Ford is currently busy face-lifting what seems like its whole range with a new corporate 'face', and following the S-Max and Focus models, now the C-Max and Grand C-Max are getting the treatment.
Exterior
The most striking feature is the inverted trapezoid front grille, used to such good effect on the Focus recently. A corollary of that means the headlights have become sleeker, while wider fog lamps enhance the C-Max's appearance further. The washer jets have been hidden ahead of the windscreen to keep the restyled bonnet de-cluttered, while the boot has a smoother, one-piece look thanks to the use of the 'latest laser-brazing technique'. Small taillight clusters complete the revisions, while two new colours are on offer - Red Rush, seen on the C-Max in the images here, and the brown-grey Caribou, which adorns the larger Grand C-Max in the pictures.
Interior
Ford has done so much inside and underneath to the C-Max twins that it is calling them the third-generation cars, although we're going to stick with 'second-gen facelift' for now. However, the lengths the company has gone to in order to improve the two MPVs are pretty extraordinary. First of all, and once again taking its lead from the refreshed Focus, the interior layout has been simplified, removing controls and switches for a cleaner look. The air conditioning buttons have been revised and the centre storage console has more space - important for those trying to look after unruly children in the rear seats. In fact, there's more storage all over the place, plus a new USB connection point in the upper dash for integrating and charging mobile devices.
There are other visual improvements, such as higher quality trims, door-sill scuff plates and load-net fitting points on the backs of the first two rows of seats, plus comforts like a heated steering wheel on the options list, but a lot of the upgrades are the things you can't see. Like thicker side glass and more absorbent seals around the tailgate and rear-view mirror, plus extra acoustic damping in the engine bay heat shield - all of which are designed to reduce the noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) levels of the car. The diesels get extra acoustic seals to further hush things up.
The C-Max family is also loaded with technology, such as Active Park Assist with perpendicular parking function and Park-out Assist (which helps you when leaving a parking space, not entering it), cross-traffic alert, an enhanced version of Ford's Active City Stop collision avoidance system, active braking between 8- and 180km/h, adaptive cruise control, the second generation of Ford's SYNC connectivity system with an eight-inch colour touchscreen and voice control, and also the option to fit a premium sound system with ten Sony speakers, plus a subwoofer for quality bass levels.
Mechanicals
Thanks to standard-fit start-stop on EcoBoost and 2.0 TDCi engines, C-Max and Grand C-Max offer improved CO2 emissions figures - anything up to 20 per cent better than before, model dependent. Again on the NVH front, the dual-mass flywheel has been retuned and paired with new engine mounts to keep the car smoother during heavy engine loads and start-stop operation. Even the alloy wheels have been designed to 'reduce resonant vibrations', which is attention to detail of the highest, geeky order.
The excellent 100- and 125hp versions of the 1.0-litre, three-cylinder EcoBoost petrol engine continue service, but new to the line-up is the company's 1.5-litre TDCi diesel, here making 120hp. This engine is six per cent better on CO2 than the 1.6 it replaces, despite making 5hp more. LED daytime running lights, bi-Xenon headlamps and adaptive front lighting all ensure the C-Max can comfortably show you the road ahead in poor lighting conditions, while the MyKey function allows you to programme certain parameters (top speed, maximum audio volume, whether you can turn off traction control etc.) to a specific key for those times the teenagers want to 'borrow the car'.
Anything else?
The five-seat Ford C-Max and seven-seat Grand C-Max - the latter still with its twin sliding doors and 'walk-through' seat design - go on sale across Europe in early 2015. Ford has sold more than 1.2 million C-Maxes since it was introduced in 2003.