With the release of its official EPA ratings, Ford Motor Co.’s C-Max Hybrid, a minivan-like crossover, appears to trump the Toyota Prius v. But will the new Ford be able to overcome the power of the Prius brand?

Ford today said the C-M-

ax, which is expected to arrive in dealerships this fall, can travel 47 miles per gallon in city, highway and mixed driving. The Prius v, the Ford’s closest rival, has a rating of 44 mpg in city driving, 40 mpg on the highway and 42 mpg combined.

The Ford’s across-the-board 47-mpg rating is also significant because it may give consumers a sense of consistency that other hybrids lack. Hybrid vehicles typically log better fuel economy in city driving in part because they can make greater use of their electric motors to sage gasoline at lower speeds. On the highway most hybrids essentially become conventional cars, running on their gasoline engines.

Ford attributed the C-Max’s highway fuel economy to a number of technologies and features, including its ability to travel at speeds up to 62 mph under on electric power alone. Other hybrids, like the Prius tend to switch to gasoline power above 30 mph.

The C-Max Hybrid will have a base price of $25-

,995, including destination charges, compared with $27,310 for the Prius v.

Even at a lower price, though, Ford will have to convince car shoppers that it can match Toyota’s perceived quality, reliability and longevity. Toyota introduced the Prius hybrid sedan to the U.S. market more than a decade ago and arguably has largely taken ownership of the hybrid label.



(blogs.wsj.com)