Ford started promoting the Escape Hybrid in the US 4 years after the introduction of the Toyota Prius right here, with manufacturing persevering with by 2012. To switch it, a Focus-derived MPV that had confirmed itself in Europe was given a gasoline-electric hybrid powertrain and launched as a 2013 mannequin for North America. This was the C-Max Hybrid, and I’ve discovered a type of first-year automobiles in a Wyoming self-service automotive graveyard.
The C-Max was the primary American-market Ford mannequin that was accessible solely as a hybrid, and gross sales continued by 2018 (after which it was canceled on account of being insufficiently truck-like).
The thought was that it will compete for gross sales towards the Toyota Prius, with its comparable price ticket and gas economic system specs.
Just like the Prius, the C-Max had an Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder gasoline engine offering the internal-combustion energy. Complete output with the 88kW electrical motor was 188 horsepower, which beat the Prius and its 134 whole horses. There was a plug-in hybrid model known as the C-Max Energi as effectively.
And the 2013 C-Max’s official EPA gas economic system score, whereas not fairly reaching Prius ranges, was glorious: 47 mpg metropolis, 47 mpg freeway, 47 mpg mixed.
Sadly for Ford, American C-Max reviewers and consumers shortly discovered that their real-world gas economic system was decrease than these numbers. A lot decrease. Litigiously decrease, in actual fact.
By the summer season of 2013, the EPA had backpedaled on its C-Max mileage scores, dropping them to 45 metropolis/40 freeway/43 mixed. Ford despatched rebate checks to all 32,000 consumers and lessees of 2013 C-Maxes in the US. None of this appeared to harm C-Max gross sales an excessive amount of on the time… at first; gross sales of the 2014 C-Max plummeted a bit later.
The “tall hatchback” MPV physique type proved extraordinarily widespread with European automotive buyers through the 2000s and deep into the 2010s, and I documented fairly a couple of of these automobiles throughout my whirlwind tour of English scrapyards final winter. American automotive buyers weren’t fairly as passionate about one of these car, as may be seen by the chilly reception for the C-Max’s platform cousin, the Mazda5.
No less than the C-Max Hybrid offered higher than the Altima Hybrid and Jetta Hybrid.
Prepare for the Hybrid Video games!
All these Prius V-beating gas economic system claims went out the window quickly sufficient.
C-Max says, “Ha!” C-Max says, “Wheee!” Which is what you get, do not you see?
