Official: Ford cancels seven-passenger C-Max for U.S., focuses solely on Hybrid and Energi models

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.

If you'd like, you're free to peruse the official press release after the break, which is not surprisingly focused much more on the two promised green-mobile five-seaters than on the death of the seven-seater. Now, if you'll excuse us for a moment, we're going to don our solid-black Sunday Bests and mourn the passing of Ford's planned seven-seater. Poor thing never even had a chance...

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/06/09/f...ca-focuses-so/

 

I don't understand Ford's marketing here (but, with auto marketers, they often don't make sense) Even if the company keeps the electric and hybrid versions, the traditional gas version would have been an excellent, lower-cost addition to its line-up, and would also have been an excellent competitor to the Mazda5.

 

^^ yeah I don't understand, bad decision I think. If anything they should have offered it initially and seen how sales were, then decided whether to keep it or not

 

I think Ford decided that there isn't a sufficient market for a small 7-seat vehicle. I tend to agree with them. I'll be interested in seeing the 5-seat hybrid, though.

 

What is so hard to understand here? Time and time again, cars like these (wagons, and hatchbacks) are generally slow sellers or failures here in the U.S. The numbers don't lie and history is very clear here. The Mazda 5 was a total flop and the new one is also. Why would Ford want to follow along the same recipe? This was a smart move to drop it.

 

they didnt drop the C-Max, they dropped 7 seat version only... you are still getting 5 seater petrol, 5 seater hybrid and 5 seater PHEV.

 

My understanding is that in the US, Ford will only produce a 5 seat hybrid and 5 seat PHEV, but no gasser - a first for Ford.

 

they should have just included the 7 seater as an option. Is the mazda5 5 or 7?

 

The Mazda 5 seats 6 in 3 rows. What's on second.

 

The Mazda5 in Canada and the USA seats 6 = 2 + 2 + 2. In the rest of the world, it seats 7 = 2 + 3 + 2, with a 2nd-row middle seat that folds away into one of the seats beside it.

I would seriously consider looking at the Mazda5 as the family wagon if it did seat 3 in the 2nd-row. I consider the 3rd-row as occasional use only but with it down (and stuff in then-enlarged cargo area), I would be left with only a 4-seater when a 5-seater would be so much more practical.

I found this interesting tidbit on Wikipedia, which I had never seen or heard about before:

This is probably the same reason why Toyota will not offer a 7-seater Prius v wagon in North America.

 

Unless I misread the article, it didn't say that we were getting a 5-seat gas version, just the full-electric and hybrid 5-seat models. However, it does make reference to the C-Max plant being the only one to build all three versions under one roof.

But it doesn't mention a 5-seater gas version to be sold in America:

 

yeah... they probably decided it would be too expensive compared to other NA vehicles so chose to sell only hybrid versions because they command price premium.

 

we're too fat for small 7 seaters...

 

An article in Automotive News stated that Ford decided to kill the 7-passenger version late in the product cycle because the anticipated price point would be a bit under $25K - about the same as a base Dodge Caravan. They figured it would be a tough sell.

 

i wonder how much the hybrid will be then.