Why Ford put 5, not 7 seats in the C-Max.(News)(weight penalty )(Brief Article)

Byline: Bradford Wernle

In the end, Ford's much debated decision to make its C-Max compact minivan with five and not seven seats hinged on the extra weight penalty Ford did not believe its customers wanted to pay.

"For every Focus C-Max, there's a competitor carrying a 90kg weight penalty for something they don't need and never use," said Martin Leach, president of Ford of Europe. "If you really need to carry seven people, drive a Galaxy."

Ford's decision was also swayed by its own view of its strongest brand attributes, one of which is driving dynamics. ...