Driving pleasure with a high carriage
Ford was one of the last in its class to introduce a midi MPV. In 2003 we were introduced to the Focus C-Max, a Focus-based family car that had to compete with successful models such as the Renault Scénic and Opel Zafira for years. Did Ford still appear on the battlefield in time or was the midi MPV battle already over?
During our first acquaintance, the Focus C-Max emerged mainly as the car it was based on, the Focus. It was a feast of recognition both inside and out. The medium-sized space car was supplied with a Comfort Seat System, a multi-mobile sliding installation for the rear seat. Useful!
Competition Focus C-Max was killer
But with dexterity alone, the C-Max was not there yet. The competition was cutthroat and, above all, numerous. We pulled the Renault Scénic, Opel Zafira and the then relatively new Volkswagen Touran from the importers to put the brand-new Ford through its paces. Not an easy task, because although the MPVs followed the same philosophy in theory, there appeared to be major differences between the family vans.
The French lord and master of the MPV, Renault, had a very well thought-out car in the showroom with its Scénic. A special interior full of storage compartments and a decent standard equipment worked to its advantage. When it comes to driving, we became less enthusiastic. The same went for the Zafira, which was getting very old by now. As befits a real Ford, the C-Max was especially convincing with its driving characteristics and the fine powertrain. We were less happy with the ergonomics. The C-Max turned out to be more of a high Focus, there was not enough space in the back to go through life as a full-fledged MPV. And the touran? Great car, but the high price tag killed him.
Unfortunately not a great start for the space Ford. A year later he was allowed in the rematch, and we threw him into the ring together with the Seat Altea. The Spaniards were also late with a midi MPV, but that was not the only similarity. Both opted for dynamics instead of as many storage compartments as possible. Once again the Ford had to lose out, the Seat turned out to be even finer to steer as far as possible and the powertrain, a 2.0 TDI diesel, also won from the 2.0 CDTi in the C-Max. The multifunctional rear seat and the larger luggage compartment, on the other hand, spoke in favor of the car with the blue oval on its nose.
In the same year, Mercedes introduced the new A-class. Das Haus was fired at the Focus C-Max together with the Golf. It was a test without an undisputed winner, but one that put the Ford in perspective. It clearly had more space than a regular hatchback and managed to turn corners tighter than the smaller Benz. However, we were less charmed by its mediocre finish. The best overall picture? Still the C-Max!
Focus C-Max was only called C-Max from 2006
In 2006 the last hour had come for the name Focus C-Max, the following year it would be facelifted and only go through life as a C-Max. As a parting gift, the spacious Ford showed the Dodge Caliber all corners of the room, despite the fact that his compatriot was allowed to take home for more than 4 grand less. Over the years, the Focus C-Max has missed the MPV shelf a bit, but it partially made up for it with its wonderful handling.
Here you will find all AutoWeek tests with the Ford Focus C-Max. As a logged-in user, you can download the comparison tests with the midi-MPV as a PDF.
Still nice for such an early Focus C-Max? Here you will see a lot of them for sale for reasonable prices.
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl