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SOUNDBITES: ALL-NEW, 7-SEAT FORD C-MAX
Ford Motor Company unveiled its new 7-seat C-MAX vehicle today at the Frankfurt Motor Show. According to Derrick Kuzak, group vice president, Ford Global Product Development, it will arrive in North America beginning late 2011 and is based on the Ford Focus platform.
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| Cut #1: |
"C-Car again is Focus sized. As I indicated, this is the segment globally and this is the platform that for us will provide more than 2-million units annually, as well as up to ten new models as we go forward, demonstrating our commitment to that segment most important to the global industry." :23 sec. |
| With the market introduction of the 7-seat C-MAX in late 2011, Ford will offer customers in North America three distinct models in the important compact segment, which is expected to show continued growth in the coming years, as explained by Kuzak. | |
| Cut #2: |
"The trend towards small cars in the U.S. is not a one-off, it's not a fluke, it's real, it's sustainable and it's a choice of U.S. customers, moving toward small cars." 13 sec. |
| According to Ford analysts, small cars in the B-and C-segments accounted for less than 15 percent of the U.S. Market five years ago. In year-to-date sales through this past month, the small car segment has reached nearly 22 percent of the total industry sales, and, according to Kuzak, further gains are expected. | |
| Cut #3: |
"In the first eight months of last year, it was 20.5 percent in the U.S. market. So real, sustainable, and we intend to more than participate. So that is why our big news the first vehicle on our new C-Car platform is the Focus C-Max, new and substantially upgraded. We first launched this product in Europe in 2003, this year it's all new and again it comes on our new platform." :32 sec. |
| Kuzak was quick to point out this vehicle may fall into the small car segment, but does not short change the customer on technology. | |
| Cut #4: |
"Parking assist, Power lift gate, Blind spot information system." 04 sec. |
| One of the most important elements to the 7-seat C-MAX vehicle, according to Kuzak, was to have sliding doors without compromising its exterior appearance. | |
| Cut #5: |
"Sliding rear doors, passenger and driver side, but sliding rear doors that occur on a vehicle that is emotive in its design, that is not slab-sided like most people carriers that have sliding doors, that become almost refrigerators on wheels." :16 sec. |
| In addition to its stylish appearance, the vehicle will come equipped, in Europe, with Ford's fuel-saving four-cylinder EcoBoost engine, which is making its global debut early in 2010 marking a major milestone in the company's strategy to deliver great fuel economy for millions. The all-new EcoBoost 1.6 liter and 2.0 liter I-4 engines combine turbocharging and direct injection technology to deliver fuel consumption and CO2 emissions reduced by up to 20 percent versus conventional larger-displacement gasoline engines with similar power output. |