- Brian Byrne
New Focus C-MAX here in November
29 July 2003: The new Focus C-MAX compact MPV will be on sale in Ireland in November, putting up a new and important competition to Opel's Zafira and Renault's Scenic - which have had the bulk of the market to themselves - and newcomer VW Touran.
The C-MAX will come to Ireland with a full range of engine options, 1.6-litre petrol and turbodiesel, 1.8-litre petrol and 2-litre turbodiesel. That last will have a 6-speed manual gearbox, while an automatic option will be available with the 1.8-litre petrol car.
The power outputs will range from 100 ps from the 1.6-litre petrol to 135 ps from the 2-litre turbodiesel, which has been produced as part of a joint venture development with PSA Peugeot-Citroen.
Ford Ireland's Eddie Murphy said the diesel penetration in this segment is only 5 per cent in Ireland, and he believes it also can be grown significantly. He hinted that the 1.6-litre diesel might be specially priced to help increase the diesel sales proportion.
No prices have yet been set for the C-MAX in Ireland - Eddie Murphy said last night that 'we want to see the colour of Renault's money for the Scenic II', which suggests that Ford in Ireland intends to be price-competitive in its assault on the sub-segment - but the car will come in a specification that includes ABS and six airbags as standard.
There will be three specification levels - LX, Zetec and Ghia. Ford Ireland people expect that the 1.6-litre petrol in Zetec specification will be the biggest selling version.
The Focus C-MAX is the first model on the next-generation Focus platform which will also underpin the Mazda3 and the replacement of the Volvo 40 series.
Eddie Murphy said last night in Austria that he expects to sell 1,200 copies of the C-MAX through 2004, and that the car will grow the existing market for what Ford calls the 'modern family vehicle' (MFV) in the C segment.
The share of market in Ireland for this segment is around 4 per cent, while in Europe it is twice that, so there is significant room for growth.
And Eddie Murphy noted that the Ford brand was one of a 'very few' in Europe which increased its overall market share over the last three years.
The dominant Opel and Renault offerings hold 67 per cent of the compact MPV segment in Ireland, regularly vying with each other for top spot.
A brief drive yesterday in the 2-litre diesel version of the C-MAX showed that the new car is a real contender in the sub-segment.
©2003 irishcar.com