Ford B-Max Concept Ahead of 2011 Geneva Motor Show

Ford B-Max Concept Ahead of 2011 Geneva Motor Show

Ford is at it again and by it we mean cooking something up that will take the B-segment by storm. The latest to hit the press ahead of the 2011 Geneva Motor Show is a little CUV concept that is based on the popular and global Ford Fiesta. This is actually a trend, one we have seen with the C-Max, which is based on the Focus C-Segment platform. For those readers enjoying their time in the EU, the trend is more significant with the addition of the S-Max, which the Mondeo D-segment take-off. The questions are quite endless, but the biggies are: Will it go into production? What engines will be offered? What will it cost to own one of these bad boys?

Ford B-Max Concept Ahead of 2011 Geneva Motor Show

Ford B-Max Concept Ahead of 2011 Geneva Motor Show

Those are all good questions, but since this is a concept we can’t give you a definitive answer. What we do know, courtesy of Car and Driver, is that the B-Max is somewhere near 13 feet in length, which makes it about a foot or more shorter than its larger C-Max cousin. From the approximate length we can guess that the B-Max will be just about four inches longer and taller than the current Ford Fiesta giving it the additional cargo and interior room that consumers would expect in a CUV—or MPV if you are on the other side of the pond. The part of this concept that most likely won’t make it to production is the B-pillarless aperture, which would mostly be due to safety regulations both in the EU and U.S.

What about power you say? Sources over at Leftlane News predict that the power will come from a 1.0-liter, three-cylinder EcoBoost engine with Start/Stop technology. They also predict that the 1.6-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine, currently found in the Fiesta, will be on the option list. We would assume fuel economy would be near if not a little below that of the current Fiesta…so somewhere in the high 30s on the highway—however Ford may push to make the B-Max be the fifth vehicle to be rated by the EPA at 40 mpg.

Bottom line—Ford knows when they have a good thing and they are capitalizing on it. If the vehicle does indeed go into production expect the B-Max to enter the market some time in 2012 as a 2013 model.

 

[Source: Car and Driver and Leftlane News