About Ford B-Max
Ford tried to expand its presence into the European minivan segment with the introduction of the B-Max lineup in 2012, although its effort was in vain since it managed to sell just a little over 270,000 units in seven years, with a production that ended in 2017.
The only European automaker who enjoyed success in the MPV segment was Renault. Ford, Volkswagen, and Opel tried to compete with it but failed to impress. Then, the blue-oval brand considered that if it came with smarter solutions, it would be able to get better sales numbers. As a result, it created the B-Max based on the same platform as the B-segment, small-sized Fiesta. Despite assembling the vehicle in Romania, with lower production costs, it couldn’t convince customers that the practical minivan was a clever solution. Furthermore, the car came during an era when buyers started to look toward the crossover and SUV segment.
But the B-Max was a bold move made by Ford. By using the same platform as the Fiesta, it shared some design elements with that, including the swept-back headlights that flanked the narrow upper grille where the blue-oval badge took center stage. To conceal the car’s height and complement the necessary cooling area, the automaker installed a hexagonal-shaped lower grille that covered part of the bumper and the apron, while in the lower area, it installed side scoops for the optional fog lamps and a lip spoiler needed to enhance pedestrian protection. From its sides, the B-Max surprised customers with its rear sliding doors that greatly improved ingress and egress to the rear bench seat, especially when the front doors were opened and there was no B-post in place. The back of the car tried to mimic Fiesta’s successful look, although the tall lower panel wasn’t everybody’s cup of tea.
The cabin featured high-mounted seats, so all customers could enjoy enough legroom. In addition, the tall greenhouse provided enough headroom for five adult-sized occupants. On the dashboard, Ford created a separate area for the driver with a binocular-styled instrument cluster that featured a TFT between the speedometer and tachometer. Atop the center stack, Ford placed the screen for the infotainment system, although that was very small and hard to read while driving. Still, controls for it were easy thanks to the turning knob and the buttons that were placed underneath it. In the back, the 60/40 flat-folding seatback allowed customers to load long items, and even the front side passenger seat could fold down.
Under the hood, Ford installed a choice of turbocharged gasoline or diesel engines that sent their power to the front wheels only, just like in the Fiesta. Power ranged between 75 PS (74 hp) and 120 PS (118 hp), depending on the version.