Ford’s first engineering prototypes for the next-generation Focus family have hit the road.

This is a mule for the new C-Max snapped outside the Nurburgring in Germany.

The C-Max will be the first of the new breed of Focus models; we should see it in 2010, ahead of the hatchback’s debut later next year. So the recent Focus facelift will have to keep the range soldiering on until the newcomer arrives in the next two years.

The underpinnings of the next generation Focus family is a development of the current car’s and will use lessons learnt from the new Mazda3, which adds extra reinforcement around the front and rear suspension and around the rear hatch opening.

Ford’s Iosis Max concepts gives us a strong hint to the look of the next C-Max and Ford Focus… of sorts.

The front end of the Geneva concept will be almost identical to the production car’s.
Delve inside the Iosis Max and the shape of the concept’s dash will see production.

It heavily mirrors the curvaceous shape of the new Fiesta.

Ford’s internal target is to increase the quality of the next Focus and C-Max, as it hopes to leap past the Golf and Megane.

There’s also talk of the next Focus family receiving pop-up pedestrian friendly
bonnets to meet forthcoming safety regulations, softer bumper and bonnets, and even low-speed avoidance systems similar to Volvo’s City Safety set-up.

  • Spy shot material is supplied by Car Magazine. Visit its website at www.carmagazine.co.uk