Ford’s B-MAX compact people mover won’t be coming to Australia, but will be the centre of much attention when it debuts at the Geneva Motor Show next month.
The reason is the unique door-opening system which affords an uninhibited 1.5-metre access to then interior – about double that of some rival vehicles.
Of course that means much easier access for children, the elderly and for loading cargo.
To do so while still providing world-class impact protection is the accolade now being enjoyed by the Ford B-MAX styling and engineering teams.
“We set ourselves the challenge of re-imagining the small car,” explained Ford Europe style director Stefan Lamm. “People are struggling with the spatial challenges of city driving and we wanted to find a new solution.”
“Door systems like this have been a designer’s dream for many years. We have taken the concept from an idea on a designer’s sketch pad, to a stylish and versatile product on the showroom floor,” he added.
And that’s when Ford engineers stepped up to the plate – shifting high-strength body structure from the pillars and relocating its directly into the doors to create a long, stiff, safe structure without adding weight. To ensure side impact safety, Ford conducted more than 1,000 detailed computer impact simulations – each taking more than 24-hours to complete - and backed these up with a further 50 actual side impact crashes (local ANCAP barrier testing is one single test).
Inside, all seats in the all-new Ford B0-MAX can fold flat to create space for cargo more than 2.3-metres in length.
