Power and comfort in the new Ford C-Max

Trying out the new C-Max for Drive, Seán Creedon, salutes Ford’s blend of power, comfort and ground-breaking technology

On the day I picked up the Ford C-Max for a test drive, Ford introduced their new 1.0l Ecoboost engine to the Irish motoring press. The Ecoboost, which initially will be available in the best-selling Focus, will provide as much power as a 1.6l diesel engine, but will be much quieter and less expensive. The Ecoboost, which broke 16 world speed records at a test track in France in May of this year, was named international Engine of the Year for 2012.

Ford plans to roll out the Ecoboost engine in their new B-max, C-Max and Fiesta later this year. The C-Max is built on the perennially popular Focus platform. Sales of new cars have fallen dramatically this year, but Ford is confident that its Focus will be the best selling car for 2012, making it the number one seller in Ireland for 12 of the past 15 years.

I have driven the C-Max previously, but had forgotten how powerful and comfortable a motor it is until last week.

I was test-driving the five-seat C-Max, which is a spacious enough model. The seven-seat Grand Max version offers the added advantage of two sliding rear doors. For those in need of even more space there is the S-Max, and if you’re in the limousine or VIP transporting business, then the Ford Galaxy would definitely fit the bill. The S-Max and Galaxy are built on the Mondeo platform.

With families getting smaller all the time, the C-Max should be able to cater for the needs of most Irish families. There is ample room for five adults and the high cabin position gives all the passengers a great view of the road. It is an extremely comfortable car in which to travel, especially on long journeys.

And it’s neat and attractive too. The arrangement of controls on the impressive dashboard is user-friendly, with the gear lever incorporated in the centre console. Grey is the dominant interior colour, and the white lined pattern in the upholstery and cream roof subtly brightens the cabin throughout.

The C-Max I was test-driving came with a few interesting extras. Park Assist is particularly useful. Once you find a space to accommodate this big motor, Park Assist can automatically take control of the wheel while you operate the clutch and accelerator to manoeuvre the C-Max into the space.