Spied! European Ford B-Max Caught Testing in Germany

After a reader sent us some personally-snapped spy shots of a heavily camouflaged Ford crossover yesterday, we speculated that the vehicle underneath all that camo might be a production version of the Ford B-Max concept shown at this year’s Geneva show. Now, our dedicated spy photographer has sent us some shots of a vehicle testing in Germany that’s a dead ringer for that concept.

The diminutive MPV doesn’t appear to have changed much from the concept, still sporting the sliding rear doors. In the front, a heavy Fiesta influence is evident, with many features looking like they were pulled right off of the car’s B-segment platform-mate. The B-pillarless design looks to be retained from the concept. That feature combined with the rear sliding doors means this vehicle will be a much mini-er minivan when the B-Max goes on sale in Europe sometime next year.

Since so much of the concept has survived in this nearly production-ready test mule, we can assume the B-Max’s powertrain won’t deviate much from the version shown off at Geneva. Expect a new addition to the EcoBoost family, a turbocharged and direct-injected 1.0-liter I-3 engine, to power the production B-Max. Ford’s Auto Start-Stop system could also be in the cards, helping to save the vehicle on gas in city driving. As this car is meant for European consumption, a diesel version is also likely to be offered, possibly with a variant of the Duratorq turbodiesel engine available in the Fiesta.

There’s still no word on whether or not the B-Max will come to our shores, but with that model’s big brother, the Ford C-Max, already on its way, and the Mazda5 currently serving the U.S. market’s MPV niche, the vehicle’s future in America is cloudy. Still, we’re all for the idea of a Fiesta-based people mover if Ford does decide to bring it over.

 

 

Source: Motor Trend