Ford Will Have Doubled its 40 mpg Offerings by Years End

[xcel]

The 40 +_mpg city, highway or both rated 2013 C-MAX_HEV and_PHEV, Fusion_HEV and_PHEV, Focus Electric, Focus SFE and Fiesta SFE are just the start.

Wayne Gerdes - CleanMPG - July 1, 2012

2013 Ford C-MAX – Just like the 2013 Fusion Hybrid, the HEV is expected to be rated at 47 mpg in the city.

Ford will soon be able to boast that it has the freshest new vehicle lineup of any full-line automaker in the U.S. In addition it will be offering eight vehicles that deliver 40 mpg or better by year-end – double the number that it currently offers and that it is also tripling its electrified vehicle production capacity by 2013.

In addition, Ford’s EcoBoost powertrains from 1.6L to 3.5L are now a mainstay in Ford’s Escape, Explorer, Edge, F-150, Flex, Focus ST, Fusion and Taurus.

Cost savings with minimal platforms

In 2011, Ford said it has 22 distinct vehicle platforms in use around the world. By 2017, it expects to have reduced that number to 10 with 80% of its entire global output based on just five platforms.

Fuel Economy is only one attribute of Ford’s future with advanced technology and innovation set to bring us future Ford products we can only begin to dream of.

[Carcus]

The 2012 1.6l base Fiesta MSRP is $13,200.

If Ford can put the 3 cyl 1.0t in for a base of $14,000-ish AND get an EPA combined 40 mpg ........I'd call that fresh.

[Ophbalance]

Why... why oh WHY won't they bring over the 7 seater?? My family car cannot be anything that fits less than that, and no one is willing to put one out in the states that's not a giant SUV/Hybrid combo.

[xcel]

Ophbalance:

Because 7 will not fit in the Euro 7-seater. It is meant for little children and even that is a stretch.

Wayne

[PaleMelanesian]

I'm pretty sure some of his seven ARE little children.

[AshenGrey]

I would love to see a Focus or Fiesta in hybrid flavor. Both theoretical vehicles could easily get above 40 MPG. A Fiesta hybrid would probably be in the Insight/Prius-C range.

[WriConsult]

I think US rear crash test standards are what keep 3-row editions of the C-MAX and Prius V off the US market.

That, and/or Americans are bigger than other people. Oh, and so are the kid seats: US "convertible" child seats (the ones that can switch from rear-facing for up to 1 year, then switched to face forward afterwards) are freakin' enormous, and in infant mode they require a ton of fore-aft space. So unfortunately small children don't necessarily require less space than bigger kids or adults.

[PaleMelanesian]

My experience is that child seats mostly require more lateral space, especially once they're front-facing. I have no problem fitting any two of my children in my Civic, but unless the third seat is only 10 inches wide, three won't fit.

How does the Mazda5 get away with 3 rows, when it's just a hair smaller than the V?

	Mazda5	Prius V
wheelbase	108.3	109.4
length	180.5	181.7
height	63.6	62
width	68.9	69.9

Also, wasn't it Toyota who patented the rear window airbag for the iQ? They could do a 3-row if they wanted, and they actually do, just not here.

Besides all that, what Oph is really asking for is for "somebody, anybody, please consider this segment and give us something efficient". Please?

[CRT1]

I saw a Mazda 5 yesterday in a parking lot and it seems very tall. To my eye it seems more than 1.3" taller than the V, but that might be an illusion. Seating position was very upright.

[PaleMelanesian]

All of that being said, I recently drove a Mazda5 for a few days. It was a great car from the front seat. It drives much like it's little brother the 3.

The two rows behind were in fact snug. The cargo space in the far back was tiny and nearly useless. It's off my list of potential family vehicles. A wide 5-seater wagon would be a better option. Wide for the above-mentioned child safety seats.