We tested the new Ford S-Max Hybrid: one of a kind (but really)

What sense does the Ford S-Max have for 2022? In a world dominated by the SUV dynasty, the seven-seater minivans are a saga that points to extinction. Some old glories remain standing, such as the dean Renault Espace, who tried to get ahead by taking off years with a crossover suit (and not even for those will he escape his destiny), while the Sharan, Alhambra and Prius+ sadly face retirement, waiting for a opportunity in the second-hand market.

These are bad times for the great minivan, that segment that in the 90s split corduroy. If today you need a large space on wheels, prepare your wallet to pay what it costs, and it is not always worth it, a seven-seater SUV like one of these:

And almost certainly there is another car out there to mention, because the range of alternatives in the seven-seater SUV world is extensive and growing.

A seven-seater minivan in a world conquered by SUVs: the Almussafes challenge

And lo and behold, Ford announces what no one else has right now: a seven-seater minivan with hybrid motorization and an ECO label. For less than 40,000 euros, as soon as you read a couple of asterisks such as the commercial discount or the financing discount. Oh, and with immediate delivery, something that in current times is a commercial attraction per se.

It is manufactured in Almussafes (Valencia), which in the current context would be a bit like the village of Asterix in a world almost conquered by large SUVs, which would be the Romans. The Galaxy also comes from there, which in this generation is a brother of the S-Max, the Kuga, the Transit Connect and, for now, the Mondeo, which is also playing petanque and asking how the Imserso is going.

In the S-Max, Panorámix's potion to deal with the SUVworld of seven seats with an ECO label is a 1.1 kWh battery that provides an electric range of about 2 kilometers to a 125 CV engine, while the propulsion of gasoline is provided by a Duratec 2.5 Atkinson cycle engine and 152 hp.

In other words, it is a hybrid car that does not need a plug and that uses practically the same formula used by the Ford Kuga FHEV, although with a different battery (in the Kuga, the capacity is 1.4 kWh). And, like the SUV, the combined power of the Ford S-Max FHEV is 190 hp.

Ford S-Max FHEV exterior: no surprises

When seeing the Ford S-Max, the first impression that remains is that of being in front of a somewhat large car in each of its dimensions, although some points of its bodywork seek to considerably reduce that feeling.

Thus, both the rising hood and the ribs that stand out on the flanks and that are common to the current Ford range, serve to reduce visual weight while making the general lines more dynamic. Reaching the rear, the soft slope of the roof is visually accentuated by some guardrails whose upper frame descends more decisively.

With 18-inch wheels as standard and with the accessories typical of the ST-Line version, as we see in these images, the Ford S-Max FHEV aspires to win over customers who are looking for a more attractive aesthetic in a seven-seater minivan. bolder than that offered by the Ford Galaxy, which exhibits a somewhat more conservative body.

The exterior of the Ford S-Max won't go down in the annals of Automotive Design History, but it doesn't pretend to. The purpose of a minivan is marked by pragmatism, and although the objective of the S-Max is to sell a certain sportiness compared to the option of the Galaxy, it is not a car that invites too much family disarray.

And besides, it should always be remembered that the interesting thing about a car in this segment is usually inside. Let's see it.

Ford S-Max FHEV Interior: Relative Comfort and Excellent Equipment Level

Amplitude. That is one of the main values ​​of the Ford S-Max FHEV, a value that is perceived in the front seats, also in the central row of seats and, much less, in the third row, where the sixth and seventh seats are located.

There are seven seats, unless you order the car with five. And it is that, in the words of Ford, "who needs seven seats, needs them. There is no discussion." Hey. However, when the two rear seats are not needed, the seats use Ford's EasyFold system to fold down comfortably at the touch of a button.

The Ford S-Max has the particularity of having individual seats in all seats, and except for the third row, it has longitudinal adjustments and backrest tilt, which allows a very useful modularity, with up to 991 mm of legroom in the second row, a dimension that, however, drops to 716 mm in the seats of the third row.

In addition, the second row of seats has a good capacity to install three child restraint systems simultaneously, and all with Isofix. Some folding trays located behind the backrests of the front seats remind us of the general purpose of this eminently family vehicle.

For adult occupants, while legroom ranges from adequate to excellent depending on fore/aft adjustment, headroom clearance may not be overly generous. In the third row of seats, enduring a long drive can be a lot to bear.

The battery that mounts the Ford S-Max FHEV is very compact, and barely weighs 31 kg. It is made up of 60 cells that, thanks to liquid cooling, can be mounted close together. In fact, it is a smaller battery than the one fitted to the Mondeo or the Kuga, much flatter as well, and it is mounted in a very low position, preventing it from taking up too much space.

