Ford S-Max

6:08pm Monday 6th August 2007

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THESE are dark days at the Ford Motor Company. Having failed to spot the trend towards more fuel-efficient vehicles in its home marke, sales have stagnated in North America.

The company needs to save a staggering $5bn by 2008 to restore profitability before the end of the decade.

To achieve this it is laying off almost 30,000 workers and closing factories.

Desperate bosses have even been forced to sell some of the family silver (the profitable Aston Martin business) to help boost the bottom line.

Ironically Ford's European operations (Jaguar excepted) are doing fine.

Unlike their US cousins the men and women in charge spotted the need for smaller, distinctive cars that neatly filled a niche.

The latest result of this policy is called the S-Max and Ford hopes to steal a march on its traditional people-carrier opposition by offering a vehicle with the flexibility of a multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) with the added inducement of a far sportier drive. The Galaxy has the traditional MPV bases covered; the SMax is supposed to find favour with the family man who isn't quite ready to trade a keen driving machine for a kiddie carrier.

Although it has a lot in common with the new Galaxy (they share a common platform) Ford has tweaked the styling to make it look more aggressive. Further measures include suspension changes that firm up the ride and more direct steering.

These alterations give the S-Max more in common with a well-sorted hatch, such as the Focus or a Mondeo, than a big old van-with-windows' MPV such as the Renault Espace or the Galaxy.

If you spend the extra money to get the 2.5-litre petrol engine then the S-Max has the get up n' go to match its butch looks.

The same powerplant can be found in the tremendous Focus ST. Fitted to an S-Max it's not quite so quick but there is still enough punch to overtake slowmoving traffic.

The interior is just as impressive.

Ford's designers have used high-quality materials - but only where they needed to. Everything a driver is likely to touch feels well finished. The cheaper plastics are used in the lower half of the dashboard, where they are out of sight. Carbon fibre is used to add a sporty flavour to the interior. Storage space is good with lots of cubby holes and cup holders.

You have the choice of five or sevenseat configurations, and there's even a decent luggage space (although the boot is severely compromised with seven people aboard). Shockingly there's no spare wheel - not even a space-saver type - just a puncture repair kit.

Mobile phone users will find the steering wheel-mounted controls very familiar and easy to operate. Ford clearly spent a lot of time looking at how handset manufacturers have designed ergonomically sound devices that can be used quickly and easily. The mobile phone's ubiquitous rocker button solution has therefore found a place in the SMax.

The driving position - so often a source of problems in MPVs which insist on upright seats more akin to a bus - is nigh on perfect.

If you entrust your family's well-being to an MPV you need to be certain of its safety credentials. The S-Max has front and side airbags, middle row window bags and even a bag to protect the driver's knees. You'd expect to find ISOFIX child seat mounts and active head restraints - the S-Max doesn't disappoint.

The single slot CD is linked to a socket in the glovebox that allows a driver to connect his or her MP3 player. Sound quality is excellent.

Of course, none of this matters if the S-Max misses the target. If Ford's future is to be a rosy one cars like this simply have to be successful.

I'm surprised it has taken Ford's slick new people-carrier to address a niche that seems so obvious.

People-carriers have supposedly being getting better to drive for several years but this is the first overtly sporting fullsized MPV that looks the part.

Even the Vauxhall Zafira VXR - a car that goes like the wind - appears dumpy and dull compared to an S-Max.

In that respect I reckon this new Ford will sell like hot cakes.