What is it?
It’s a new MPV! Although Ford won’t thank you for calling it one - it prefers to label the Ford S-Max a sports activity vehicle, on account of the Ford Galaxy fulfilling the people-mover role. But still, a car that seats seven that’s not an SUV is reason enough to get excited.
Now offered with a hybrid powertrain, the S-Max produces 187bhp and 148lb ft from the combined Atkinson-cycle petrol and AC synchronous electric motor, channeling the power through a CVT to the front wheels.
These are hardly revelatory figures, so it’s not surprising to see the 9.9sec 0-62mph time, given the near two-tonne kerb weight.
But the hybrid isn't about outright pace, rather fuel savings. At 43.5mpg, it gets similar to the diesel S-Max, but its CO2 emissions figure is a handy couple of tax brackets lower (at least, depending on the engine).
There’s no plug-in hybrid option offered, mainly because most customers for the sibling Galaxy are taxi drivers, and they don’t want to sit idle while the PHEV charges, according to Ford.
Inside, it’s business as usual, with slightly dated infotainment graphics but an enormous and practical interior. Ford has carefully rerouted the exhaust around the hybrid’s additional battery pack, so the boot space (maxed out at 2020 litres) is the same as in the diesel.
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Ford needs to turn their MPVs electric
They should at least give it a mild Hyprid set up and then the next generation if not fully electric could have a Hyprid as well.