Ford S-MAX and Galaxy get new engines and mild titivate

The Ford S-Max and Ford Galaxy get new diesel engines to deliver WLTP compliant emissions to their MPVs, plus a smattering of other upgrades.

Does the arrival of an updated Ford S-Max and Galaxy prove Ford are going to keep their MPVs / People Carriers on sale in the UK? No, but the updates announced do make Ford’s body shifters play nicely with the new WLTP requirements.

So the headline for the updates is a new range of diesel engines, with Ford now planting their 2.0 litre EcoBlue four-cylinder diesel engine under the bonnet in a selection of power outputs, 118bhp, 148bhp and 187bhp, plus a 247bhp bi-turbo version if you really need to get the kids to school quickly. There will also be a 1.5 litre petrol with 163bhp before the end of the year.

Other updates include adaptive cruise and proper stop and go if you opt for the eight-speed automatic gearbox, an enhanced take on Blind Spot Monitoring, a new ClearView wiper system, a driver information display in the instrument panel and the option of a 10″ digital instrument panel. Oh, and the parking brake switch has been moved to make it more accessible.

There are also new colour options – Chrome Blue and Diffuse Silver – noise cancellation technology for the S-Max Vignale, and all models with the 247bhp engine, and red brake calipers for the S-Max GT.

Roelant de Waard, Ford’s marketing VP, said:

Our uniquely stylish S-MAX and hugely practical Galaxy are now even more compelling offerings, with advanced powertrain and driver assistance technologies that make driving in any scenario less stressful.

Our 2.0-litre Ford EcoBlue engine and eight-speed automatic transmission deliver the powerful, responsive performance of a petrol powertrain, with optimised diesel fuel efficiency.

The new Ford S-Max and Galaxy are now on sale in the UK.