ROAD TEST
Ford B-Max 1.0T Titanium
Johannesburg - B-Max might sound very similar to the name of a high-security prison, but in Ford’s case it denotes just the opposite: a liberation of sorts. With its sliding rear-passenger doors the B-Max, Ford believes, is the answer to many a family’s prayers.
Picture it: you’re manhandling a baby seat occupied by a grumpy toddler into the back of the car when you slightly lean against the open door and it swings out to bash a dent into the car parked alongside. Now you’ve got to scramble about for a pen and paper to leave a note with your contact details on the dented car (because you’re basically honest, of course) while your toddler’s grumpiness reaches seismic proportions and their double-barreled scream can be heard right across the parking lot.
Solution: sliding rear doors, like you find in kombis and minibuses, which don’t swing open and bash anything.
The B-Max’s front doors still open in the regular way, but by then the toddlers/shopping/pets will have been safely deposited into the back and you have two hands at your disposal to prevent a parking-lot mishap.
It’s a practical solution and it’s a curiosity that more cars don’t employ rear sliding doors. That said, they do take take a little more muscle effort to open than regular swing-open ones, particularly from the inside where the handles required a firmer squeeze than my adult passengers were entirely happy with.
The Ford B-Max is based on the Fiesta compact hatch and, apart from the sliding rear doors this little MPV, or multi-activity vehicle (MAV) as Ford calls it, is 108mm longer and 109mm higher than the hatch. This gives it enough interior space to seat four adults reasonably comfortably, or five at a push.
There’s also no B pillar, so with both doors open on one side there’s a gaping 1.5m-long maw to easily load baby seats or other bulky objects.
FAMILY-FOCUSED
The boot isn’t huge but it’s 28 litres bigger than a Fiesta’s, and with the back seats flipped flat via an easy one-handed mechanism there’s a pretty impressive 1386 litres of loading space in this compact little MPV (sorry MAV). The boot has a double floor with a storage nook to stash smaller items in so they don’t slide around. Handy, although it means there isn’t room for a full-sized spare wheel and the car makes do with a thin space-saver. Continuing the family-focused theme, there are cupholders galore inside the car, including no less than three for the rear seat.
The cabin’s otherwise all Fiesta, with its reasonably showy styling.
We tested the well-stacked Titanium version of the three available B-Max derivatives, which comes standard with leather seats that are easy to wipe clean of toddler hand prints.
Titanium spec also throws in cruise control, rain-sensing wipers, keyless ignition, front-parking sensors, and a climate-control system instead of regular aircon. A panoramic sunroof is included, but it comes with an annoyingly translucent screen for those times when sunlight isn’t wished for.
Onboard entertainment is provided by Sync, Ford’s voice-activated in-car connectivity system. It’s generally intuitive and easy to use, and you can play your phone’s music through the car speakers either by Bluetooth or by plugging into the USB or aux ports.
Safety’s well taken care of too with ABS brakes, stability control and tyre-pressure monitors, along with five airbags (including a driver’s knee airbag).
FEISTY PERFORMER
All versions of the B-Max are powered by Ford’s much-lauded one-litre Ecoboost turbopetrol engine and it’s offered in two power options: the entry-level B-Max Ambiente gets a down-tuned 74kW and 170Nm while the more expensive Trend and Titanium get the full 92kW and 170Nm outputs.
As with other Fords we’ve tested with the same Ecoboost engine, we enjoyed the punch-above-its-weight performance and its charismatic three-cylinder sound. It’s a small but feisty little performer that’s equally happy in the urban sprawl and on the open road, and the easy-shifting five-speed manual gearbox ensures it’s no chore to drive in busy stop-start traffic.
The economy’s another matter and, as with other Ecoboost-engined Fords we’ve tested, the B-Max’s fuel consumption was disappointingly high at 7.8 litres per 100km - nowhere near the factory’s highly optimistic 4.9 litre claim, even in a mixture of town and freeway at normal mommy-driving-with-toddler speeds.
The B-Max corners cleanly and has a light-footed feel due to its power steering, while its large windows give it great visibility. Hill launch assist completes the user-friendly driving picture. With its short wheelbase the ride quality’s a little choppy over bumps, but it’s comfortable enough in most driving situations.
The B-Max is sold with a four-year or 120 000km warranty, four-year or 60 000km Service Plan and three-year/unlimited distance Roadside Assistance.
VERDICT
Is a Fiesta morphed into a MAV the answer to a young family’s prayers? Quite possibly. The sliding doors make sense for loading baby seats in tight parking spaces, and the enlarged cabin does make the car a practical four-seater even for four adults.
The practicality comes with reasonable affordability at a starting pricetag of R221 900 for the entry-level B-Max Ambiente model, and if the budget stretches to R271 900 the B-Max Titanium adds plenty of extra creature comforts to the motoring mix. - Star Motoring
FACTS
Ford B-Max 1.0T Titanium
Engine: 1-litre, 3-cylinder turbopetrol
Gearbox: 5-speed manual
Power: 92kW @ 6000rpm
Torque: 170Nm @ 1400-4500rpm
0-100km/h (claimed): 11.2 seconds
Top speed (claimed): 189km/h
Consumption (tested): 7.8 litres per 100km
Price: R271 900