5 reasons to love and hate the Ford C-MAX

Let us leave scholastic debates to specialists about who first decided that minivans can be made on the basis of compact models of the C segment – the French, the Germans, or even the Japanese, moreover ten years earlier. One thing is clear: in the ranks of compact Ford C-MAX is not the last place …

Thorny path to the minivan
The path of the European division of the concern Ford to launch a compact minivan on the Ford Focus platform turned out to be very difficult. Tests of the first prototypes began in 1996, and in 1998 the new model should have been on the conveyor. However, the French, with their Renault Megane Scenic and the Germans with the Opel Zafira that followed it, set such a high bar in the new European market sector that Ford was the loser at the final stage. Then it was decided to make a completely new car on the latest global Ford Ford C1 platform. As a result, the Focus C-MAX (this is how this car was called until 2006) was born earlier than the “just Focus” built on it, or rather, the second-generation Focus.

The novelty was shown at the Paris Motor Show 2002, and real sales in our country began only in November of the next, in 2003. In order to emphasize the family character of the car, Ford arranged its presentation at the Nikulin Circus on Tsvetnoy Boulevard, inviting not only journalists, but also their children.

For the development of the appearance and interior of the model was responsible young designer Daniel Polen. Even a fierce foe would not call his work unfortunate, but he still didn’t discover C-MAX’s discovery in the field of automotive design, although its interior contained a lot of interesting finds – in particular, the einterior transformation schem.

HERE BEFORE THE CONSTRUCTORS STAND TO WHERE AMBITIOUS TASKS. In due time the chief project engineer ALIAPULIOS KRIS says: “Our goal was to make the best-handling Compact MARKET, SUCH machine that is fundamentally different from our competitors.” THAT IS, IT WAS NEED TO LEAD A SINGLE BARREL WITH A RELATED HIGH CENTER OF GRAVITY TO THE STANDARDS OF MANAGEMENT, GIVEN BY THE FIRST GENERATION FORD FOCUS.

To ensure sufficient body rigidity for torsion, we had to learn how to work with body panels of variable thickness, master laser welding and apply high-strength steels widely, and also make a number of changes to the suspension design: strengthen the front and rear subframes, install gas-filled two-pipe shock absorbers and completely rework rear anti-roll bar design.

The car went on sale with a wide range of engines: petrol “fours” of the Duratec series with a volume of 1.6 liters (101 hp), 1.8 liters (125 hp) and 2.0 liters (145 hp). ) and a two-liter Duratorq TDCi turbo diesel (136 hp and 340 Nm of torque). The transmission could be a four-stage automatic or five-speed mechanics.

In December 2006, an updated version of the model was presented at the Bologna Motor Show (at the Russian Motor Show, it appeared in the middle of 2007, almost simultaneously with the start of sales in Europe). Her appearance was brought in line with the corporate style of Kinetic Design, and the car became similar to its larger relative S-MAX. The range of engines was supplemented with Duratorq diesel engines of 1.6 and 1.8 liters (109 and 115 hp, respectively), and five-speed mechanics were relied on for gasoline engines and “younger” diesel engines. The six-speed manual gearbox got a two-liter diesel engine, and the automatic – the most powerful gasoline engines.

Quite serious changes were made to the interior, and as an option such pleasant things appeared as a glass panoramic roof, included in the X-pack package, which expands the already rich configurations of Ghia and Titanium.

In 2010, C-MAX handed over the baton to the second generation of the model and finally went to the secondary market.

Owners’ reviews about this car are rather contradictory: even in the most positive ones, a number of serious flaws are mentioned, although there are those among the former owners who are best suited to the definition of a Fordon-hater. However, they are forced to recognize a number of undoubted advantages of this model. So why love and why hate the Ford C-MAX? Now we will try to figure it out calmly …

“Maksik” of the first generation has long been firmly established in the secondary market, and today the price of these cars is within the range of 130 – 550 thousand rubles. At the same time, for a single-platform Focus 2 they ask 160-660 thousand, and if you start comparing offers, it turns out that, with an equal level of equipment, similar sedans are at least 100 thousand more expensive.

Many reviews of the former owners of Ford C-MAX state that it is very difficult to sell this car: you have to lure potential buyers with honey.