Spyshots: Ford C-MAX Seven Seater

[mikeyb]

It's seven-up for the C-MAX as our spies spot new version undergoing winter testing


http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/images/front_picture_library_UK/dir_600/car_photo_300170_25.jpg

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/images/front_picture_library_UK/dir_600/car_photo_300172_25.jpg

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/images/front_picture_library_UK/dir_600/car_photo_300168_25.jpg

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/images/front_picture_library_UK/dir_600/car_photo_300169_25.jpg

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/images/front_picture_library_UK/dir_600/car_photo_300171_25.jpg

t’s the MPV that can’t stop growing! Our spy snappers caught this Ford C-Max mule out testing in Scandinavia and, as the pictures show, it’s about to get another row of seats.

Ford’s baby MPV has been a roaring success since its introduction in 2003, but it has always been bettered by Vauxhall’s seven seat Zafira in the people carrying stakes.

But our exclusive shots can reveal that the Blue Oval is fighting back. The longer wheelbase, elongated B-pillar and jutting rear bumper all point to an extra set of seats in the back, which will finally allow the C-Max to go head-to-head with its seven-seat rivals.

Though our pictures show the bigger C-Max in its current guise, it’s likely that the production model will receive a few mild styling tweaks to differentiate it from previous models.

Ford isn’t burning its bridges with smaller families, though, as it will still offer the C-Max with five seats for those who don’t need the extra baggage.

But bigger families who hanker for the top quality and tight handling of Ford’s mini-MPV can now breathe a sigh of relief. Expect to see the seven-seat C-Max in UK showrooms by the end of the year.

[mikeyb]

I wonder when Ford will wise up and offer the C-MAX here in N.A.?

[Kymerik]

I wonder when Ford will wise up and offer the C-MAX here in N.A.?

It wouldnt sell here thats why

[mikeyb]

It wouldnt sell here thats why

Why not? Mazda has been selling Mazda5 with no problem.

[spike blue]

it will sell a lot like the mazda 5 is doing

[coolmazda5]

Yeah, the Mazda5 sold well but still a small number (thankfully it is not the next Corolla :D)


Model: Feb 2009 Sales / Feb 2008 Sales Change

Mazda3: 6,347 / 7,893 (19.6)%
Mazda5: 2,257 / 2,091 11.7%
Mazda6: 3,513 / 5,527 (36.4)%
MX-5Miata: 489 / 924 (47.1)%
RX-8: 155 / 319 (51.4)%
CX-7: 1,574 / 3,185 (50.6)%
Tribute: 355 / 1,386 (74.4)%
B-Series Truck: 60 / 93 (35.5)%

Total Vehicles:
CARS: 12,761 / 16,684 (23.5)%
TRUCKS 3,640 / 6,864 (47.0)%


But to my point, this is where I get to the C-Max vs. S-MAX variances. So instead of focusing on making the S-MAX more efficient for the US market they stretch the C-MAX (maybe due to the platform used is more effective to do that)

Anyway, I like the S-MAX better, but chances are C-MAX may be the one.

If your needs call for something like this, these cars have little or null competition, require zero marketing and could be sort of recession proof (at least from the numbers perspective) so Ford may be crying for something like this. Point in case, When is the last time we saw a pure Mazda5 TV ad? 2-3 years ago?

[happy and angry]

Man, I link you to an article about the strength of Mazda sales in another thread and you're using it now to defend the idea that people won't buy a car like the Mazda5?

Over the last two years car sales have tanked and the top three sellers for Mazda have been the 3, the 5, and the 6. Sales have gone up for the 5 when they have gone down for their other offerings, the only model to see improvement in the face of weakening automotive sales. Numbers for a car like the Mazda 5 look strong especially when compared to other vehicles that tend to be strong movers (the 3, the 6 which have seen a sales drop), and this is the sort of vehicle you think Ford shouldn't bother with?

Mazda has never been a volume dealer. They are a relatively small company with a relatively low market share. They moved 12,700 cars in February of this year. If the Mazda5 stays on pace, it'll move over 20,000 units for the year at about 16% of Mazda's total car sales. In comparison, Ford moved almost 35,000 cars in February. Ford's got more marketing, more dealerships, a stronger presence in the mid-west. They are better positioned to sell a larger number of vehicles. The Mazda5 numbers look good, and are the sort of numbers Ford is going to be looking at carefully, especially when you consider the Mazda5 appeals to a group of drivers that Ford doesn't currently address very well with their vehicles.

[coolmazda5]

Man, I link you to an article about the strength of Mazda sales in another thread and you're using it now to defend the idea that people won't buy a car like the Mazda5?

That is exactly what I said and did, what would the Internet be without your information sharing? (glare)

Since you know Ford well, please tell them to also watch for the closest Mazda competitor in the US (and Canada), the KIA Rondo since it came in 2007 (except for the last month, as Rondo sales "tanked" by 63%) and also tell them about Chevy which is hoping to launch the Orlando in a couple of years.

Also tell them that they can bring whatever they want, but to add Manual Tranny, sliding doors and add some ZOOM-ZOOM factor to it, otherwise it will be difficult to attract customers like me and many other Mazda5 owners here in the forum

BTW, here are my sources to the numbers and facts above, the numbers may look similar in different articles :):


Mazda:
http://news.prnewswire.com/ViewContent.aspx?ACCT=109&STORY=/www/story/03-03-2009/0004982297&EDATE=

KIA:
http://news.prnewswire.com/DisplayReleaseContent.aspx?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/03-03-2009/0004982335&EDATE=

[Cue]

[B][SIZE=2]

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/images/front_picture_library_UK/dir_600/car_photo_300169_25.jpg

...Cute.. and it's got a little boner...

[nate0123]

(rofl)

needs a set of truck nutz to complete the look

[coolmazda5]

(boom01) they may be listening to Mazda design after all, but they started with the other part, LOL:

What will the next-generation Mazda MX-5 Miata look like? Mazda's design head Laurens Van den Acker hopes it will share few visual cues with the current roadster.

"The next MX-5 needs to be a big step," Van den Acker said in an Autocar report. "The last one was too conservative and we can't do another car like that. We need to make it more dramatic and give it some balls."

Source:
http://wot.motortrend.com/6291390/future/report-next-generation-mazda-mx-5-will-be-more-radical/index.html

[happy and angry]

That is exactly what I said and did, what would the Internet be without your information sharing? (glare)It's just interesting that you will acknowledge the strength of sales of the Mazda5 in North America given the current economic climate and the tanking automotive industry as a whole, but in the same breath say that Ford couldn't do the same with an already extremely popular vehicle that is essentially a Mazda5 without the sliding doors.