wyatte543: Ford debuting B-pillarless B-Max in Geneva

Monday, February 28, 2011

Ford debuting B-pillarless B-Max in Geneva

Filed under: Minivan/Van, Geneva Motor Show, Ford

Ford B-Max - Click above for high-res image gallery

The Ford S-Max and C-Max have a new little sibling, and its name is B-Max. Making its global debut at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, the very compact minivan rides on the same platform as the Fiesta and is just 4.3-inches longer than that model's five-door hatchback. Aiding in the action of ingress/egress, the B-Max ditches B-pillars entirely so occupants can easily glide past the dual sliding rear doors.

The B-pillar appears to be completely removed but are in fact integrated into the front and rear doors. When closed, the two work together and behave in the same manner as a traditional pillar.

Doors closed and occupants protected, forward motivation is provided courtesy of a 1.0-liter three-cylinder turbocharged EcoBoost engine, the latest and smallest of Ford's EcoBoost engine family. With the aid of Start/Stop technology, the EcoBoost engine should even better fuel economy than a similarly powerful four-cylinder engine.

For more information on the Ford B-Max, follow the jump and peruse the press release. And stay tuned to our live coverage of the Geneva Motor Show, as we'll bring back live images of the B-Max just as soon as we can.

Gallery: Ford B-Max