THE Ford S-MAX was voted European Car of the Year when it was launched back in 2007 and it's gone on to become one of the most sought after seven seaters in the UK.

Its secret is a blend of practicality, performance and styling which puts it at the top of the MPV tree.

Only the VW Sharan and SEAT Alhambra come close but as a trend setting family all-rounder the S-MAX is in a league of its own.

The S-MAX was given a makeover some 18 months ago and there are now more than 50,000 on the road - most in high specification trim indicating that buyers aren't afraid to splash out.

Prices for a new one run from £21,495 for a two-litre petrol model in Zetec trim to £30,595 for a top grade 2.2-litre diesel Titanium X Sport.

It is Ford's flagship and over the years we have clocked up tens of thousands of miles in a variety of versions.

Not once have we suffered a mechanical failure although there have been issues - mainly electrical niggles - and we were stung for more than £300 by a puncture, the cost of replacing the tyre and repair kit. There is no spare wheel.

Our current S-MAX is a two-litre petrol Titanium X Sport auto which uses a 240ps EcoBoost engine, the most powerful of its kind in the Ford repertoire at the moment.

The engine is also used in the Mondeo but you won't find it in Ford's other MPV, the Galaxy.

We have covered more than 13,000 miles in the car and it's showing an average of 30.1mpg making it the most fuel efficient petrol version we have tried.

Nevertheless that figure is short of the 34 to the gallon Ford claims and CO2 emissions of 194g/km don't do any favours to business users face a 28 per cent tax rate.

In fairness, much of the mileage has been achieved on the motorway and the economy is significantly better than the 27 to the gallon we managed in an original 2.5-litre twin turbo

Diesel versions remain more business focused and the 1.6-litre can average close on 55 to the gallon with much more tax friendly emissions of 139g/km.

The trade off is with performance and driver involvement is a forte of the S-MAX.

The 240ps EcoBoost engine gives the car a sub eight second 0 to 60 time and a top speed of 146mph making it the quickest of its kind.

Handling for a car of such proportions is excellent and while the six speed Powershift box is smooth on the move there is the odd clunk as it changes down when coming to rest.

When it comes to refinement the top class status of the S-MAX shines through. There are plenty of extras on this car - list price £30,445 - but it is in the same league as a full blown exec-mobile and still costs less than £35,000.

Additional features include a high end sat nav system which delivers live traffic information and can suggest diversions, blind spot and lane drift alert and automatic high beam - handy around town but generally not to our liking and best left disabled, especially on dual carriageways.

There is also a rear view reversing camera which is an indispensible aid with or without privacy glass.

With LED running lights and slightly sharper lines the latest S-MAX is even more of a good looker, cutting a dash with coupe-like curves that set it apart from other MPVs. From the front and side the vehicle has terrific presence.

Inside it is supremely roomy for five while the foldaway third row of seats stay best suited for occasional use and then by children. Deployment takes less than a minute but the luggage blind is still an issue and cannot be conveniently stored inside the vehicle once removed.

Luggage space ranges from a Fiesta-sized 285 litres with all seats in use to a massive 2,000 litres with the back five folded flat - and that's as big as a van.

Use it as a five seater and there is 755 litres of space in the boot which is super-sized for the average family.

A problem on earlier versions was cargo sliding about and falling out as the tailgate was opened. That is now remedied by a detachable bar fitted across the width of the boot - but be careful not to rest anything heavy on it as the retaining lugs can snap.

Overall the S-MAX has found a niche of its own among MPVs as a practical all rounder which is not only stylish but with higher powered engines is potent and rewarding to drive.

The new car remains an MPV to be seen in and on the used front it has a degree of exclusivity which has seen values hold up well.

Early models should be fetching between £7,500 and £9,000 while more recent examples range from between £16,000 to £21,000 for cars registered in 2010.