2015 Ford S-Max Review

Instead of all the SUV and crossover flavors we get nowadays, we’d be treated with people movers in all shapes and sizes. Well, Ford has already done this with the S-Max.

Back in the day, the S-Max arrived as a sister car to the Galaxy full-size MPV. It was and still is targeting a niche slotted in between the Galaxy and the compact Ford C-Max. To this day, the S-Max remains unique in its quest to appeal to family people who enjoy a little bit of spice on their driving menu.

Sure, BMW is now attacking that sort of clientele with the 2-Series derivatives, but even the 2-Series Gran Tourer is still smaller than the S-Max, which makes it a compact player.

We didn’t mention BMW’s name by accident. You see, Ford has always labeled the S-Max as a SAV (Sports Activity Vehicle), not an MPV. That moniker was first used in 1999 by the Bavarians, for the first X5. Once again, this makes us wonder how it would have been to live in a world dominated by people movers.

While that possibility has obviously vanished, Ford has stuck to its S-Max ways, and we recently played the cool mom and dad roles to see where this road has led.

Given the niche size of the Ford S-Max, it was only natural for the second generation to maintain roughly the same dimensions as the first one.

Nevertheless, even as you see the 2015 model from the distance, it’s obvious how much the styling has evolved.

The lower roofline is the one that dictates the livelier appearance of the new S-Max, and as you approach it, things get even better. The more pronounced wheel arches also deserve credit here and so do the All-LED headlights, even though the latter are only offered on high-end trims.

We also enjoyed the bonnet, which is better defined, a move that has been achieved by moving the A-pillars backward.

The S-Max has now been brought in line with the rest of the Aston-grilled Fords and while we can’t deny this makes it a looker, we could do without the faux vents on the front wings.

More often than not with such cars, the rear end is a rather awkward design job, but this isn’t the case here. In fact, the stylish tail lamps are among the car’s best bits.

If you’ve ever been inside the new Mondeo, you’ll feel right at home in the S-Max. The latter doesn’t just borrow the sedan’s platform, it also inherits the dashboard.

That being said, the driving position is lower than what you’d expect when judging from outside the car. The extra length brought by the long upper part of the dash gives you an airy feeling.

Unlike the all-digital approach of the new VW Passat, Ford chose a mix between analog and digital for the instrument panel. In the photos, this looks like a compromising budget solution.

Especially in the top leather and Alcantara trim, the seats offer just the right stiffness mix for a long trip. Many modern car seats are way too firm and the ones in the S-Max seemed to be the same at first, but once you install yourself, hours can pass without too much strain.

The weak link up front has to be the Sync2 system. While the 8-inch touchscreen might seem like just the right tool at first, the system lets you down once you get down to business. First of all, you need a rather firm touch in order to make yourself understood. Then there’s the delay of the navigation system, which can make you miss a roundabout exit or two. Moreover, the menus are split across the screen in patterns that sometimes elude you.

Luckily, Ford has already presented Sync3. We didn’t have the chance to sample it yet, but from the presentation clips we’ve seen, this looks like a massive improvement. Of course, we’ll probably have to wait for the mid-cycle refresh to treat our fingers with that inside an S-Max.

Moving to the center console, the standard electric parking brake means this area gets a cleaner look while the door pockets are generous enough to cater to your needs.

Even though you couldn’t tell just by looking at the rear area, the changes in this part of the cabin are not small either. There’s plenty of room in the second row, with all three seats here being perfectly suitable for long trips.

Moreover, these seats use a clever folding system to allow access to the third row. Each of them goes up and moves forward, which means you can easily access the two places in the rear.

Alas, the high floor means these remain destined to children. Adults can use them too, but only for short distances. When you already have a Grand C-Max with a 5+2 layout, it’s a pity the S-Max doesn’t offer proper capacity for seven people. Galaxy territory protected.

Regardless, the 2015 Ford S-Max offers a class-first electric folding system for all five seats in the back. Play with this little console, which is located in the boot and you end up with a perfectly flat loading surface.

As for the size of the luggage compartment itself, when all seven seats are up, you get about as much space as you’d have in a Fiesta.

Nonetheless, folding the +2 third-row seats brings the capacity to 700 liters (cubic feet), while this can be expanded to 2,000 liters (cubic feet) by folding the second-row seats. In case you’re wondering about the spare wheel, this is located under the car.

Speaking of the boot, the kick-to-open system that became such a popular hit on the Kuga, being chosen by 50 percent of the customers, was also used here. This means there’s no escape from exiting the supermarket with both hands fully loaded.

The power closing function easily deals with the massive tailgate. Mind you, the button for this looks cheap, an issue that affects all the Ford models that offer this feature.

The press event for the 2015 Ford S-Max was held in Palma de Mallorca. Everybody knows the Spanish island for its superb landscape, but it’s also packed with ultra-tight urban areas.

Even the Mondeo has rather thick A-pillars, so we obviously came across these in the S-Max. Nonetheless, the small windows up front do help.

Then there’s the split-view front camera system, another first for the class. Offering a 180-degree angle, the system came in handy on many occasions. You just have to keep in mind that it takes about two seconds from the moment you’ve decided you need it until the images start to be generated.

The S-Max felt decently nimble even on the narrow, stone-paved streets we mentioned above. The parking sensor system that also covers the sides of the car is one useful tool, but the rear camera resolution is barely acceptable.

With the serious soundproofing of the car, you feel warmly isolated from most of the urban buzz.

Before we move on to the sunny, open-road driving part of the review, we have to talk about the engine range. On the diesel side, Ford offers four 2-liter hearts for the S-Max. These offer 120 hp, 150 hp, 180 hp and 210 hp. And yes, the latter is a twin-turbo unit.