Following in the reveal of the Ford C-Max Energi Concept, Ford also introduced the C-Max->ke2313 Hybrid Concept at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show.

The C-Max Hybrid is expected to further strengthen the Blue Oval’s global C-car platform and is already being positioned by Ford as a vehicle that will post better numbers than another one of the US-based company’s hybrid vehicles, the Ford Fusion Hybrid, widely considered as the most fuel-efficient sedan in the US.

Both MPVs that will be made available in North America are going to be built at Ford’s Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, Michigan together with the new Ford Focus->ke440 and the Focus Electric. Meanwhile, vehicles that are going to go on sale in Europe will be built at Ford’s production facility in Valencia, Spain.

The C-MAX Hybrid Concept is expected to be one of five electrified vehicles that Ford will bring to the North American market in the next two years. Apart from the two C-Max Concepts, Ford will also be releasing the Ford Transit Connect Electric small commercial van, the Focus Electric, which will be launched later this year, and another next-generation hybrid electric vehicle, which will be announced at a later date and will be available in North America and Europe beginning in 2012.

More details on the Ford C-Max Hybrid Concept after the jump.

2012 Ford C-Max Hybrid Concept

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2012 Ford C-Max Hybrid Concept
  • Engine/Motor: Hybrid
  • [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array
Pros
Cons

Exterior and Interior

Just like the C-Max Energi, the C-Max Hybrid will carry pretty much the same aesthetic exterior design based on the Grand C-Max. The C-Max Hybrid will also be getting the same stylish Aston Martin->ke13-looking grille and the forward-hinged rear doors that the C-Max Energi will be getting.

The five-seater interior cabin of the C-Max Hybrid will be getting some nice tech digs, too, including the MyFord Mobile connectivity, the MyFord Touch, and the new Brake Coach System.

The MyFord Mobile system allows owners of the C-Max to maintain constant contact with the car anywhere they have either a mobile phone or web access. The technology allows access to a secure Ford website, giving the owner instant vehicle status information of their car while also performing key functions remotely, including the monitoring of the car’s state of charge and current range. The new MyFord Mobile also allows the driver to get various alerts including when the vehicle requires charging, remotely program charge settings, and download vehicle data for analysis. On top of all that, the system allows the owner to program the C-Max’s use of electricity from the grid to heat or cool the battery and cabin while plugged in.

Performance

The C-Max Hybrid will operate much like today's hybrid vehicles, which means that it will come with the lithium-ion battery, electric motor, and a 2.0-liter Atkinson-cycle gasoline engine, except without the plug-in component that comes with the C-Max Energi.

Pricing

Both the Ford C-Max Energi and C-Max Hybrid have yet to receive their respective price tags although the company has already penciled in both MPVs for a sales date in North America in 2012, with Europe following shortly after in 2013.

Competition

In the same day that Ford revealed the C-Max Hybrid MPV, one of its chief rivals, Toyota, also debuted what looks to be the C-Max Hybrid's chief competition in the future: the Toyota Prius v.

Just like the Prius, the Prius v will be powered by a 1.8-liter four-cylinder petrol engine that produces 98 horsepower and is going to be an 80-horsepower electric motor and a nickel-metal hydride battery pack, giving it an overall output of 134 horsepower.