Mulally Tells Canadian Newspaper Ford B-Max Coming To North America After All

Derek Kreindler
by Derek Kreindler

Contrary to initial reports, Ford CEO Alan Mulally told Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail that the Ford B-Max MPV will be coming to North America after all.

Jeremy Cato, reporting from the floor of the Geneva Auto Show said that

“The nifty new Ford B-Max, which CEO Alan Mulally said will eventually go on sale in North America, will be sold here in Europe with a three-cylinder, 1.0-litre EcoBoost turbo gas engine.

…he added that it most likely will have a spot in Ford’s North American lineup. Exactly when he would not say, but he was pretty emphatic about the B-Max having a future in Canada and the United States.

As vague as that may be, Mulally is about as reliable a source as one can get within Ford. The B-Max doesn’t exactly seem like the kind of vehicle that Americans would adopt in droves – Canada, on the other hand, may be a much better market for a small, ultra-efficient MPV-type vehicle. But the specter of the $19,995 Dodge Caravan (an extremely popular choice in the Great White North) may prove to be a stumbling block to positioning the avant-garde but bite-sized B-Max at a reasonable price. The Grand Caravan is Canada’s fourth best selling vehicle so far this year, while the Chevrolet Orlando, which slots between the B-Max and the Caravan, doesn’t even crack the Top 30.

Derek Kreindler
Derek Kreindler

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  • Icemilkcoffee Icemilkcoffee on Mar 16, 2012

    It could find traction. In the same way the Kia Soul became a surprise hit for that carmaker.

  • Xeranar Xeranar on Mar 16, 2012

    The B-Max is going to be up against the Fit and possibly Soul for sales, if it comes in at Fiesta prices I can see it selling. Otherwise I highly support the C-Max as we need another vehicle close to xB size to give people runabout space with good fuel economy. I'm willing to go 23K on a C-Max hybrid if it can return 30+ in the city...

  • Danwat1234 Danwat1234 on Mar 22, 2012

    So, no 1 liter engine for the USA? They'll use a bigger engine for the USA version of this car?

  • Boff Boff on Nov 09, 2012

    Oops wrong thread.

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