Ford B-Max Concept at 2011 Geneva Motor Show

• Looks like: The neighbor’s C-Max has been messing around with your Fiesta
• Defining characteristics: Sliding doors and no B-pillar
• Ridiculous features: None; this is production ready
• Chance of being mass-produced: 100%

Europe’s auto marketplace is different from the U.S. Folks prefer smaller cars due to smaller roads, tighter parking confines and higher fuel prices. That’s why this concept car will likely never show up in the U.S. despite being production ready from the second it hits the auto-show turntable in Geneva.
 
Dubbed B-Max, the concept is 4.7 inches longer than a Ford Fiesta five-door hatchback on sale in the U.S. but more than a foot shorter than the just-introduced C-Max electric vehicle (a smaller version of the C-Max that goes on sale in the U.S. later this year).
 
The difference will be in the tall greenhouse. You sit 4.3 inches higher in the B-Max compared with the Fiesta. No cargo room figures were given, but we assume they, too, would be higher than the Fiesta. With the front and rear passenger seats folded flat, bulky items like bikes would fit, Ford says. The sliding doors would make it easier to get access to bulky items and make it easier for people to get in and out of what are typically tight seats.
 
Powering the B-Max is a 1.0-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine, the next EcoBoost power plant being prepared for production. No power or fuel-efficiency numbers were given.
 
For now, check out more photos below and let us know if you think the U.S. could use another pint-size Ford to sell next to the Fiesta.