The Fiesta-based B-Max will debut in 2012 and compete with the Opel Meriva compact van.
Ford has developed a compact minivan in B-segment called the B-Max, to replace the aging Fusion model in Europe. (Not to be confused the Fusion sedan Ford sells in North America.
The Fiesta platform will be the basis for the B-Max, which is expected to debut at the Geneva Auto Show in March 2011. The 5-seater vehicle will have rear sliding doors and be available in five sizes. It will be produced at Ford’s Craiova plant, Romania in late next year and launched sometime in 2012. The plan is to produce 150,000 units per year, which is significantly more than the Fusion’s highest sales year of 82,000 units in 2007.
Ford has no plans to sell the B-Max in North America.
The B-Max will look very similar to the Iosis-Max Concept. It debuted in Geneva 2009 but stays true to the Ford of Europe paradigm. The front fascia clues are taken from the Fiesta, and the body looks like a smaller version of the C-Max, Grand C-Max, and S-Max vans, which have all been extremely successful Ford models.
Opel Meriva, currently the market leader in this segment, will be the main competitor for the new B-Max. For more than six years, the Meriva has been Europe’s best-selling minivan.