Ford re-invents car doors

Necessity is the mother of invention – and the car industry’s recent, miserable years do seem to be producing thought-provoking new ideas at a healthy rate. For instance, several makers are trying to re-invent something as basic as the car door and, even if the ideas don’t catch on, we applaud the creativity. One example is Hyundai’s Veloster which has one door on one side, but two on the other. Another example is Ford’s new Easy Access Door System.

This appears in the new Ford B-MAX which debuts at Geneva in March and goes on sale in Europe later this year. What’s different is that the central body pillars are integrated into the doors, so you get 1.5-metre-wide unobstructed openings on either side. That’s big – Ford reckon about twice as big as rivals. And to make best use of this, the rear seats and front passenger seat fold flat, creating a big, accessible load platform.

Conventional side pillars are vital for crash protection, especially side impacts, so a lot of work has gone into making sure the new design performs in this department. Special high-strength steels, up to five times as strong as conventional mild steel, add stiffness and strength while keeping weight under control. Ford’s design team spent three years and over 1,000 computer simulations refining their designs which were then tested in real-world bent metal via 50 crash tests.

Lightness and stiffness are also important for good handling and Ford has kept its eye on this too – the new B-MAX is as stiff as the latest Fiesta, with a view to making it just as much fun to drive.