You read about the Ford C-Max seven passenger wagon that's set to debut at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show, and probably saw the pictures of it in the post. But here's a video of what Ford is calling the industry's first hands-free powered liftgate, as well as a look at the vehicle's versatile interior configurations.
The powered liftgate is part of the wagon's Intelligent Access keyless entry/pushbutton start feature. Like most vehicles with this feature, it allows the owner to unlock the doors by simply pulling on the handle, and without having to take the key fob out of a pocket or purse.
The hands-free power liftgate adds being able to unlock and open the hatch when the driver's hands are full -- and there's no one around to help. And instead of waving a hand as with most gesture-control gadgets, the driver instead waves a foot under the rear bumper.
According to Ford, two sensors are embedded in the bumper of the C-Max: one detects a shin and the other senses leg motion. And if the Intelligent Access key is in the proximity, the liftgate magically opens. The liftgate height can also be programmed by the car owner.
Ford also noted that "animals running under the car ... won't trigger the liftgate to open." We're not sure if that also includes hairy, pantless legs, but maybe we'll get Brent Romans test it.
firstwagon says:
02:25 PM, 12/20/10
Looks neat but I do wonder how well it would work once the sensor is covered in slush and road salt.
I would also worry about it accidently triggering while driving down the road.
blueguydotcom says:
03:31 PM, 12/20/10
@first,
1. The fob will need to be behind the car, probably. My 3 series with comfort access knew where the key was and would react accordingly.
2. My money is on the fact it won't open with a foot wave if the car is in Drive - it probably only works if the car is off or in Park.
3. The sensor really isn't that much different from any motion sensor that's already on cars so I'd assume it would be fine with road grime.
ed124c says:
03:45 PM, 12/20/10
Okay, that rear door thing is great. Now, how about the same device for the driver's door, so that when I approach the car with several cups of coffee, or whatever, the door automatically opens when I poke an elbow into the door handle. It would only open about half way, so that you could push it open further by yourself. This would help prevent the mechanism from dinging a car next to it.
I predict that this-- or automatic sliding or pivoting driver's door-- WILL happen.
altimadude05 says:
03:53 PM, 12/20/10
ed124c -- I guess a Wrangler with the doors off is out of the question? Just teasing.
I predict that people with bad balance will fall over and sue Ford for not making this feature convenient enough. I guess putting your bags down on the ground is too uncouth. Just another gadget. But a neat idea, nontheless.
ed124c says:
03:56 PM, 12/20/10
Also, the stowing center seat is really clever-- unless you happen to be sitting in the wrong seat.
I guess this is the only way to get to the third row, which is fine because even the big minivans and CUVs need to fold a seat forward to get people into the third row. But.... this is a small vehicle. I can't imagine an adult trying to move into the third row-- unlike a big minivan (big minivan-- sounds weird, right?).
If I were in the market for a 3 row vehicle, this would not be my first choice if I actually needed to put people in the third row on a regular basis. For only incidental use, this would work fine--for the same reason I think Honda should provide jump seats in the rear. At least they are there in an emergency.
ed124c says:
04:22 PM, 12/20/10
@altimadude05: Wow, I never thought about a doorless Wrangler. What an idea-- it's mid-summer, you pull into an icecream stand in the Wrangler, you buy two big cones for you and the lady, you walk over to the Wrangler, climb in and hand her a cone.
Yes, can't wait for Summer. Can't wait for Summer days. Only six months to go. Hopefully a new car by then, but it won't be a Wrangler. If it's a C-MAX, I walk up to the rear bumper with the cones, wag my leg, (the third row seats are stowed), I crawl in and.... oh, I guess it gets messy from this point on. Never mind. It's probably Scotch Guarded.
firstwagon says:
04:30 PM, 12/20/10
blueguydotcom
You're likely right on your 1st two points.
Regarding road grime I think it depends on where you live. I have a picture somewhere on my old Trooper that looks completely white in colour. It was really black in colour but was covered in road salt. I can remember using a spade to knock the frozen slush off my bumper so I can get to the handle to open the hatch on my Jeep.
3 months of the year it would be fine but winter when you want it most? maybe not.
firstwagon says:
04:53 PM, 12/20/10
Sorry I was meaning 3 seasons a year. (don't want to give people too bad an impression of Canada)
blueguydotcom says:
05:14 PM, 12/20/10
@first, do you know if back up sensors still work in Canada/colder climes during the winter? I'd imagine they still do. Not sure, but I'd hope Ford's tested this. The car's out in Europe so if it doesn't work we'll be hearing about it soon!
93aero says:
05:49 PM, 12/20/10
i see alot of people falling over this. I wonder if you can still use the fob to open the trunk, or if its just the foot thing. I know some times walking to your car even with a free hand its nice to not have to pull on the tailgate; especially if your in a hurry.
lostboyz says:
03:41 AM, 12/21/10
@blueguydotcom, considering they have been using backup sensors for almost 10 years now, I would say they probably work just fine during the winter.
@93aero, of course you can still use the fob, what sense would that make to get rid of it?
firstwagon says:
08:58 AM, 12/21/10
The cold doesn't seem to effect back up sensors but the crud you get on your car does. They are easy to clean though as they easy to reach. This sensor seems to be underneath which is what brought up my concern.
blueguydotcom says:
12:00 PM, 12/21/10
@lostboyz - I was talking about the underbody sensor used on the Cmax. It's out in Europe already, therefore we should hear if there's a problem with an underbody mounted version.
06scooby says:
04:46 PM, 12/21/10
I the first lawsuit will be someone getting an uppercut from the door because they didn't step back and they'll sue Ford for a new gold plated "grill"!
This looks a little smaller than the Mazda5 I think on the inside. While the rear seats in the mazda are nowhere near adult sized, these look really tiny!
stovt001 says:
08:27 PM, 12/21/10
Totally sold. Now that's what I call real fold flat seats
blueguydotcom says:
07:22 AM, 12/22/10
And by "adult sized" I think 06scooby might mean, "sized to fit fatty Americans."