2012 Ford C-Max at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show

• Competes with: Mazda5
• Looks like: A bigger Fiesta hatchback
• Drivetrain: 170-hp, turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder with six-speed automatic transmission or 2.5-liter four-cylinder with undisclosed power figures; front-wheel drive
• Hits dealerships: Sometime in the future.

Just in time for the redesigned Mazda5 comes Ford’s new C-Max, a people mover whose second generation just hit the streets in Europe. In line with the automaker’s globalized product lineup, the C-Max will be sold for the first time in the U.S. Ford representatives wouldn’t comment on an on sale date but it will likely be in 2011.

With a large trapezoidal air dam, triangular fog-light portals and a thin grille, the C-Max looks more like the Ford Fiesta than the Focus. What we’ll get here is known abroad as the Grand C-Max — essentially a small minivan, complete with sliding second-row doors and a two-seat third row. Should you not want the third row, it can be deleted, presumably with a small discount.

The second row converts from a three-row bench into two captain’s chairs with a center pass-through thanks to the middle seat, which can collapse into a compartment beneath a flip-up cushion on the passenger-side seat. Up front, a central pod of stereo controls and air vents sits above the climate dials. Uplevel models have silver and piano-black accents, as well as dual-zone automatic climate control.

Ford says its hands-free liftgate is an industry first. Even keyless access systems require pushing a button — on the keyfob or the tailgate — to open the tailgate.

Should you have two armfuls of groceries and not a free finger to do so, you can wave your foot under the bumper and trigger a sensor that opens it up. (It’s up to you whether you want to take your foot back out, shake it all about, do the hokey pokey and turn yourself around. But you really should – because, after all, that’s what it’s all about.)

The C-Max measures 178 inches in total length, 6.4 inches longer than a Focus hatchback. Ford’s turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder makes 170 horsepower and 177 pounds-feet of torque; a normally aspirated, 2.5-liter four-cylinder will also be available, though its power figures have yet to be disclosed. Expect the usual raft of safety features, including three-row curtain airbags and an electronic stability system, to come standard.