Ford S Max 2.0 EcoBoost Review: Smax that

What we like:

Dynamic character

classy and well-built cabin

well-equipped

safety

refinement

strong performance

stylish looks

What we dislike:

Doesn't ride as well as the taller Galaxy

not as spacious as the Galaxy

The S-Max's slightly less generous exterior dimensions than the Galaxy's naturally equates to a noticeably less spacious interior than its big brother's. Up front, the driver is greeted by the same dashboard as the Galaxy's, which is no bad thing as the quality of the materials and switchgear are right up there with the best Germany can offer. A nice design touch is the aircraft thrust lever style parking brake below the gear lever. The driving position is commanding and tall but with ample adjustments on the electrically adjustable driver's seat and the steering wheel, every frame or body size will feel comfortable and snug. The view out of the driver's seat is nothing short of excellent thanks to the generously sized windscreen and the additional glass area behind the A-pillars.

With the facelift, the S-Max's interior not only received minor detail changes to the trim colours and inserts but also new features like a new multifunctional overhead console with sunglasses holder and child-watch mirror, revised instruments featuring Ford's Convers+ multi-function colour LCD screen and a LED interior lighting system as well as a revised climate control system, which now features a new ventilated temperature and humidity sensor mounted in the steering column shroud, which adds to the improved comfort of passengers.

The second row consists of three individual seats that can slide and tilt separately so you can easily vary legroom between the third and second rows. With a shorter rear overhang than the Galaxy, the S-Max doesn't offer as much legroom as the latter in the rearmost row, while the lower roof also means that the whole cabin doesn't feel as airy and open as that of the Galaxy's. Access to the rear is easy as well thanks to the second row seat's ability to tilt and slide forward generously for ingress and egress as well as the relatively long rear doors.

With all seats up, the boot area behind the last row is reasonable enough as it can still gobble up a week's grocery shopping or a couple of fairly sized overnight bags. The third row seats might be fiddly to fold down if you did not read the instructions beforehand and follow the sequence diligently. Pull the levers and knobs in the right sequence though and Ford's Fold Flat System in the S-Max's rear can easily convert from a passenger compartment into a large load area.

With the third row folded away, boot volume increases to 1171 litres and when the second row is folded as well, a gargantuan 2000 litres will be available. Moreover, you can store really long items like a Billy bookcase from Ikea by folding flat the seatbacks on all three rows on the passenger side. Additional storage spaces are in abundance - there's a big glove box, under seat storage compartments and roof-mounted cubbyholes to store smaller and loose items.

Safety is a strong selling point for the S-Max. The Euro NCAP five-star S-Max has a plethora of airbags to save its occupants' lives in a shunt. Active safety features include ESP with traction control and ABS among others. Build quality is reasonably good as well - the doors look and feel solid and the shut lines relatively even.

The S-Max is strong on the standard kit front. In addition to the active and passive safety features mentioned previously, the Titanium model here gets 17-inch alloys, cruise control, rain and light sensors, a factory stereo, two zone climate control, HID headlamps, LED daytime running lights, factory fitted 9-speaker stereo, rear air-con vents on the B-pillars and so on.

The 2.0 EcoBoost in Titanium trim might be slightly less affordable than the base 2.3-litre Trend model but the premium is certainly worth every single cent, especially when you consider that the EcoBoost delivers significantly more performance and kit while being cheaper to tax and fuel. The savings in tax and fuel alone with the EcoBoost in the long run could well cancel out the price premium it commands over the 2.3-litre model.

Credits: Story and Photos by Joe Yeo