The boot offers unbeatable load space: 2,200 liters at maximum load if ordered in the five-seater version (2,020 liters in the seven-seater), 1,035 liters with five seats (965 liters in the seven-seater version with two seats folded down) and 285 liters with all seven seats in use. This, with a flat floor and a very accessible loading height: 671 mm from the ground.

In this section, it is worth taking into account a certain inconsistency, and that is that with seven occupants the space left for the trunk can be scarce. Thus, the option that, going on a trip, the people who occupy the third row of seats can borrow clothes when they arrive at their destination can be assessed.

It should also be noted that, logically, the configuration of the seats does not allow the trunk to have a mobile floor that can be placed at different heights, although it does have a small lower compartment to store objects such as tools or gloves.

The spaciousness for the occupants is also reflected in a good collection of storage compartments that, distributed throughout the passenger compartment, include a generous central chest, a document holder space in the upper part of the dashboard or a discreet pocket tray under the center console, behind the module. major.

Comfort. The other great value offered by the Ford S-Max FHEV is comfort on board. Ignoring what has already been said about the seats in the third row, we have that in the first and second row the seats invite you to make long journeys without the back suffering at all.

Practicality invades the passenger compartment, with the well-known Ford gear selection wheel, which avoids taking up space, but also with a screen that has a precise reaction to touch. In general, a good quality is perceived in the details, especially in the sensation transmitted by the materials that dress its interior.

Although not everything will be positive points...

Improved control ergonomics. Although the driving position is very intuitive, and despite the improvements made to the SYNC3 system interface, the control layout is sometimes far from being the most advisable.

This is the case of the air conditioning, which can be regulated by the touch screen and also by buttons, although these have been scattered around the frame of the console in a somewhat chaotic way. Something similar happens with the sound and cruise control controls, which force you to remove your fingers too much from your position at the wheel.

All in all, these are slight pending improvements in a set that comes loaded with good equipment. And best of all, the vast majority of Ford S-Max FHEV units that are going to be sold provide all this, without it being necessary to go to a top of the range to travel with great comfort.

The Ford S-Max FHEV is marketed in four versions, as we recently saw in the equipment detail:

It is worth noting that the S-Max comes with a built-in modem, three free months of mobile internet, Wi-Fi hotspot for 10 devices, and is focused on the Ford Pass app, which allows you to interact with the car from your mobile, start it, turn it off, heat the passenger compartment, carry out all the management with the mechanical workshop...

Among the optional packages, the X Package stands out, which for 3,500 euros adds in the Titanium and ST-Line versions keyless opening and hands-free gate, pre-collision assistant with pedestrian and cyclist detection, adaptive cruise control, blind spot detection, fully assisted parking, front and rear cameras, dynamic anti-glare LED headlights and SONY navigator with 8-inch TFT touch screen as SYNC3 system interface.

Undoubtedly, it is a good option that should be taken into account to complete a car that, if it shines for something, is for its excellent value for money in a segment where it has no competition or rival.

And the time has come to see how all this is reflected in motion.

Behind the wheel of the Ford S-Max Hybrid

The Ford S-Max is a model that is manufactured with a diesel engine for other markets, but in Spain and Portugal we will only see it with what Ford calls self-recharging hybrid motorization (that is, non-plug-in hybrid motorization, Full-Hybrid Electric Vehicle or FHEV ). A hybrid of the usual, go.

This hybridization consists of an electric motor combined with an Atkinson cycle Duratec gasoline engine. Atkinson is a cycle derived from the Otto cycle (Otto is the classic gasoline cycle of all life) where the intake valve remains open until the compression of the mixture in the cylinders has begun.

This makes it possible to save fuel by making better use of the energy released after the explosion thanks to a high compression rate, without the fuel self-detonating. On the other hand, benefits are lost, so that the power that is developed is less. Since the first Toyota Prius, Atkinson is a cycle used by many hybrid cars to save fuel.

In this hybrid configuration, the gasoline engine provides a maximum power of 152 hp, while the electric motor delivers a maximum of 120 hp. This results in a certainly cheerful response, especially when starting from a standstill, which is where the electrical part gives everything to push the bodywork.

In the case of the Ford S-Max FHEV, regenerative braking converts up to 90% of the kinetic energy into electricity that would be converted into heat when braking in a car with only thermal engine. This electricity allows the car to move from a standstill, and is also used exclusively in urban traffic, as long as we are precise with the use of the accelerator.

