Ford’s all-new C-MAX will go on sale in the UK in October, priced from £16,745. Both the sporty but spacious five-seater and the Grand, a versatile seven-seater, come with a simplified two-series line-up – Zetec and Titanium. Diesel prices start from £18,245 for the C-MAX Zetec and £19,745 for the C-MAX Grand Zetec.

With almost two-thirds of UK buyers in this segment now seeking seven-seat flexibility, the Ford Grand C-MAX becomes the spiritual successor to today’s model, which was also designed to maximise practicality. Priced from £19,745 for the 1.6-litre turbodiesel Zetec, the Grand offers family-friendly flexibility, with the extra utility of twin sliding doors, versatile seating and improved engine efficiency. The Grand Zetec with 113bhp 1.6-litre TDCi, the anticipated volume seller in the UK, is priced at £750 less than the outgoing equivalent. The five-seat model will appeal to customers seeking more space than a regular family hatchback, but who do not want to sacrifice sporty design or driving dynamics. On the road prices start from £18,245 for the 1.6-litre turbodiesel Zetec.

Mark Simpson, marketing director, Ford of Britain said: “When C-MAX was launched in 2003 it preserved all the brand’s most important qualities including style, comfort and driving quality, but added more flexibility and space to the Focus package.” “Since then the market has expanded quite considerably with customers expressing a variety of needs. These are met with the family-friendly seven-seater and the sporty-but-spacious five-seater. The new Ford C-MAX and Grand C-MAX are priced to offer customers best value for money whilst still introducing many exciting new technologies which will feature on the all-new Focus due next year,” he said.

Standard equipment on all models includes alloy wheels, air conditioning, leather steering wheel, Thatcham category one alarm, DAB radio/CD and Bluetooth with USB connectivity and voice control. Grand C-MAX has powered child-proof locks on the rear dual sliding doors, and rear parking sensors. The Titanium trim supplements these features with auto front wipers and headlamps, dual electronic automatic temperature control, auto-dimming rear-view mirror, hill launch assist, keyless start, cruise control with speed limiter, premium Sony audio, and tyre deflation detection system. The Grand C-MAX Titanium also has power folding mirrors.

Customers will be offered a choice of two diesel engines. The 1.6 TDCi and 2.0 TDCi powertrains are jointly projected to account for around 50 per cent of sales. For those preferring an automatic transmission, the dual-clutch Powershift six-speed automatic option is available with the 2.0 TDCi powertrain.