Ford B-MAX (Team Review) - Fifth Gear

**The Ford B-Max: A Comprehensive Review**

In this article, we will take you through the full transcription of a video review of the Ford B-Max, an innovative family car based on the Fiesta. The team tested the top-spec model with Ford's 1-litre turbocharged engine and shared their thoughts on its features, performance, and design.

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### Introduction to the Ford B-Max

The Ford B-Max is a brand-new family car that has been developed as an upgraded version of the Fiesta. Priced between £13,000 and £19,000, it offers a range of features designed for practicality and convenience. One of its standout features is its sliding doors, which eliminate the central B-pillar. This design creates a massive opening, making it easier to carry large loads or little children. The testers describe the car as "a big open hollow car with seats in it," which highlights its spacious interior.

However, one concern raised by the team is their worry about the sliding doors closing unexpectedly. They humorously imagine scenarios where the doors might slide open at inconvenient times, such as when driving down a hill or during an emergency. Despite these concerns, they acknowledge that the design is innovative and practical for families.

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### Testing the Ford B-Max on the Track

To evaluate the car's stability and handling, the team set up a slalom course with cones. The test was conducted at various speeds—30 mph, 50 mph, and an intense 70 mph—to see how the B-Max would handle sudden direction changes.

At 30 mph, the car performed well, feeling "quiet" and "less challenging." At 50 mph, it demonstrated impressive stability, with minimal body roll and smooth handling. The testers noted that Ford's torque vectoring system, inspired by supercars, played a significant role in maintaining grip and traction during these tests.

The most thrilling part was the 70 mph run, where the car faced its ultimate challenge. Despite the high speed, the B-Max stayed on track, thanks to its electronic stability control (ESC). The ESC proved crucial in preventing a potential accident when the driver missed a cone. The team acknowledged that without this system, the car would have lost control.

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### Design and Safety Features

The Ford B-Max is taller and longer than the Fiesta by six inches, which adds to its family-friendly design. However, this height also raises concerns about stability. Despite these worries, the car proved surprisingly stable during testing, partly due to modern safety electronics like the ESC.

Another notable feature of the B-Max is its seating arrangement. The back seats are higher than the front, similar to a Land Rover Discovery, which helps reduce travel sickness for children and offers better visibility for rear passengers. This design ensures that kids can see where they're going, making long trips more enjoyable.

The team also discussed the car's interior space, which is designed to accommodate large loads and families comfortably. However, one criticism was raised regarding the rear seat space, which they felt could have been improved further.

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### Driver Feedback and Final Thoughts

Throughout the test, the drivers shared their impressions of the Ford B-Max. One tester mentioned that while driving, it felt like they were "transporting some old people in a happy bus," which highlights the car's comfortable and family-oriented nature. Despite its practicality, they also noted that it lacks the excitement of more performance-focused vehicles.

The team gave the Ford B-Max mixed ratings: one tester awarded it an 8/10, while another gave it a 7.5/10. The latter mentioned that disabling the traction control made the car feel "more refined and more exciting," but they still felt it was too controlled overall.

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### Conclusion

The Ford B-Max is an innovative family car that combines practicality with modern safety features. Its sliding doors, spacious interior, and advanced driving dynamics make it a strong contender in the compact SUV segment. While the testers had some reservations about its rear seat space and the stability of its sliding doors, they acknowledged that these concerns were outweighed by its strengths.

The team concluded their review by giving the Ford B-Max a test score of 22.5 out of 30, highlighting its potential as an urban family vehicle. Despite its flaws, the car's design and performance make it a worthwhile consideration for families looking for a reliable and modern ride.

