Ford Focus C-MAX Review
Published: 12th March 2005
Ford Focus C-MAX
How It Drove - Performance
Our test car was fitted with Ford’s 2.0 litre 136 PS Durartorq TDCi Diesel engine mated to 6-Speed manual gearbox. The engine details are as follows: 4 cylinders inline, 16 valves, alloy cylinder head and block, direct injection with high-pressure, common-rail, multipoint fuel injection system, variable geometry turbocharger with intercooler and transient torque overboost function; electronic throttle and dual-mass flywheel
For 90% of the time in practice it is easy to forget that this is a diesel engine, it is only on cold starts and at low speed that you notice the engine chattering away - which is a small price to pay for the benefits in fuel economy. The official combined fuel consumption figure for the 2.0 TDCi is 48.7 mpg with a quoted urban figure of 58.9 mpg. Our mixed test route of country lanes, town driving and motorway sprints returned an overall figure of circa 42 mpg, so not too far from the official figures.
The engine was developed by PSA Peugeot Citroen in conjunction with Ford. PSA are regarded to be the world’s leading developers of diesel engines and on driving the car, you'll soon see why.
The engine has plenty of torque and delivers the power well down the rev band, which finds you out pacing other road users should you so wish. The official top speed is 125 mph and the 0-62 mph is recorded as 9.6 seconds, so the C-MAX is no slouch on paper and in practice.
The 6-speed manual gearbox is mounted on the instrument panel which we found offered smooth and precise gear changes. Locating the gear lever in this position makes it comfortable to operate and frees up floor space.
We whole heartedly recommend the ‘diesel’ powered C-MAX - is it a fantastic engine.
How It Drove - Ride/Handling
In our opinion the Ford Focus C-MAX is the best handling MPV to date - many hatchbacks would be put to shame by Ford’s people carrier. The C-MAX is very car-like to drive and is built around the new C-segment platform that has already been seen in the Mazda3, Volvo S40 and V50, and is used in the new Ford Focus.
Even on ‘B’ roads you can easily forget that you are driving a people carrier, body roll is well controlled, levels of grip are high ensuring that the C-MAX always feels poised and well balanced.
The electric hydraulic power steering is well-weighted and offers good feedback.
With the introduction of the Ford Focus C-MAX ford have ensured that you can now own an MPV without compromising driver satisfaction.
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