Car review – A Grand idea
Wednesday, August 24th, 2011
Information Officers Jim Rawlings and Marta Bartosiewicz road test the seven-seat Grand C-Max.
The Ford C-Max is a popular vehicle with Disabled Motoring UK members. However, Ford expect the Grand C-Max will soon become the most popular car on the C-Max range and expect it to take up to 60 per cent of sales. The Grand version is 140mm longer and is 58mm higher than the C-Max giving it a total length of 4.52 metres and with two extra seats it certainly qualifies it for the title Grand within the C-Max range.Access
Must users of vehicles with sliding rear doors find them a useful addition (the few owners of the Peugeot 1007 might be excused from this view), but the rear sliding doors were simple to operate and allowed easy access to the rear seats. They are always useful in tight parking situations or for loading children, shopping or equipment.
The Grand C-Max is a seven seater as opposed to the five seats of the C-Max. An ingenious 2+3+2 (children only) seating configuration has been devised. The rear seats split 40/20/40, the centre portion lifts up allowing the two outer seats to slide backwards and forwards. The centre seat, which is quite narrow, also folds down to create a walk-through to a third row of seats where space is limited and is really only suitable for children or agile small adults. With the third row of seats in place luggage space is limited to a capacity of only 92 litres, in practical terms just a soft bag or briefcase. All the rear seats fold flat creating an easy to load boot floor of 1742 litres. Space in the front was generous with a good height.
Interior
The vehicle offers a high driving position and excellent forward vision. Overall the interior has a refined feel and the dashboard, which was reminiscent of the Fiesta, was well laid out and constructed from good quality plastic. Build quality was good and we could not detect any annoying squeaks or rattles. The dials are backlit in blue which is attractive and relaxing and the controls fall easily to hand although a current owner has remarked that he finds the stereo controls difficult. Your environment within the vehicle is maintained by a digital climate control system.
Two trims are available-the Zetec and Titanium which simplifies the choice for the purchaser. The Zetec standard equipment includes alloys, air-con, DAB radio and rear parking sensors and, as a safety feature a tyre pressure monitoring system. The Titanium seems to have auto everything including front wipers, headlamps, climate control, dimming rear-view mirror and hill launch assist.
The model we tested included the Zetec family pack with power tailgate and rear sun blinds, both useful additions in specific circumstances. The pack is priced at £425. Our model also sported a £275 appearance pack which includes roof rails and privacy glass. Built in Sat Nav is a £750 option.
On the road
On this occasion Marta did the driving as we could not source a demonstration model with Powershift (dual clutch) auto transmission which is only available on the 2.0 TDCi model. Our vehicle was powered by the 1.6TDCi diesel. In my experience driving anything with the blue oval is enjoyable and Marta confirmed this, stating that it felt like driving a much a smaller vehicle, which added to the driver enjoyment. We adopted our usual route incorporating all road types and conditions. For a large car it provides agile handling and the steering proved light in tight manoeuvres and parking. During my period as a rear seat passenger I felt little body roll and the car overall delivered a smooth ride. I felt relaxed in the comfortable seats. The gear changes from the six speed gearbox were precise and an audible signal is provided at the optimum time to change gear. Very little road or wind noise was audible. Being aimed at the family market, this might be a different story if your passengers in this seven seater comprised a number of children, but then the noise would likely emanate from a human source! The engine was smooth and the performance adequate. A top speed of 108mph with a 0-60mph time of 13.5seconds is quoted for this model. There is a wide choice of engines both petrol and diesel, and care should be taken to select the right configuration of engine and trim level for your personal needs and circumstances. The car has a maximum five star Euro NCAP safety rating.
Verdict:
For: An enjoyable vehicle to drive with a fine ride. Running costs should be reasonable. It is well equipped. The seating arrangement is good and it is an ideal family car with its seven seats.
Against: Some other vehicles may offer more room or load space. You would need to check out the competition with regard to your personal circumstances for example if your intention is to carry passengers or large mobility aids.
Information
Model tested: C-Max Grand Zetec 1.6TDCi 7 seater 5 door
Available on the Motability Scheme: Yes
Advance payment: £495
Tax band: D. 129g/km
Emissions: 129g/km
Dimensions: Length: 4520mm
Width: 2067mm
Height: 1684mm
Fuel consumption (combined): 57mpg
Thank you to Motability specialist Lorraine Morris at main Ford Dealers Busseys for the loan of the vehicle.
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- Member Review – Vaneo About Town
- Car review – Vauxhall Zafira
- Member Review – The Jenny-Wiz powerchair
- Member review: Nissan Note Tekna 1.6
- Car review – Toyota Yaris
This article first appeared in the issue of Disabled Motoring. This monthly magazine goes out free to members of Disabled Motoring UK, the charity for disabled drivers, passengers and Blue Badge holders.
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Tags: c-max, car review