Stupid Americans want bigger cars for their money and historically these Euro models are too expensive for their size to sell state side.

The Euro Honda Accord is a smaller car than the US Accord. Mazda gave up trying to sell the same Mazda6 as is sold in the rest of the world to sell a bigger car here.

In the late 90s, Ford tried to sell the Euro Mondeo here as the Contour, it cost almost as much as a bigger Taurus even after it was cheapened down for the US Market. The Contour was a COMPLETE FLOP.

Think of all the Dopes you see driving solo in a base Accord, they would rather drive a base Accord than a loaded Civic for the same money and save gas to boot. In short, Americans believe that success is conveyed by the size of your car

There is hope though. Under 30s don't necessarily think the same way as their parents. Under 30s know that the best cell phones are the smaller ones, the best laptops are the smaller ones, the best MP3 players are the smaller ones.

Lets hope this trend continues and that American's youth will prove smarter than the generations that proceeded them. Reply

Jim Bersani
September 7, 2009 at 8:52 pm

mark, I do agree with you with most of what you said about idiots that want a six passenger car, but I must disagree with you when it came to the Contour.
Perhaps the Contour didn't sell as many cars as it was expected, but mercury Dealers couldn't keep the Cougars in stock for the first three years, and my friend, the Cougar was a re-skinned Contour and Mystique, but it had a european suspension with passive rear wheel steering. When equipped with the V-6, she was a true highway cruiser since it didn't have a speed limiter, I had done 140 MPH whenever I could at night when the highways were pretty much mine alone. Yes, I did get stopped even with a radar detector, but thankfully, I carried a shield since I was a retired law man.
Please remember this when you talk about European Ford's. I had 287,000 on the original engine and the German transmission that she was equipped with, and she was the most beautiful styled body for the price that I have seen come out of America. Reply

Mark in Ontario
September 15, 2009 at 11:21 am

I certainly also agree with your points regarding the size of cars but disagree that the Contour was a bad car. The problem was Ford did not market it properly. My wife still feels that her 97 Contour LX V6 is her favorite car of all time. We were out last weekend and she commented on it again when we saw another old Contour. She says she still prefers the Contour over the 2010 Fusion Sport that we drive now. Come on Ford, bring more of the European product to Canada and the U.S. Reply

DIno fila
September 7, 2009 at 8:48 pm

Insurance companies have a hold on the market. What cars we drive, technology involved, etc. They do not want the stateside customers to be involved with updated technology, where as long as the naive market stays out of touch with tech forward thinking we get the same defined 'now' stuff over and over. Now the cell phone companies are competing simply by what phone differentiation contracts bw them to stay afloat: not their pricing plans. Same with cars. same technology over and over, same dashboards for the last thirty years, especially for American cars. As if those engineers went to college to be told to keep it boring for those post wars mentalities. Too bad. The next generation of people and designs are here, the Re-newfication of world configuration is here: be bold be different. Reply

james
September 8, 2009 at 8:49 am

it is a nice car but i do hope is does come to the usa Reply

Lou
September 8, 2009 at 1:31 pm

The C-Max looks like a nice, well built car, and most of us do need a good gas nibbler these days. But the problem I see today with automobiles is pricing. America needs to come out with a $5000.00 automobile to match the new lower income jobs that people have had to take when they lost their good paying jobs. That to me would be a great stimulus package in itself. Reply

Stashu
September 8, 2009 at 9:12 pm

I've driven the current CMax in France. Great car. Why do the French get a better version of the Focus than we do? C'mon Ford: get it here faster. Reply

charlene ebbs
September 9, 2009 at 1:48 pm

Why does Ford not develope a diesle like the VW TDI? I want to buy American but I don't like the battery idea. Reply

Jon F
September 10, 2009 at 12:38 am

I drove a Ford diesel mid size car in Italy in 2006. It was not a hybrid. I was ready to buy one. When I got back home I went to the dealership and they said Ford does not have a car like that. I think he was drinking BRONDO. So I bought a 2006 VW Jetta TDI. Ford you lost a loyal customer. I want a F150 diesel. If you do not put one on the market soon then I will buy the Mahindra diesel pickup. Reply

David Bonnar
September 10, 2009 at 8:42 am

In 1956 you offered me a job to design your cars. I declined. My family always owned Fords. You still need design help. There are major design flaws in most of your cars. Reply

Pat Farr
September 13, 2009 at 2:07 pm

Is it true that Ford intends to make a Sport Coupe like the Puma which it should have continued to sell. I had two from new and still have not found another car to match it Reply

tricia carpenter
September 13, 2009 at 4:32 pm

Wellllll, wouldn't it be nice if they would redesign a vehicle with the '32 coupe style anyway and even better use the 289 engine in some of the models, even without the hybrid feature that engine in my '65 mustang was an undeniable winner, I have driven the hybrid escape recently and am probaly going to purchase one, at
some point unless something with even better fuel mileage comes along, I just want to say the ford falcon the pinto and of course the mustang were all winners in their time, in my opinion the best cars ever available in their day!!!!!!! Reply

Bernard Martin
September 28, 2009 at 4:27 pm

Ford has several cars in Europe that are eye catching...Great looks, Would be a winner for N.A,A,O . Bring them home soon. Reply

xeuropn
September 28, 2009 at 9:35 pm

I have been hounding Ford, via this website, for more than 10 years now to bring in more of the European cars. They did it back in 1980 with the "World Car" Ford Escort. The European Ford makes 5 different Focus' for crying out loud. The Focus C/C is nice, if anyone has seen it. The Mondeo was over here in late 1990's as the Contour. The current Mondeo should have been the Taurus. I think they are getting better by bringing the Fiesta over. Just don't give us another piece of crap like the Festiva. Reply

michael nolan
October 9, 2009 at 9:27 am

And please give us a wide range of sexy colors to choose from like they do in Europe. Not just boring silver white black red blue & gray. The poor color selection is why I didn't buy a new Focus. And get this: your color choices narrow down if you want a higher-end Focus with leather and sunroof. You can only choose from four colors when you're paying more!!!! Insane marketing decisions. Reply

Bob Smith
November 3, 2009 at 8:02 am

I think the reason Americans drive bigger cars is a combination of a lot of reasons, but the real question is why do Europeans drive cars that are so small? I used to live in Europe and found it funny seeing some big guy crammed in some tiny car. Same with small houses with no backyards that they have in Europe. Cost is the main answer. People in Europe couldn't afford the big cars we drive here, but if an American sized car was offiered at the same price as a European car, then it would be bought in a second by the Europeans. We have cheap gas, cheap insurance, and low taxes (all compared to Europe), so that's why we buy what we buy. Reply

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