Ford Motor Company C-Max

By: Bill Waters
09/18/2009 11:53 AM ET

Ford Motor Company recently made a few announcements about new things that the company will be introducing. First, Ford is revealing its new C-MAX range, a move that marks the launch of a new generation of global C-cars. This will include the next-generation Ford Focus set to debut at the North American International Auto Show in January.

The 7-passenger model of the C-MAX will be available in North America in late 2011. In North America, the “whitespace” vehicle will be one of 10 unique models the company will create from an all-new global C-car platform developed under its One Ford strategy. The booted variant is designed specifically for North-American market, coming to use between 2010 and 2012, and thus gradually replacing the current Focus generation.

The engine will be a 1.6L Ford EcoBoost engine. The C-Max production will be moved to Valencia, Spain, to allow lower production costs. In the United Kingdom, the car is available in Studio, Style, Zetec and Titanium trim levels.

Next, Ford announced their high-performance, fuel-saving four-cylinder EcoBoost engine family. It is making its global debut early in 2010, marking a major milestone in the company’s strategy to deliver fuel efficient cars. Ford EcoBoost engines have the power of a V8 while providing greater fuel economy.

The new EcoBoost 1.6-liter and 2.0-liter I-4 engines combine turbo charging and direct-injection technology to deliver fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. This is reduced by up to 20 percent versus conventional, larger-displacement gasoline engines with similar power output. Ford Hybrid Cars are already achieving excellent MPG ratings. However, these new EcoBoost engines use gasoline turbo charged direct-injection technology.

Within three years, Ford expects to deliver 750,000 EcoBoost-equipped vehicles per year in North America and 1.3 million vehicles globally. The 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 engine delivers 355 horsepower and a responsive 350 ft.-lb. of torque across a broad RPM range. It is the latest innovation by the Ford Motor Company.