According to the British weekly car magazine Auto Express, Ford is currently working on a small MPV based on the B platform. The B platform already used by the new Mazda Demio will also be used for the next generation Fiesta.
Despite ambivalent sales from competitors on the small MPV segment, Ford thinks it could surf on the success met by the S-Max. Ford struggles to satisfy the demand for the latter.
Renault Modus’ failure should serve as a lesson for Ford: the MPV will have to be roomy enough to justify the higher price. As the next Fiesta will be probably 154” long, the B-Max will have to be longer. But Ford has to be careful. Too long, and the future B-Max could threaten the C-Max. Ford must also be careful not to design merely a reduced version of the S-Max. Though the S-Max may have enough sex appeal today, the situation will be different in two years.
Bearing all this in mind, the B-Max appears to be a difficult exercise for Ford. Perhaps it would be better not to build a small MPV after all.
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