Ford B-Max: Why it should come to India

The Ford Figo’s success would have taught the American car maker that small is the way to go in India. The Figo’s compact design offering oodles of space and frugal engines makes for a compelling package. And the same holds true of the Ford B-Max – a mini-minvan which has been showcased at the ongoing Geneva Motor Show.

Based on the Fiesta platform, the B-Max’s practical design makes it a promising product in the Indian context as well. It’s compact but has a deceptively large cabin that’s good enough to carry five people in comfort. Among the B-Max’s most ingenious features is the rear sliding doors that enhances ease of access tremendously. Add to this a host of functions like the 60:40 rear split seats, SYNC technology, special safety locks and latch mechanisms to cocoon around the passenger in the event of an impact.

It’s also equipped with the revolutionary 1-litre EcoBoost engine with 120PS on tap in the petrol model and 75PS in the diesel specs. In European markets, the B-Max will be available in a Powershift automatic trim version as well.

The car does inch over the 4m mark, but if built in India, Ford can surely find a way to chop off the extra flab to enjoy excise duty advantages.