Ford S-MAX MPV - Practicality & boot space
The S-MAX is ideal for a growing family, with versatile seats that can fit three children in a row and room for everyone’s stuff, however big or small
The Ford S-MAX is as practical as it is good to drive, with three full-size seats in the middle, a decent boot even with the third row of seats in place and lots of places to store general odds and ends. Everything is easy to use, too.
Ford S-MAX interior space & storage
There’s plenty of room for the front five occupants and each of the second-row seats can recline and slide individually to free up extra legroom or boot space as required. They’re also big enough to accommodate three bulky child seats in a row and there are ISOFIX points on each one. If your child seat has a support leg, make sure you buy Ford’s polystyrene filler to reinforce the underfloor compartment.
The third row of seats isn't as big as a C4 Grand SpaceTourer’s and there isn't as much head or legroom, so only kids are likely to be comfortable there – bear in mind there are also no airbags for the third-row seats.
Easy-to-pull toggles make folding any of the rear seats flush with the floor a straightforward task, and the seat bases drop as the seatbacks fold to leave a completely flat load floor. The S-MAX is packed with storage space for family clutter, including a large glovebox, big door pockets and many cup-holders.
Boot space
The cavernous boot in the S-MAX provides more than 2,000 litres of space when all of the rear seats are removed or folded flat. Of course, that’s nowhere near the S-MAX’s bigger brother, the Ford Galaxy, which can swallow up to 2,305 litres of your family’s kit. The third row’s high back can support a tall tower of luggage. Alternatively, a slimline pushchair or larger buggy on its side will fit in easily.
With all seats in place and filled to the roof, the boot can hold 285 litres. Folding the rear two seats sees this figure grow to an impressive 700 litres, though, and this measurement assumes you’ll load the S-MAX’s boot to the parcel shelf.
A flat load bay right up to the hatch, a huge boot opening and seats that fold completely flat make it easy to load even awkward items into the back of the S-MAX. Ford supplies a space-saver spare on diesel models in case of a puncture, because there’s no room for a regular full-size spare wheel. Due to the extra packaging for the electrical system, you have to make do with a tyre inflation kit on hybrid versions. Even models fitted with four-wheel drive have the same interior and boot space - the system has no impact on space.
Towing
The S-MAX has a towing capacity of 2,000kg when fitted with the 187bhp diesel engine, and 1,800kg with the 148bhp engine. The hybrid can tow 1,750kg, but its lower torque figure means it might not feel as comfortable towing as the diesels. A towbar costs £750.
