Ford S-Max

Following the 'concept' unveiled at the Frankfurt show a year ago, Ford has now released pictures of the near-identical production version of the second-generation S-Max. The car will make its public debut at the Paris Motor Show next month, and goes on sale in early 2015.

Although it's designed in Europe for the European market, the S-Max has still received the One Ford global design treatment. That means the generic chromed trapezoidal grille, tapered lamps and creased hood are present and correct, visually aligning it with the Fusion/Mondeo with which it shares a platform. However, as with the most-recent Kuga, this is at the expense of the previous model's more distinctive overall design. The S-Max also loses details like the circular fog lamps mounted high up the bumpers and caricature fender vent this time around.

Although very similar in size to the outgoing model, the A-pillar of the new S-Max has been moved reward, continuing the wider industry trend of moving away from monovolumes. The beltline has been raised to reinforce the car's positioning as the sportiest minivan on the market, although that comes at the expense of reduced glazing, which seems like an oversight in a family car.

The tailgate is a stacked with surface changes that somehow lack the confidence of the simpler original. We'll have to wait until Paris to be sure.

As with the exterior, the cabin has been given a contemporary if not exactly exciting makeover, with all but the HVAC controls now incorporated in an eight-inch touchscreen. However, again that comes with the loss of the some of the original's interesting details, like its parking brake lever that plunged into the center console.

We're adding it to our list of somewhat underwhelming Paris show debutants.

Full Ford S-Max gallery >

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