Ford B-Max: big car, small package

Bridging the gap between hatchback and SUV, the B-Max is the perfect car for those that need plenty of room in a compact car. Andrew Frankel takes a spin

Ford B-Max Zetec 1.0T EcoBoost

This model from £16,195

You need a big car because you have kids with clobber, but you want a small car because you live in a city street and parking is terrible. When Ford designed the B-Max, the engineers had a picture of you on the wall.

The B-Max is a work of genius. All hatchbacks require central pillars on each side to provide strength, but it’s these very pillars that make small cars such a pain to climb into. The B-Max incorporates these pillars into the doors while those at the back slide like a van’s. So with the doors closed, the car is as strong as ever but they open to provide a gargantuan 1.5-metre aperture for everyone to pile into.

The rest is pretty good too: an award-winning 1-litre turbo engine, a classy interior and handling that’ll leave a smile on your face after drop-off. For the money and in the class, it’s untouchable.