Source: Ford - Press release after the jump.
Ford Begins Taking Orders for C-MAX Hybrid – America’s Most Affordable, Fuel-Efficient Hybrid Utility Vehicle
- Ford dealers are now taking orders for the Ford C-MAX Hybrid, which will be more affordable than Toyota Prius v while achieving better fuel economy
- Class-exclusive technologies include hands-free liftgate, active park assist for easier parallel parking and next-generation SmartGauge® with EcoGuide to help customers increase their fuel economy
- C-MAX will launch this fall as part of Ford’s power of choice strategy to deliver leading fuel economy across its lineup while tripling electrified vehicle production capacity by 2013
The C-MAX is a compact hybrid utility vehicle and the company’s
first dedicated line of hybrids. The 2013 C-MAX Hybrid will be available
this fall with a base price of $25,995 – approximately $500 lower than
the Toyota Prius v’s base price.
The C-MAX Energi plug-in hybrid will follow later this year with
better electric-mode fuel economy and overall driving range than the
Prius plug-in hybrid.
“C-MAX Hybrid offers better fuel economy, performance, technology
and functionality than Prius v – and C-MAX Hybrid customers will pay
less at the dealership and at the pump,” said Ken Czubay, vice
president, U.S. Marketing, Sales and Service. “Ford is delivering the
power of choice for leading fuel economy across its lineup – from
EcoBoost to electrified vehicles – because customers increasingly want
to save money at the pump, even as gas prices rise over time.”
The C-MAX Hybrid blends fuel economy with performance, with
projected best-in-class horsepower and torque along with Ford’s
third-generation powersplit technology that allows for higher speed
while in electric mode than Toyota Prius v.
C-MAX Hybrid benefits from 20 years of research and innovation
behind the software and hardware technology driving it, with many of
Ford’s almost 500 hybrid vehicle-related patents contained within.
That means that along with SYNC® with MyFord Touch®,
drivers get class-exclusive features like hands-free liftgate (offering
hands-free cargo access with a simple kicking motion), SmartGauge®
with EcoGuide, regenerative braking and an advanced lithium-ion
(li-ion) battery pack that is being used for the first time in a Ford
hybrid.
C-MAX Hybrid – being built on Ford’s global C-segment platform –
also benefits from a proven design and nameplate with more than 156,000
units of the gasoline version sold in Europe since its 2010 launch.
Room to move
C-MAX Hybrid is a compact hybrid utility vehicle jam-packed with features and room for five people and cargo.
The vehicle has a high roofline (63.9 inches) offering ample
interior space and flexibility. C-MAX Hybrid offers 99.7 cubic feet of
passenger space compared with 97 cubic feet in Prius v. The spacious
C-MAX Hybrid also provides greater headroom in both front and rear seats
than Prius v (41/39.4 inches vs. 39.6/38.6 inches).
For cargo, C-MAX Hybrid has 60/40 split-fold rear seats that easily
fold flat with 54.3 cubic feet of space behind the first row and 24.5
cubic feet behind the second row.
Tech-savvy
C-MAX Hybrid features the company’s innovative hands-free liftgate,
allowing for quick and easy access to the cargo area without messing
with keys. A gentle kicking motion under the rear bumper opens the
liftgate when used in combination with a key fob the user keeps in his
or her pocket or purse that tells the car it’s OK to engage. The same
motion can close the liftgate.
The vehicle also features the newest version of MyFord Touch to
help inform, enlighten, engage and empower drivers. MyFord Touch offers
multiple ways for customers to manage and control their phone,
navigation, entertainment and climate functions through voice commands,
menus accessed through controls on the steering wheel, touch screens,
buttons or knobs.
C-MAX Hybrid also offers the next generation of SmartGauge with
EcoGuide. Designed to help drivers get the most from the C-MAX Hybrid,
information such as instantaneous fuel economy can be displayed on the
left cluster to help drivers more closely monitor how their driving
behavior affects the vehicle’s efficiency.
The left cluster also shows Brake Coach, a feature that helps
drivers optimize their use of the braking system so that driving range
can be enhanced through proper braking techniques. In the right cluster,
redesigned imagery of green leaves shows overall driving efficiency –
as drivers improve their efficient driving, they are rewarded with more
leaves.
Quality and ingenuity
The 2013 Ford C-MAX Hybrid is new, but its software and hardware technology have been evolving for nearly two decades.
C-MAX Hybrid is powered through the combination of a gasoline
engine and a battery-driven electric motor. When powered by gasoline,
the C-MAX Hybrid uses the all-new 2.0-liter Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder
engine – a powerful and fuel-efficient engine and among the most
advanced non-turbocharged four-cylinder powertrains Ford has ever
offered.
The electric motor of the C-MAX Hybrid is powered by an advanced
li-ion battery system designed to maximize use of common, high-quality
components, such as control board hardware that has proven field
performance in Ford’s critically acclaimed hybrid vehicles.
C-MAX Hybrid also offers Ford’s next-generation powersplit
architecture that allows the electric motor and gasoline-powered engine
to work together or separately to maximize efficiency. The engine also
can operate independently of vehicle speed, charging the batteries or
providing power to the wheels as needed. The motor alone can provide
sufficient power to the wheels in low-speed, low-load conditions and
work with the engine at higher speeds.
In the C-MAX Hybrid, the li-ion battery pack is recharged when the
gasoline engine is in operation. Further, the regenerative braking
system can recapture more than 95 percent of the braking energy that
would otherwise be lost, and is able to use that power to help charge
the battery. C-MAX Hybrid requires no plug-in charging.
Made in U.S.A.
C-MAX Hybrid is being produced at Ford’s Wayne, Mich.-based
Michigan Assembly Plant alongside Focus, Focus Electric and Focus ST.
More information about MAP can be found online here.
It is one of five electrified vehicles Ford plans to produce in
North America in 2012. In addition to C-MAX Energi, the other vehicles
include Focus Electric, Fusion Hybrid and Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid.
Customers interested in C-MAX Hybrid build and pricing options should visit here. A video featuring C-MAX can be viewed online by clicking here.
About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company,
a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich.,
manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With
about 166,000 employees and about 70 plants worldwide, the company’s
automotive brands include Ford and Lincoln. The company provides
financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more
information regarding Ford and its products worldwide, please visit http://corporate.ford.com.
