Ford Reenters Min-Van Market with C-Max

For the last four years Ford has left the mini-van market alone. Back in 2006 they discontinued the Freestar and officially left the mini-van market to the other guys. But after four years Ford has decided to reenter the domestic market. They will debut their Ford C-Max at the Detroit auto show in January 2011 and mark their first effort to get back in the game of mini-vans.

Though Ford left the mini-van market in the U.S., they continued to sell them to European drivers. The C-Max has been on sale in Europe for awhile. The C-Max is able to carry seven passengers and, according to Ford, it will be capable of achieving better fuel economy than its competitors due to its smaller size and lighter weight. The Ford C-Max is about two feet shorter than its competitors, such as the Honda Odyssey and the Dodge Grand Caravan. Ford’s target market for the new mini-van is young, growing families.

The C-Max is based on the Ford Focus compact car; one of ten new models Ford plans to base on the structure of the Focus. According to Ford the C-Max will be offered with a good amount of standard technology as well as optional. They plan to sell the Ford C-Max by 2012 and according to auto analysts they could sell as many as 50,000 models annually.

2011 Car of the Year

The North American Car of the Year award is one of the most coveted awards in the auto industry. This year’s winners will be announced at the 2011 North American International Auto Show in Detroit on January 11, 2011.

The three finalists in the car category are, not surprisingly, the Chevrolet Volt extended-range hybrid, the all-electric Nissan Leaf and the Hyundai Sonata as a conventional or hybrid sedan. In the truck segment the Ford Explorer, Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango are the three finalists. The cars were chosen from a sample of 27 and the trucks from 14.

The cars were judged by a panel of 49 automotive journalists from the United States and Canada. The cars were judged on innovation, design, safety, handling, driver satisfaction and value. The winners of 2010 were the Ford Transit Connect in the truck category and the Ford Fusion Hybrid for the car segment.

Popular Cars by Region

What determines which type of car you drive? Most people would say style, individual needs, and budget are the three main factors that influence their purchase decision when buying a new car. However, where you live is apparently a major factor too.

This makes sense, when you consider that people who live in different areas of the country generally live different lifestyles, and therefore have different wants and needs. A recent study has confirmed this, by naming the top five best selling cars in each of the four major regions of the United States (Northeast, Midwest, South, and Western regions).

So, what are people driving in your part of the country? Do you fit the list, or do you break the mold?

Northeast Region
1. Nissan Rogue
2. Mercedes E-Class Sedan
3. Honda CR-V
4. Chevrolet Malibu
5. Jeep Grand Cherokee

Midwest/Central Region
1. Chevrolet Silverado 1500
2. Ford F-150
3. Cadillac SRX
4. Toyota Camry
5. Chevrolet Impala

Southern Region
1. Chevrolet Camaro
2. Ford F-150
3. Toyota Tundra
4. Lexus ES350
5. Dodge Ram 1500

Western Region
1. Toyota Prius
2. Lexus IS Sedan
3. Honda Fit
4. Audi A4/S4
5. BMW 3 Series Sedan