A day after we covered the new Prius + hybrid MPV, Ford has said it can do even better. The 2013 C-Max hybrid has not yet been officially tested in Europe, but Ford says initial tests in the USA show the C-Max beating the Prius by approximately three mpg.We have to be a bit careful as final data has not yet been confirmed, but Ford is talking of a total power output of 188 bhp from its combination of 2.0 normally aspirated petrol engine plus electric motor. The petrol engine is likely to be unique to the hybrid – it is not a turbocharged Ecoboost unit, unlike all other 2.0 litre petrol Fords in Europe. Like the Prius, it is an Atkinson-cycle engine, which has different valve timing to a conventional engine to boost economy at the expense of power.

Ford says that the C-Max hybrid will be slightly cheaper in the US than the Prius +. If that is repeated in the UK, the price is likely to be around £23,000 – £25,000.

As well as the C-Max hybrid, Ford will introduce a C-Max Energi, which is a plug-in version of the hybrid. This will have an electric-only range of 15 miles and no doubt spectacular official fuel consumption figures – expect well over 100 mpg. Real world fuel consumption will depend purely on how often you can plug it into the mains. Without mains recharging, fuel consumption is likely to be in the fifties.