Ford’s new C Max is tested to the limit at the Lommel Testing circuit in Belgium writes Suzanne Keane
Since 1965 Ford have been operating a test track just an hour north of Brussels in order to rigorously test their vehicles before they hit our roads. This track is more than 80km long and consists of various road types designed to mirror road conditions around the world and test their cars in extreme conditions. Wheelsforwomen.ie were invited to this track in Lommel to experience just how Ford have tested their new C-Max for the road.
So what’s there?
The Lommel test track is a variety of tracks and road surfaces and the test track varies from high speed banked 5 lane roads to winding smooth surfaces and steep gradients in order to ensure that performance, speed and handling are up to scratch.
The durability portion of the track consists of cobbled streets, gravel roads, dirt tracks, an off-roading course, speed ramps and railway crossings. There are also manholes of various sizes and plenty of kerbs and inclines to test just how tough the suspension is.
How are the cars tested?
The test drivers work an 8 hour shift and 4 hours of this is spent driving on the various portions of the track. Following the “driving” portion of the test the cars have a mud bath, followed by a salt spray and are placed in humidity chambers which may sound like a relaxing experience but is designed to test the bodywork and replicate 6 years of use.
What about the interior?
The testing doesn’t stop on the outside of the car. Engineer’s don pregnancy suits to experience just what life is like for expectant mothers inside a car and to ensure all controls are still accessible. The engineers also have devices they can wear which reduce mobility to replicate ageing and various glasses which allow them to experience their cars with eye conditions such as Glaucoma.
It’s not just the accessibility of vehicles that are tested – all plastics and fabrics within the car undergo durability testing to ensure they are scratch proof, wipe clean and won’t fade through use. The fabrics are also tested to ensure they aren’t harbouring any nasty odours!
And safety features?
The newest Ford models are available with a range of safety features and of course these also need to be tested. While at Lommel we were given the opportunity to test out the Cross Traffic Alert which brings your attention to passing traffic if you’re trying to reverse out of a space and also the Active City Brake system. This braking system unfortunately failed to bring the car to a complete stop a few times while we were there but it did reduce the speed of the collision and the severity of the impact. The engineers supervising the tested blamed the failure to stop on overheating brakes.
As part of their safety testing Ford collaborate with child seat manufacturers and swap data to ensure their cars are as safe as possible for occupants of all ages – they also recommend speaking to your Ford dealer before purchasing a car seat as they will be able to advise which seat works best with each car from their test results.
Suzanne Keane
28th September, 2015
