Romania grabs the limelight for the second time at Geneva Motor Show

The 81st edition of the Geneva Motor Show, just like last year's edition, has Romania at its forefront thanks to the launches of carmakers with plants in Mioveni and Craiova - Renault and Ford groups.

Whereas last year the biggest Geneva launch was that of the Dacia SUV, a model that has become one of the best-selling SUVs on its segment, both in 2010 and in 2011, now it is Ford's turn with B-Max.

Ford's new multipurpose vehicle, which, starting at the end of this year, will be manufactured in Romania, is the focus of everyone's attention this year at the Geneva Motor Show, being the first stock car lacking a B-pillar.

Of the more than 40 launches at the Show, the B-Max is set to have by far the biggest impact on the European market, considering that the Craiova plant will reach over 200,000 units by 2013.

For the B-Max model launched in Geneva, Switzerland, and which will enter production in Craiova by yearend, Ford is betting on young families of Central Europe and on clients wanting a not too large car, but that still offers a quite spacious interior.

Ford presented the B-Max model, a small-class car with five seats and no B-pillar and twin rear sliding doors, in the context where both at the level of the Romanian market and at European level the small class has been one of the most crowded segments lately. Whereas before the crisis most European carmakers focused on launching new models on upper segments, the current economic situation, the rising fuel prices and the need for mobility has pushed them to launch new niches on the B segment.

The new B-Max will be particularly destined to Central Europe at the beginning, and then be launched on other markets internationally. As regards the design, B-Max is an evolution of kinetic design, the US carmaker's design line.