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No Prius Killer

2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid

As much as we enthusiasts like to rail on the lowly Toyota Prius as the harbinger of death for all we hold dear, there's no denying the machine's absolute and interminable grip on the hybrid market in the United States. Toyota has so thoroughly sunk its teeth into the segment that you can clearly hear the automaker's incisors clacking against one another with the conclusion of each financial quarter. And there's little wonder why. Buyers can plop down less than $25,000 and have a runabout that can return up to an estimated 51 miles per gallon in the city, leaving every other entry on the market with precious little gristle to gnaw on.

Enter the 2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid. With its claimed 47 mpg combined, the funky little hatch from Europe already falls behind the 48 mpg city offered by the Prius, but that marginal sacrifice in fuel economy could be a small price to pay for buyers who want a credible alternative to the stalwart Toyota. Unfortunately, like the Fusion Hybrid, the C-Max Hybrid had trouble even approaching its Environmental Protection Agency estimates during our time with the car.

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2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 02 May 2013 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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No One Ever Said Dethroning A Prius Would Be Easy

2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid

It's generally not polite to start a story about a new Ford by referencing a very popular Toyota, but we're going to make an exception this time.

With fuel prices continuing to creep upwards, sales of advanced-powertrain vehicles are booming (in May of this year alone, nearly 46,000 units left showrooms). While some vehicles, like the Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf, soldier forth with modest sales from month-to-month, Toyota's Prius family of vehicles (the standard Prius, smaller Prius C, larger Prius V and Prius Plug-In Hybrid) consistently leads the sales race. Understandably, that places a big red target on their backs.

Aiming its scope, and bracketing wisely, Ford is introducing a slew of new advance-powertrain models over the next year. These include full hybrid, plug-in hybrid and all-electric vehicles. One of the first to arrive is the all-new C-Max Hybrid, which has the Prius V aligned in its crosshairs, and not a single person carrying a Blue Oval business card is keeping it a secret.

To determine whether or not the new Ford has the right stuff to challenge the Prius V, we put one through its paces in Southern California last week.

Continue reading 2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid [w/video]

2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 27 Aug 2012 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2013 c-max2013 ford2013 ford c-max hybrid2013 hybridc-maxc-max hybridfeaturedfirst driveFirstDrivefordford c-maxford c-max hybridford hybridMon, 27 Aug 2012 11:57:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/20309240/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2012/08/27/2013-ford-c-max-hybrid-first-drive-review-video/20309240/article-detail.xml 20309240 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/08/2013-ford-c-max-hybrid-fd_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2012/08/2013-ford-c-max-hybrid-fd.jpg <![CDATA[Bill Ford editorial sings praises of electric car, information technology]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2011/05/19/bill-ford-editorial-sings-praises-of-electric-car-information-t/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/05/19/bill-ford-editorial-sings-praises-of-electric-car-information-t/http://www.autoblog.com/2011/05/19/bill-ford-editorial-sings-praises-of-electric-car-information-t/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Bill Ford
As for why Bill Ford is such a technology booster, he himself points at the price of oil.
Ford Motor Company may be one of the world's oldest automakers, but that doesn't mean it's stuck in the past. William Clay Ford Jr., 54-year-old Executive Chairman of the Ford Board of Directors and great grandson of company founder Henry Ford, has penned a forward-looking editorial for Fortune that shows there's innovative ideas at Ford from the top down. "For the first time in more than a century, some of the most fundamental and enduring elements of the automobile are being radically transformed," says Ford, who then goes on to tout the upcoming all-electric Focus and PHEV and electric iterations of the C-MAX five-seater.

It's easy (relatively speaking) to toss some hybrid drivetrain into a vehicle and call it day on offering green vehicles, but that's not the end of Bill Ford's story. Mr. Ford also talks about energy savings to be had by making vehicles more aware of each other using WiFi and GPS to help reduce both fuel consumption and traffic accidents. With its commitment to electrification, Ford notes that infrastructure pieces like a smarter electrical grid and charging stations need to be in place to make electric vehicles a reality. Continue Reading...

Continue reading Bill Ford editorial sings praises of electric car, information technology

Bill Ford editorial sings praises of electric car, information technology originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 19 May 2011 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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