2012 Ford Focus C-MAX Features

The 2012 Ford Focus C-MAX will feature a sliding door on each side. The European Ford Grand C-MAX is pictured here.

The North American 2012 Ford Focus C-MAX will be a tall-body compact wagon like the Mazda 5 and Kia Rondo, with two sliding side doors, three rows of seating, and room for seven passengers. Styling picks up various cues from the "kinetic design" Fiesta, such as a prominent two-tier grille, a tapered hoodline, trapezoidal headlamps, muscular wheel-arch bulges, creased lower-body lines, and postmodern "geometric" tail lamps.

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As a Focus spin-off, the 2012 Ford Focus C-MAX should rely on a front-wheel-drive/4-cylinder powerteam, but we don't rule out an all-wheel-drive option at some point. The same goes for a gas/electric drive similar to the current Escape Hybrid system. The European C-MAX (5 passenger) and Grand C-MAX (7 passenger) models list gasoline and diesel engines on the spec sheets, including a turbocharged EcoBoost 4-cylinder engine. We don't see the "oil burners" coming here immediately, but we won't be surprised if the EcoBoost 2.0-liter 4-cylinder mill makes an appearance. A 6-speed automatic is likely, too, though a 6-speed manual may be standard. The suspension will be four-wheel independent, with components borrowed or adapted from the next-generation Focus.

Euro-market small cars don't skimp on features, and neither should the U.S.-built 2012 Ford Focus C-MAX. Current models already boast standard ABS, antiskid system and traction control, front side airbags, curtain side airbags that cover all seating rows, and top-level European crash-test ratings. All should apply to the American version. So, too, a flexible middle-row bench seat with three sections that can be tipped, tumbled, or removed in many combinations, including a middle part that can be stowed under one of the outer sections for 2+2+2 seating.

Look for at least three trim levels, an available Sport Package with handling and cosmetic upgrades, and perhaps a luxury package of some sort with leather upholstery, upscale trim, and non-essential niceties like "ambient" interior lighting. Other options should include a full-length sunroof with solar-control glass, automatic climate control, navigation and rear entertainment systems, cell phone and iPod connections with Ford's Sync voice control, and steering-linked headlamps with bi-xenon bulbs available separately. Look for standard 16-inch wheels on lower-priced models, 17s on uplevel versions, and 18s as a likely option for most.

With minivan sales plunging along with big-truck demand, the 2012 Ford Focus C-MAX is nothing if not timely, promising the same flexible practicality in a smaller, handier, more fuel-efficient package. Will it be a hit? Could be. With the way things are going, anything is possible.

A Notable Feature of the 2012 Ford Focus C-MAX

Many cars help occupants breathe easier with ventilation air filters, but Ford is going a step further, at least in Europe, with "allergy-friendly interiors." According to a company press release, this effort, which actually began back in 2005, involves reducing airborne concentrations of organic substances associated with commonly used plastics and chemical treatments. Examples include formaldehyde, phenols, phthalates, and solvents. The European Focus and C-MAX were the first Fords to receive an allergy-tested seal of approval from Germany's TUV Rhineland Group, an independent testing and assessment organization. Ford hasn't talked about this much over here, but we hope it extends this program to all its U.S. vehicles in light of the rising incidence of asthma and other respiratory diseases.