Turns out Americans won’t be getting another crack at a Euro-style mini minivan. Ford has officially canceled plans for its seven-passenger C-Max for the United States. Fans of small-in-stature MPVs may still be able to find what they are looking for in the Mazda5, but definitely not in Ford dealerships.
The retraction of the seven-seater means the U.S. market will be left with the C-Max Hybrid and C-Max Energi electric vehicle. These vehicles eschew the minivan-spec sliding side doors in favor of four regularly hinged portals and a rear hatchback. The Hybrid is expected to boast better than 41 miles per gallon on the highway, while the plug-in Energi promises to boast 500 miles of driving range from its battery and gasoline engine combined, along with better fuel efficiency than the Chevrolet Volt. We look forward to verifying those claims.
Ford is keen to point out that the C-Max Hybrid and C-Max Energi (yep, spelled with an ‘i’) models will be built alongside its 2012 Ford Focus and Focus Electric at the Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, Mich. Why is that important? Assuming all goes to plan, Wayne will be the first plant in the world to produce gasoline-powered vehicles, full-electric vehicles, hybrid and plug-in hybrids under the same roof.
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