Ford C-Max set to best the MPG of Prius v

[JusBringIt]

Ford C-Max touted to get better gas mileage than its Toyota rival, the Prius V

Ricardo Bowlin - CleanMPG - May 17, 2012

C-MAX - More FE than the Prius v.

Ford dealers are starting to place orders for America’s most affordable and soon to be fuel-efficient hybrid utility vehicle – the 2013 For C-MAX Hybrid – with innovative technologies such as a hands-free liftgate, spaciousness for five passengers and cargo as well as the fun-to-drive character shared with well-handling cars including Ford Focus.

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.

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.

Room

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

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.

QC

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.

The C-MAX Hybrid is being produced at Ford’s Wayne, Mich.-based Michigan Assembly Plant alongside Focus, Focus Electric and Focus ST.

[PaleMelanesian]

The V has surprisingly low mileage compared to its slightly smaller brother. I wonder if there's some extra they could tweak out of it to boost that.

Even if the Ford beats it, it won't be by much. Either way, we the customers win in a big way. Maybe Mazda will hurry and bring the Mazda5 Skyactiv to compete with not as good mileage but a much lower price. Competition is great!

[RichXKU]

I think the 'v' was a gimmie for Toyota. Just put an existing drivetrain into a new body that fills a segment gap, then make money. But just as the 1.8 in the regular liftback did better than the undersized 1.5 of the previous gen, that same 1.8 in the 'v' has a hard time getting into the groove of perfect timing and fuel delivery as long or as frequently with the v's weight and aero.

I think the C-Max will arrive with the 2.5 from the Fusion Hybrid or a minimum 2.0, much better tuned I would hope, as the current fusion hybrid does worse than the larger 'v'

[herm]

Toyota could add direct fuel injection and increase the compression ratio further.. not too sure how I feel about the extra complexity and headaches.

Very impressive about the C-Max minivan, do we know the interior dimensions yet?

[waltermlee]

Some competition will hopefully give the consumer some leverage at the dealerships.

[JusBringIt]

Originally Posted by RichXKU

I think the 'v' was a gimmie for Toyota. Just put an existing drivetrain into a new body that fills a segment gap, then make money. But just as the 1.8 in the regular liftback did better than the undersized 1.5 of the previous gen, that same 1.8 in the 'v' has a hard time getting into the groove of perfect timing and fuel delivery as long or as frequently with the v's weight and aero.

I think the C-Max will arrive with the 2.5 from the Fusion Hybrid or a minimum 2.0, much better tuned I would hope, as the current fusion hybrid does worse than the larger 'v'

The coming Fusion though (which in reality is the one that really matters) is rated a very nice 47/44 city/hwy. They are dropping only a small amount for the C-max. based on a smaller vehicle.

[RichXKU]

Thanks, the new Fusion numbers aren't posted yet.

[Earthling]

Originally Posted by RichXKU

But just as the 1.8 in the regular liftback did better than the undersized 1.5 of the previous gen,

I'm skeptical: do the later Prius actually get better mileage than the 1.5 liter versions? I haven't seen anything to that effect, as far as real-world driving. Just sayin'.

Harry

[PaleMelanesian]

Too bad we don't get the Grand C-Max with 3 rows.

[WriConsult]

Wow, this is gonna be exciting. Still, to beat the Prius V the C-Max is going to have to get only barely lower mpg than the Fusion hybrid. It's going to be quite a feat for Ford to pull this off, but I'm withholding judgment until that actual EPA numbers are in. Even if it does beat the V, I doubt it would be by more than 0.1 gal/100mi.

And regardless of whether or not the C-Max bests the V, I'm sure its numbers will be quite impressive, and having a second high-mpg hybrid family hauler in the market is going to be HUGE.

Originally Posted by Earthling

I'm skeptical: do the later Prius actually get better mileage than the 1.5 liter versions? I haven't seen anything to that effect, as far as real-world driving. Just sayin'.

Harry

What I was told here by cleanmpg folks a couple years ago, when I was looking at and test driving Priuses, was that in the hands of a skilled driver the gen2 version could do better, despite slightly lower EPA ratings and a more limited EV mode. And I found that to be exactly the case in my own driving.