2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid Challenges Toyota Prius

By: John Lester
05/18/2012 07:51 AM ET

The new 2013 lineup by Ford Motor Company includes the C-Max Hybrid, which is being pitched as a cheaper. In fact, the C-Max has better fuel efficiency as the Toyota Prius V at 42 miles per gallon combined rating from the EPA.

The automaker will start deliveries of the car this fall, while a plug-in hybrid version ? the C-Max Energi ? will be available by year-end.

?C-MAX Hybrid offers better fuel economy, performance, technology and functionality than Prius v ? and C-MAX Hybrid customers will pay less at the dealership and at the pump,? said Ken Czubay, vice president, U.S. Marketing, Sales and Service. ?Ford is delivering the power of choice for leading fuel economy across its lineup ? from EcoBoost to electrified vehicles ? because customers increasingly want to save money at the pump, even as gas prices rise over time.?

Ford?s pricing the C-Max Hybrid at a base of $25,995, or about $500 less than the cheapest Prius V.

Last month, Toyota boosted U.S. Prius sales doubled from a year earlier to 25,168 units in part because of the 3,847 Prius V wagons sold.

Ford, which sold just 1,175 hybrids in April, late last month tapped the first 67 West Coast and New York-area dealers that will sell the Ford Focus Electric and published a map indicating where the EV would be rolled out during the rest of the year.

Class-exclusive technologies include hands-free liftgate, active park assist for easier parallel parking and next-generation SmartGauge with EcoGuide to help customers increase their fuel economy.

The vehicle has a high roofline (63.9 inches) offering ample interior space and flexibility. The hybrid car offers 99.7 cubic feet of passenger space compared with 97 cubic feet in Prius V. The spacious automobile also provides greater headroom in both front and rear seats than Prius V (41/39.4 inches vs. 39.6/38.6 inches).

For cargo, C-MAX Hybrid has 60/40 split-fold rear seats that easily fold flat with 54.3 cubic feet of space behind the first row and 24.5 cubic feet behind the second row.

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