2015 Ford S-Max 1.5 Ecoboost SCTi 160 Titanium UK review

Diesel engines will be the obvious choice for most S-Max buyers, but is this petrol variant worth consideration? The lesser-powered petrol version of Ford’s new S-Max, and it’s likely to be a rare sight on UK roads.That’s because Ford predicts that the diesel engines in the S-Max – four differently tuned 2.0-litre units – will account for 97% of sales in the UK, with the remaining 3% being split between the 158bhp and 237bhp petrol variants.But don’t let modest sales predictions put you off. On paper, this 1.5-litre Ecoboost petrol engine that the S-Max range starts with is more than £1000 cheaper than the 2.0-litre diesel equivalent and shaves almost a second off the 0-62mph time, albeit with inferior fuel economy and CO2 emissions. For the private-buying, urban-dwelling big family, the engine looks like it could be a good fit, but is a faster petrol option really a better bet than the frugal entry-level diesels?We drove this 1.5-litre petrol-engined version with front-wheel drive and six-speed manual gearbox in Titanium trim with an upgraded Sony infotainment system (£450), active park assist (£150), panoramic sunroof (£750), 18in alloys (£400) and the Titanium Family Pack (£400).

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