Ford has unveiled its new Ford S-MAX Concept, which essentially previews the next-gen S-MAX. Exterior design-wise, the vehicle gets the brand’s Kinetic global design language – shades of the facelifted Fiesta to be found in the nose, with that high mounted Aston-like grille leading the way.
Design elements include a sharply raked windscreen and swept-back LED headlamps, as well as a feature line running along the flank of the seven-seater ‘sport activity vehicle’, as the Blue Oval classifies it.
Inside, things have been refined from the current offering, and aside from a more driver-oriented front half of the cabin, the study incorporates higher quality materials such as an ultra-soft leather wrap for the instrument panel and leather/carbon-fibre detailing for the seats. An innovative interior roof design takes the sense of spaciousness to a new level. Oh, and if that gear selector looks familiar, think Jaguar.
Other bits include single-action raising/lowering third row seats, a second row centre seat that folds into the vehicle‘s floor for maximum versatility and a dual-view display in the centre console that offer a different visual presentation to driver and passenger using the same screen – not new, but the tech is trickling down.
The S-MAX Concept isn’t just about fancier trim and better ergonomics though – it’s also a showcase for new features and tech the company is pushing forward. There’s SYNC with MyFord Touch, of course, which delivers wi-fi for passengers on the go, supported by a tablet docking station that allows second row occupants to integrate personal devices into the vehicle.
Also on, SYNC AppLink, which enables the driver to voice-control smart phone apps and work the likes of Spotify, Kaliki, Glympse and Aha. The SYNC system on this one also works with Ford’s ECG (Electrocardiogram) Heart Rate Monitoring Seat, which records the driver’s heart rate and, in the case of an emergency, sends out an alert to medical services via SYNC.
There’s even the possibility of triggering active safety systems to take over in case of an emergency. A Glucose Level Monitoring device can also be connected with SYNC to warn the drive if a child sitting behind is suffering a diabetic attack.
Ford states that the S-MAX Concept is equipped with a 1.5 litre EcoBoost four-cylinder petrol engine, which debuted in the Chinese-market Ford Mondeo. The output figures for the S-MAX Concept isn’t mentioned, but there shouldn’t be too much variation from the 177 hp and 240 Nm quoted for the mill in the Mondeo.
The post Ford S-MAX Concept – previewing the next-gen appeared first on Paul Tan's Automotive News.
via Paul Tan's Automotive News http://paultan.org/2013/08/29/ford-s-max-concept/
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