Ford S-Max Review

The S-Max has seven individual seats arranged in three rows. The middle row can independently slide back and forth and also recline. It has enough room for two adults, but three will notice limited elbow room. The third row is best kept for kids because an adult will find their knees pressed to their chest – the Ford Galaxy is a better bet if you need more space. The third row of seats is very easy to raise and drop, making the £400 optional electric seat-folding system unnecessarily frivolous.

Seats are comfortable and supportive in all the right areas. Couple that to the range of adjustability to the steering column and the S-Max offers a very good driving position with a good overview of the road ahead.

This being a family car, there are lots of small cubbies and storage areas dotted all around the cabin. You can find space for everything from keys to 1.5-litre water bottles.

The boot is not the biggest in class, but is still huge and has a usable shape. The low loading lip and flat area when the seats are folded down mean the S-Max can fit a lot of luggage. With all the seats up there is 285 litres of space – more than a Fiesta. With all the seats on the floor the space is a van-like 2,020 litres. That is 169 litres more than what the Grand C4 Picasso can hold.

The new S-Max is offered with a choice of two petrol engines and one diesel in four power levels. A six-speed automatic transmission is available as an option as well as, for the first time, four-wheel drive.

The diesels feel much faster and eager in the real world than the petrols. The most frugal option with 120hp can achieve 56.9mpg and produces 129g/km of CO2. The same mpg and CO2 emissions are expected from the 150hp and 180hp versions. The 210hp twin-turbocharged 2.0-litre diesel is the pick of the range if you want the fastest S-Max. For any other purpose, the 150hp and 180hp versions are perfectly suited for moving the car along.

Starting from a 1.5-litre with 120hp and ending with a 240hp 2.0-litre the petrol range is limited, to put it mildly. The small 120hp engine struggles with the weight of the car and the 240hp one, taken from the Focus ST, is way too thirsty on fuel so you better stick with the diesels

The S-Max feels smaller than it actually is – some even compare it to the Ford Fiesta. The new S-Max is fun to throw around a twisty country road, but also surprisingly manoeuvrable around town.

Ride quality is another area where the new S-Max receives good reviews – it is described as remarkably composed. The Ford is very comfortable on the motorway and passengers don’t feel tired after a long journey. Road noise, tyre roar and engine sound are rarely heard in the well-insulated cabin making the S-Max a very capable cruiser.