• Single hybrid option only
• Aceptable performance
• If you want diesel, buy used

Hybrid engines

As the S-Max heads towards retirement, the diesel models have followed the petrol versions by being quietly dropped from the model lineup. That means your only choice is a lone petrol hybrid powertrain, known as the Duratec FHEV.

It delivers 190hp for adequate acceleration and potentially decent fuel consumption. It’s a similar unit to that found in the Kuga PHEV, but without the facility to plug in – relying on the engine to keep its battery topped up.

Although the power output looks healthy enough, a maximum torque figure of 200Nm is far lower than the 310-450Nm of pulling power you get in the now-discontinued diesels. All this means you need to work the S-Max hard to make decent progress.

On paper, its 0-62mph time of 9.8 seconds and maximum speed of 115mph are acceptable, but in order to keep up with the flow, you’ll often need to floor the throttle with the engine revving noisily. On the move, it’s best trickling around town with the large hybrid battery assisting the getaway from the lights and gentle driving. Once up to speed, it’s best on the motorway, offering restful cruising, with low levels of noise as the engine ticks over in the background.

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What’s it like to drive?

• S-Max the best-handling MPV
• Feels much like a regular hatchback
• Good body control and sharp steering

The S-Max has always been renowned for its agility as much as its ability to carry seven people and a their luggage. It’s the same with the hybrid model, which proves as fun to drive as many rivals’ hatchbacks carrying less weight and a lower centre of gravity.

At the centre of this experience is the car’s lack of body roll – even when you tip it into a roundabout at speed the body doesn’t move around uncomfortably. Ride comfort isn’t sacrificed, but along with the low-slung seat, the S-Max feels like a much lower car on the move, with quick responses to input and decent levels of feedback from the electrically-assisted steering.

You can choose to specify the optional Adaptive Steering system which makes the car feel even more wieldy. The S-Max can alter the correlation between input at the steering wheel and output at the road wheels so that at low speed it requires fewer turns of lock to park. At high speed it can reduce the sensitivity to make for an even more relaxed drive on the motorway.