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This article captures the full essence of the video transcription, providing an in-depth look at the Ford B-Max's features, testing, and overall evaluation by the team.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: ennext over to our cutting-edge tracks for the fifth geared team test today the team tested the Ford b-max this brand-new family car is based on the Fiesta and costs from 13 to 19 thousand pounds it's killer features are its sliding doors and lack of central b-pillar the massive opening is designed to make carrying large loads and little children a doddle we're testing the top spec model with Ford's 1 litre turbocharged engine gentlemen I give you the innovative Ford b-max yeah which is innovative ahh that's the big fella thing isn't it when you open both the doors in the B max you're faced with this it's just a big open hollow car with seats in it it's amazing but the one thing about those sliding doors is that yeah I keep a worried they're gonna slide when you don't want them to they always slightly give me the creeps you see look if you took the handbrake off and pushed it forward a bit down a hill and then put a hammer I got again on you Oh what sort of scenario you just conjured up I know it probably won't happen ever but I just keep on thinking about it it's proper a team I'm howling mad Murdock I got tonzura I don't like this seat position I feel like I'm sobbing the air this is a this has been engineered to eliminate travel sickness in the back what yeah how because the back seats it quite a lot higher than your front seat like a Land Rover Discovery so I can look over your shoulders and over your head don't feel Trowell sick and it's good for the kids because they can see where they're going the B max is of course a Fiesta on steroids it's six inches taller six inches longer one of the biggest problems when packaging a tall car to get that to a huge amphitheatre of space comes at the detriment of center of gravity so we decided to set up a simple selection of cones for a slalom the sudden direction change in this slalom will reveal whether the B Maxie's extra height has made it unstable johnny will hit it at 30 miles an hour then 50 and then a gut-wrenching 17 when I'm taking you to bingo when we did it at 30 cough up C fine it wasn't being pushed hard at all that's quieter less aslam Ford's say the B max has class-leading driving dynamics so far I reckon they're right 50 miles an hour it didn't really have any stability interruption or give it's war now don't give it a birdie one that were it's also got a supercar inspired torque vectoring system which electronically distributes power between the front wheels for better grip and traction good change in direction not a great deal of body roll from the driving seat that's actually quite impressive er that he stays impressive even though I do still feel like I'm transporting some old people in a happy bus then we did in 70 I send these too much Jason decided to get out and stand and watch I've got an uncanny ability to look into a crystal ball and see trouble why you stopped it so yeah there's also a madman in the form of TIFF Needell in the back goading him on come on Johnny let's go and give it some proper beans 70 is an accident waiting to happen and I'd rather witness an accident from here then inside that guy yeah go on 70 is quite ambitious turning Johnny not really believing was gonna hold on a score like kid indeed Oh ABS I missed one cone you bailed out one and I'll tell you I bailed that one had he not he would have been in the fence at 70 miles an hour the electronic stability control had a workout it cut power and applied the brakes without it the car would have slid and I would have lost control I trust these ESP systems over there brilliant Oh fair play you stayed in the car potato you described to prove just how much credit the ESC should be given we did a final run with it disabled turn it the other way well I've done it the other way whoo brilliant so the B max features some genius family-friendly design and despite being taller than the Fiesta on which its base is still very stable partly thanks to 21st century safety electronics I'd always be worrying about those sliding doors but despite that the v-max gets an innovative 8 for an urban family it's a really good consideration I give it a strong 8 out of 10 I'm going to give it a seven and a half which gives the Ford v-max a-team test score of 22 and a half out of 30 dad they all the throttle so I can feel how it moves around the limit but this car is a control freak and it has let me disable its traction control the gadget that stops with it is more refined and more exciting the before both sides of its character have been improved the only problem Assen haven't addressed its rear seat space time for real-world testsnext over to our cutting-edge tracks for the fifth geared team test today the team tested the Ford b-max this brand-new family car is based on the Fiesta and costs from 13 to 19 thousand pounds it's killer features are its sliding doors and lack of central b-pillar the massive opening is designed to make carrying large loads and little children a doddle we're testing the top spec model with Ford's 1 litre turbocharged engine gentlemen I give you the innovative Ford b-max yeah which is innovative ahh that's the big fella thing isn't it when you open both the doors in the B max you're faced with this it's just a big open hollow car with seats in it it's amazing but the one thing about those sliding doors is that yeah I keep a worried they're gonna slide when you don't want them to they always slightly give me the creeps you see look if you took the handbrake off and pushed it forward a bit down a hill and then put a hammer I got again on you Oh what sort of scenario you just conjured up I know it probably won't happen ever but I just keep on thinking about it it's proper a team I'm howling mad Murdock I got tonzura I don't like this seat position I feel like I'm sobbing the air this is a this has been engineered to eliminate travel sickness in the back what yeah how because the back seats it quite a lot higher than your front seat like a Land Rover Discovery so I can look over your shoulders and over your head don't feel Trowell sick and it's good for the kids because they can see where they're going the B max is of course a Fiesta on steroids it's six inches taller six inches longer one of the biggest problems when packaging a tall car to get that to a huge amphitheatre of space comes at the detriment of center of gravity so we decided to set up a simple selection of cones for a slalom the sudden direction change in this slalom will reveal whether the B Maxie's extra height has made it unstable johnny will hit it at 30 miles an hour then 50 and then a gut-wrenching 17 when I'm taking you to bingo when we did it at 30 cough up C fine it wasn't being pushed hard at all that's quieter less aslam Ford's say the B max has class-leading driving dynamics so far I reckon they're right 50 miles an hour it didn't really have any stability interruption or give it's war now don't give it a birdie one that were it's also got a supercar inspired torque vectoring system which electronically distributes power between the front wheels for better grip and traction good change in direction not a great deal of body roll from the driving seat that's actually quite impressive er that he stays impressive even though I do still feel like I'm transporting some old people in a happy bus then we did in 70 I send these too much Jason decided to get out and stand and watch I've got an uncanny ability to look into a crystal ball and see trouble why you stopped it so yeah there's also a madman in the form of TIFF Needell in the back goading him on come on Johnny let's go and give it some proper beans 70 is an accident waiting to happen and I'd rather witness an accident from here then inside that guy yeah go on 70 is quite ambitious turning Johnny not really believing was gonna hold on a score like kid indeed Oh ABS I missed one cone you bailed out one and I'll tell you I bailed that one had he not he would have been in the fence at 70 miles an hour the electronic stability control had a workout it cut power and applied the brakes without it the car would have slid and I would have lost control I trust these ESP systems over there brilliant Oh fair play you stayed in the car potato you described to prove just how much credit the ESC should be given we did a final run with it disabled turn it the other way well I've done it the other way whoo brilliant so the B max features some genius family-friendly design and despite being taller than the Fiesta on which its base is still very stable partly thanks to 21st century safety electronics I'd always be worrying about those sliding doors but despite that the v-max gets an innovative 8 for an urban family it's a really good consideration I give it a strong 8 out of 10 I'm going to give it a seven and a half which gives the Ford v-max a-team test score of 22 and a half out of 30 dad they all the throttle so I can feel how it moves around the limit but this car is a control freak and it has let me disable its traction control the gadget that stops with it is more refined and more exciting the before both sides of its character have been improved the only problem Assen haven't addressed its rear seat space time for real-world tests\n"