Taking it to the Max: the new Ford B-MAX
Let’s take it to the Max: The New Ford B-MAX: a Woman’s Eye Car Review
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Taking it to the max, whether in the gym, the classroom or
out shopping (and, some might rather unkindly say, down the boozer) has always
been a particular philosophy of mine, so when Ford invited me to the launch of
their new creation: the B-MAX (which could have been named because it maximises
all available space, by creating a massive side opening where the B pillars of
the car usually obstruct) it was a golden opportunity to investigate this
marvel of modern engineering.
By a fiendish piece of genius, Klaus-Peter Tamm, the chief
programme engineer, has come up with a design that allows the stabilising B
pillar in the centre of the car (so important for impact absorption) to
separate out on opening: allowing the rear door to glide gracefully backwards
and the front door to open as usual. The massive gap that appears in the centre
of the car (1.5 metres wide) allows for optimum loading capacity. When the rear
and passenger seats are folded flat: skis, pushchairs, Christmas trees,
flatpack furniture-you name it-anything up to 2.3m in length can potentially be
loaded in by the centre or rear openings. The core stability of the car is
resumed when the doors are closed, each door constituting one half of the stabilising
B pillar.
The B-MAX will find particular appeal, I think, with young
families or grown families who may be catering for an older generation backseat
passenger. For anyone who’s experienced the inconvenience (and pain!) of trying
to place infants in rear car seats (even the 4 or 5 door varieties) the B-MAX is
an absolute winner. And the high driving and riding position is perfect for
those not wanting to crane their necks trying to see over the dashboard or slip
a disc clambering into a low-slung chassis.
Safety-wise, the B-MAX hits all the right buttons, with an
NCAP 5 star safety rating and an ingenious option for FORD Sync-where you can
connect up your iphone or music player to the main system and have all your
texts read out to you and your personal playlist on speakers. It also features
an Emergency Assist programme that alerts the emergency services immediately,
with your GPS coordinates, in the unhappy event of a collision.
Ford have also been at the forefront of promoting technology
that makes driving safer (you might recognize the TV ad featuring the
driverless Park Assist parking system) and Active City Stop is an added safety
feature that is another great option on the B-MAX. In the event of a rolling
collision with the car in front, in speeds of anything up to 20mph, braking
becomes automated to prevent collision. I don’t think I’m alone in thinking
that it’s really refreshing that any robotic engineering intelligence is at
last being used as a safety feature in our cars...and not for destructive
purposes...
The overall look of the B-MAX is one of pleasing aerodynamic curvature;
the chrome detailing and front headlight daytime running lights come as standard.
The 1.6 litre diesel chugs out a measly 104 g/km in CO2 emissions-sadly just
short of that all important London congestion charge cut-off point, but great
news for VED (Vehicle Excise Duty) rates and with excellent stamina at 70.6mpg.
The real winner for me, though, is the 1.0 litre EcoBoost petrol engine: packing
a punch, it’s responsive, sporty and practical all packaged up in one.
Ford are also spreading their wings in terms of colour
(Henry T would be turning in his grave)
Colour Options and Prices: Studio: (from £12,995)
Blue, silver, white, black and red
Zetec: (from £14,650) and top of the range Titanium (from
£17,595) in 4 different blues, 2 reds , 2 silver, gold (ish) black and white
MPG: ranging from 44.1 (combined) for the 1.6 Sigma
and 57.7 (combined) for the I.0L Ecoboost to 70.6 (combined) for the 1.6L TDCi
Desirability An A star for the B-MAX in terms of practicality: it’s a winning
woman’s car in the family-friendly stakes.
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Labels: womens online driving magazine
posted by Ruthie @ 2:25 AM
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