Ford B-MAX will be Ford

Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...

's new subcompact mini MPV

Mini MPV

Mini MPV is a car classification used to describe superminis or subcompacts which have taller build, fitting below the compact MPV and large MPV classifications....

, built on the Ford B3 platform

Ford B3 platform

The Ford B3 platform is a subcompact automobile platform that is jointly developed by Ford Motor Company and Mazda Motor Company at centers in Europe as well as North America and Australia. Previously, Ford has used the Mazda-engineered D platform for its B-segment Ford Festiva...

. It was unveiled for the first time at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show as a concept-car. Production will begin in early 2012, and marketing of the first units is expected in April-May 2012.

Overview

The styling of the B-MAX continues Ford's kinetic design theme and has no B-pillars between the doors, giving a panoramic view from inside the car. Additionally, it features rear sliding doors

Sliding door (vehicle)

A sliding door is a type of door that opens by sliding , whereby the door is either mounted on or suspended from a track. These aren't usually used in small vehicles, but generally they're most commonly used for minibuses and buses to provide a large entrance or exit for passengers without...

. It is believed that the glass will be shatter resistant and extra tough in case of an accident. Head-designer Stefan Lamm declared at the unveiling of the car that Ford is confident the B-MAX will achieve a full five star rating at the Euro NCAP crash testing.

The new model will have the new 1.0 liter, three-cylinder SCTi engine from the Ford EcoBoost

Ford EcoBoost engine

EcoBoost is a family of turbocharged and direct injected six-cylinder and four-cylinder gasoline engines produced by the Ford Motor Company. Engines equipped with EcoBoost technology are designed to deliver power and torque consistent with larger displacement, naturally aspirated engines while...

 family. It will feature the PowerShift

Ford PowerShift transmission

The Ford PowerShift is a six-speed dual clutch automatic gearbox produced by the Ford Motor Company. The Ford PowerShift gearboxes are built by Getrag Ford Transmissions, a joint-venture with Getrag...

 six-speed dual clutch

Dual clutch transmission

A dual clutch transmission, commonly abbreviated to DCT , is a differing type of semi-automatic or automated manual automotive transmission. It utilises two separate clutches for odd and even gear sets...

 automatic gearbox

Transmission (mechanics)

A machine consists of a power source and a power transmission system, which provides controlled application of the power. Merriam-Webster defines transmission as: an assembly of parts including the speed-changing gears and the propeller shaft by which the power is transmitted from an engine to a...

, turbocharged direct injection and start & stop

Start-stop system

In automobiles, a start-stop system or stop-start system automatically shuts down and restarts the internal combustion engine to reduce the amount of time the engine spends idling, thereby improving fuel economy and reducing emissions...

 system. With an CO₂ emission level under 100 g/km, it is believed that it will be the most eco-friendly engine available. It will be manufactured by Automobile Craiova

Automobile Craiova

Automobile Craiova is a Romanian car manufacturer located in Craiova, Romania. It is owned by Ford Motor Company.-The beginnings:Automobile Craiova was founded in 1976 as OLTCIT joint venture company between the Romanian government and Citroën...

, in Romania

Romania

Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...

, where it will replace production of the Transit Connect

Ford Transit Connect

The Ford Transit Connect is a compact panel van developed by Ford Europe and designed by Peter Horbury, introduced in 2002 to replace the older Ford Escort and Fiesta-based Courier van ranges, which had ceased production in the same year....

.

External links

• Official website (German)
• Video presentation on Elite-Auto
• Interview with the head of exterior design Stefan Lamm on BrightTV