Family vans are slowly drowning in all the SUV and crossover hype. But the Ford S-Max shows as a full hybrid that these veterans can be a real alternative.
Bye bye Vans. The spaceships are seldom on our roads. Why actually? Just because you don’t sit quite as high as in a cross-over? Because the look isn’t that scary? Not that hip? Classic family cruisers like the Ford S-Max offer a lot of advantages. It starts right at the entrance, which does not mutate into a climbing game and is also very easy at the back with the sliding door.
So into the Ford S-Max, which is now equipped with a full hybrid drive train. So the vans also keep up with the times. In the Ford, the drive train consists of a 2.5 liter four-cylinder gasoline engine that works in the fuel-saving Atkinson cycle. There is also an electric motor that draws its energy from a 1.1 kilowatt-hour battery and even allows pure electric powering for short distances. Then a tone sounds to warn the other road users
The drive unit is completed by a CVT transmission, which is a Ford in-house development and operates with artificially set shift points. Such an automatic is not necessarily known for sporty, crisp gear changes, rather, due to the concept, for continuous adjustment of the gear ratio. Due to the concept, this leads to the often mentioned chewing gum effect when you are out and about with such an automatic. But at Ford’s European division they pride themselves on building good chassis and sporty cars. That is why the engineers have also lent a hand with the CVT transmission.
The intervention with the artificially set switching points is good for the circuit, as it minimizes the annoying rubber band effect. Driving with the Ford CVT transmission feels smooth. The electric assistance helps when accelerating, only if you want to know it with all your might and get everything out of the engine, even this optimized automatic cannot completely hide its nature. But the relaxed gliding goes really well with the S-Max FHEV, if you take off the gas, the 4.80 meter long van sails. The chassis is set to be more comfortable. So the S-Max is particularly suitable for long journeys and the average consumption of 6.5 liters per 100 kilometers does not burden the travel budget too much. The sprint time from zero to 100 km / h in 9.8 seconds and the top speed of 185 km / h shows that you can also be brisk with the electrified S-Max.
You can make yourself comfortable behind the steering wheel anyway, as the 18-way adjustable seats are certified by the “Healthy Back” campaign, can be cooled or heated and, if desired, also offer a massage function. In the rear you sit on well-padded chairs and adults can make themselves comfortable there too. The backrests of the back seat fold down via remote unlocking in the trunk, which then results in a flat loading area on which bulky and long objects can also be stowed. The volume of the luggage compartment is 700 liters with two rows of seats, which shrinks to 285 liters when there are three. If the backrests are flat, the volume increases to 2,020 liters and offers plenty of space.
Even if you see it differently in the land of unlimited possibilities, infotainment has not been on par with German competitors for some time. This is no different with this version of the sync system, in which the virtual round instruments are displayed on a ten inch screen, while the infotainment command center has to make do with two inches less in the screen diagonal. Even if the graphics of the menus and the navigation system are not as opulent and detailed as those of some competitors, you can still get along well with the Ford system. Especially since the smartphone can be integrated via Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. However, some levers and switches could be more valuable.
When it comes to assistants, the Ford S-May FHEV can keep up with the competition: A blind spot assistant is also on board, as is a traffic jam assistant with a stop & go function or a lane assistant. The entire hybrid package costs at least 42,100 euros, but the price of the luxury variant “Vignale” can increase by 9,800 euros. The VW Sharan starts with the “Comfort” equipment and a 110 kW / 150 PS at 41,315 euros. So the Ford S-Max is well worth a look.
I am Pierce Boyd, a driven and ambitious professional working in the news industry. I have been writing for 24 Hours Worlds for over five years, specializing in sports section coverage. During my tenure at the publication, I have built an impressive portfolio of articles that has earned me a reputation as an experienced journalist and content creator.
