Ford S-MAX review

The S-Max has always been much less of a bus to drive than many of its competitors. The steering is accurate and easygoing and it doesn’t wallow or roll – in fact ride comfort and damping are generally excellent whatever kind of road you’re on, even on the ST-Line’s slightly firmer suspension. It feels like… a Ford, which is a Very Good Thing. An especially good long-distance cruiser, with comfy seats and well-suppressed wind/tyre noise. 

WHAT ENGINES CAN YOU GET? 

Like the SUVs and crossovers that are stealing away their customers, traditionally diesel has been the MPV’s fuel of choice. S-Max buyers can pick between two – one with front-wheel drive, 148bhp and either a six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic transmission, the other with the option of all-wheel drive, 187bhp and the eight-speeder as standard. The most recent addition to the line-up is the S-Max Hybrid, which has a 2.5-litre petrol engine allied to a small electric motor via a CVT transmission. 

You can’t plug it in, and it has no meaningful electric-only range. Instead the tiny battery is routinely topped-up by the engine and regen-braking, and the car figures out how to trade electric and petrol power for max efficiency. In practice, with a gentle right foot you can get up to 30mph or so before the engine kicks in. It’ll switch off again when you lift and coast or hit the brakes. There are no drive modes – you just have to trust it’s doing all it can to lengthen the time and distance covered between fuel stops. 

The hybrid powertrain is very quiet and smooth in general operation. The CVT is stepped and does a not entirely convincing impression of a conventional auto under moderate acceleration, but it’s certainly among the better transmissions of its type. The engine is quiet and calm unless you really mash the throttle pedal, but there’s enough performance here you shouldn’t need to do that too often. Ford claims 0-62mph in 9.8 seconds, which is fine in a car like this. 

IS IT ECONOMICAL?

Yes. Over almost 400 miles in the S-Max Hybrid, split between motorway, town and country, we averaged 55mpg versus Ford’s claim of up to 44.1mpg. When it arrived with just over three-quarters of a tank of fuel, the range readout reckoned on over 700 miles before stopping for gas. Your milage will obviously vary depending on how you drive, how much stuff/many people you carry and so-on, but the S-Max Hybrid nonetheless feels like a good bet for eco-conscious families with nowhere to plug-in.