FORD is taking motoring to the max with a new flagship for its family-friendly range of people movers.

The all-new S-MAX is breaking new ground in the MPV sector and is the leading light in Ford's fleet of MAX models.

With some industry leading technology including a device to keep the car safely within the speed limit, the latest S-MAX will be arriving in September priced from £23,310.

As a seven seater it joins the Grand C-MAX as Ford's offerings for larger families and sits at the top of four MAX models alongside the medium sized C-MAX and the smaller B-MAX.

All are designed to be high on practical features but even so Ford's proper people mover remains the Galaxy which too is being relaunched at the same time as the S-MAX.

The Galaxy is a genuine big MPV and can seat seven adults while the rear seats in the MAX models are really only for occasional use - and then by youngsters.

In regular use the S-MAX is likely to be set up as a roomy five seater with the rear seats folded flat into the boot creating a generous amount of cargo space.

The middle row seats can now be dropped flat at the push of a button on the side of the boot compartment and that increases luggage capacity to a van-like 2,000 litres in a matter of seconds.

There is additional underfloor storage at the back of the boot in a compartment which also gives access to the spare wheel which is slung below the body - a welcome replacement for the tyre repair kits used on previous S-MAX models.

However, the luggage blind which slides over the cargo area can still not easily be carried on board if all seats are needed.

Having just tried out the new S-MAX in entry level Zetec trim it demonstrates it is a car that means business on all fronts.

Powered by a 2.0-litre diesel developing 150ps it costs from £25,995 and Ford claims it is good for 56.4mpg with CO2 emissions of 129g/km putting it up with the best when it comes to cars of this ilk.

Although not quite as frugal in real world conditions, it is fitted with a stop/start system which works well in traffic and overall it managed to average 45 to the gallon with ease.

As a six speed manual this is likely to be the most popular engine in the new S-MAX line up which also features a new high performance 210ps version of the 2.0-litre diesel and an all-wheel-drive option.

The 150ps engine fits the bill for most purposes and is nicely powerful with a top speed of 123mph, a 0 to 60 6ime of 10.8 seconds.

Add ons included sat nav, a DAB radio, automatic parking and a new cruise control which incorporates the speed limiter and all in all the car cost £27,390.

The speed limiter works by using a blend of cameras mounted at the front of the car and data from the sat nav to determine the speed limit on any stretch of road.

Once activated it sets the car's speed limiter accordingly and on a light throttle will keep the vehicle within the limit. It is not at all intrusive and should acceleration be needed it can be over-ridden just by increasing pressure on the pedal.

It is a first for Ford and sees the S-MAX making a name for itself as a high-tech pioneer. Other changes include less clutter on the dahs and more storage space inside with deep bottle holders and a large centre console with extra space below the facia.

Like all of Ford's multi-activity vehicles it is designed with practical features at the fore and continues to build on the S-MAX's reputation as a great family all-rounder - something for which the original gained the Car of the Year title when it was launched in 2006.

The slightly smaller Grand C-MAX is priced from £20,295 and the five-seat C-MAX - which is best thought of as a Focus with a giant boot - starts from £17,655.

The baby of the MAX family - the B-MAX - now costs from £13,095 and the line-up has just been expanded to include a new 95ps version of Ford's 1.5-litre diesel engine which takes its CO2 figure to 98g/km making it free from road tax. It is priced from £16,925.