The Ford C1 platform (for "compact class") is Ford's global compact car automobile platform. It replaces Ford C170 platform and Mazda's BJ platform. The C1 platform debuted with the European Ford Focus C-Max compact MPV in early 2004. The platform is designed for either front- or all wheel drive.
The C platform was designed in the Ford development center at Europe Cologne, Germany, as the "C Technologies Program". It was said to be one of the largest platform programs in history at that time. Ford Focus, Volvo S40 and V50, and Mazda3 share about 60 percent of their parts and components. Thirty engineers each from Ford, Mazda, and Volvo worked in Cologne for two years to combine the compact car engineering for all three automakers under the direction of Ford Director of C Technologies Derrick Kuzak, Ford of Europe vice president of product development.
The C1 platform has been stretched creating the EUCD for use in future Volvo vehicles. Volvo's plans call for all of their cars to be C1, EUCD, or D3-based in the coming years.
Among all of the cars, the floorpan is different, but the front- and rear-subframes, suspension, steering, braking, safety, and electrical components are shared.
Vehicles currently using this platform include the following:
- 2003 – Ford Focus C-Max (C214), first European vehicle on this platform
- 2004 – Mazda Axela/Mazda 3 (BK)
- 2005 – Ford Focus (International) (C307), (Note: the Ford Focus (North America) continues on the C170 platform through 2010)
- 2004 – Volvo S40 (P11)
- 2004 – Volvo V50 (P12)
- 2006 – Mazda Premacy/Mazda 5 (BK) (and related Ford i-Max)
- 2006 – Volvo C70 (P15)
- 2007 – Volvo C30 (P14)
- 2008 – Ford Kuga (C394)
- 2008 – Mazda Biante
- 2009 – Mazda 3 (Note: the Mazda 3 continues on old C1)
- 2010 – Mazda Premacy/Mazda 5( Note: the Mazda Premacy continues on old C1)
- 2012 – Volvo V40 (Note: modified platform)
Read more about Ford C1 Platform: Ford's New Global C-segment Platform
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