It should be remembered that we are talking about a motorization whose combined power is 190 CV, to move a vehicle whose empty mass is 1,947 kg, a not insignificant figure. In addition, this is a minivan designed to pull trailers with a capacity of no less than 1,750 kg if equipped with five seats, and 1,560 kg with seven seats.

The gearbox is automatic, epicyclic train, and its operation is smooth in general. This is not the case in situations where driver demand is high. There it suffers from a certain excessive stretching of the engine speed that, if one corrects with the accelerator, proves unnecessary to save the ballot. In recoveries, on the other hand, it is fast enough.

In short, we are facing a non-plug-in hybrid engine that works more than satisfactorily when it comes to moving this minivan.

In the consumption section, Ford exploits the idea that the 65 liters of the gasoline tank, in combination with the electricity of the battery that is recharged on the move, give for "more than 1,100 km of autonomy", something that in a car like the one we are testing constitutes a very juicy promise.

Without finding out how many real kilometers he achieves, because the time available for this humble editor is not enough, at the end of the test the display shows an average consumption of 5.5 l/100 km, compared to 6.4 l/ 100 km of WLTP combined cycle declared on the card.

If the consumption were linear, calculator in hand comes out a total of 1,182 km per tank. And, from what was experienced during the days that the test lasted, the real autonomy could well be around that figure without excessive deviation.

Of course, this is achieved by driving smoothly and using the PnG technique to prevent consumption from skyrocketing. PnG (Pulse & Glide, or step and release) consists of accelerating vigorously and then releasing the right pedal and letting the vehicle continue on its way at zero cost, regenerating energy. It is not necessary to go at a tartan step to achieve it, but it is necessary to have a minimum touch on the right foot.

The suspension is soft, which contributes to accentuate ride comfort by addressing irregularities in the ground, firming the tread and without giving a floating sensation, in general.

The mass of the vehicle helps to make it stable on high capacity roads, although when we undertake turns on the road those extra kilos and the high driving position provide a certain feeling of instability and body roll. It is not serious, but it is worth remembering that we have a two-ton vehicle and act accordingly.

The braking touch is variable, as it happens in other hybrid cars, so that the first section of the pedal travel is used for the regeneration of electricity, and the second stops braking the wheels due to the friction of the brakes. Thus, it is advisable to apply some regressive braking at the moment of stopping, to avoid pitching of the bodywork.

The steering feel is somewhat springy, which doesn't add much to ride reliability. For its part, the assistance is precise and not excessive, so that one thing ends up more or less compensating for the other.

In the city it handles well between lanes, but it does not shine in maneuverability, especially when it comes to turning in places that are not too wide.

And it is that with a turning radius between curbs of 11.95 meters, the Ford S-Max is not particularly comfortable when turning, although it is in a fairly even figure with which most SUVs of its size, except for the case of the SsangYong Rexton, which with a longer wheelbase (2,865 mm) manages to contain this figure in just 11 meters.

As a curiosity, within the same brand of the blue oval we have the Ford Galaxy, a minivan that is sold as a more conservative option, allows you to turn more in less space: 11.65 meters. And on the other hand, the Renault Espace with 4Control steering stays at 11.60 meters (without rear steering, 12.4 meters).

And now that we have managed to turn the car around on this street, we are going to park it for a moment to talk about its prices.

Prices of the Ford S-Max Hybrid in Spain

Two very interesting nuances must be added to the Ford S-Max FHEV price table:

1. Commercial discount for all customers, of 19.5% on the ex-factory price (that is, without counting transport, registration or taxes).
2. Financing discount of an additional 1,500 euros. Ford carries out practically all its financing through the multi-option system, which after 2 or 3 years allows you to refinance the amount that remains outstanding, return the car and cancel the loan, or change the car for a new one.

Taking the reference of the Ford S-Max FHEV ST-Line with Package X (48,960 euros according to rate), the final price is about 39,000 euros without doing anything special. And if it is financed, in the end one takes home a fully equipped seven-seater hybrid minivan for about 37,500 euros. That is not bad at all, in the current panorama of the automobile market.

Ford S-Max Full Hybrid: our assessment

At a time when buying something other than an SUV can almost be seen as an act of rebellion, the Ford S-Max Hybrid brings unrivaled comfort. And it is that, in the market, this seven-seater minivan can proudly say that it has no rival, while its already few competitors are on their way to retirement.

It is large, comes very well equipped and consumes little, as long as you know how to carry it. And besides, it costs less than many seven-seater SUVs. As a five-seater minivan with two additional seats for specific cases, it is an excellent purchase. But if you always want to have seven seats for long trips carrying the corresponding gear, you may end up folding yourself into the SUV fashion and paying the price of having the largest car in the entire community garage.

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