THE new Ford Galaxy is living up to its name by deploying a range of high technology that not so long ago would have been classified as space age.

Twenty one years after the original first arrived, the fourth generation of Ford's family-friendly big MPV is moving upmarket with an array of clever devices to help drivers and passengers alike.

It's a car which can see round corners thanks to a 180 degree camera system and it is also a vehicle that can help motorists stay within the law with an ‘intelligent' speed limiter that can read toad signs and adjust the throttle accordingly.

It can show other MPVs a few tricks as well by being the first to have a control which raises and lowers the rear seats at the touch of a button.

The new Galaxy will be on the road in August with prices ranging from £26,220 to £36,535 - little more than the current model - and comes at the same time as Ford is releasing its sister-ship, the new S-MAX.

While the S-MAX is best considered to be more sporty and primarily a five seater with only two occasional foldaway seats in the rear the Galaxy is designed to carry seven adults.

Even so, although there is more head and leg room in the back of the new Galaxy it is still on the tight side for anyone other than youngsters.

All three rows of passengers now have individual ventilation, storage areas and power points and in the middle there's the option of a three-point socket for an extra £375 as well as a convenient tray at the back of the centre console.

The console itself is larger than before and so are the two cup holders in the front which can now accommodate sizeable drink containers.

Other convenience features include fold-down trays on the back of the front seats and good sized door pockets.

Access to the rear seats has been made more straightforward with the outer middle seats tipping forward at the pull of a single lever.

Cargo space ranges from a maximum of 300 litres if loaded to the roof with all seats in use, a very handy 700 litres as a five seater to a cavernous 2,339 litres with the seats folded flat.

There is also an underfloor compartment just in front of the tailgate which itself is now power operated and can be opened hands-free.

The engine line up is predominantly diesel with only two petrols in the range, a 1.5-litre developing 160ps and a 2.0-litre with 240ps, both from Ford's award-winning EcoBoost family of engines.

The diesels are all 2.0-litre with power outputs of 120, 150 and 180ps or 210ps in the case of Ford's new biturbo engine fitted to the flagship Titanium X Galaxy.

The range topper comes with four-wheel-drive and like the biturbo is fitted with a six speed Powershift automatic gearbox.

Paddle shifters are now fitted to Ford autos and when used manually they move positively and rapidly through the gears, especially in sports mode which gives the Galaxy a fair bit of pep.

The 180ps Galaxy Titanium X diesel we tried proved a capable performer and nicely economical.

It is fitted with stop/start and Ford claims an official fuel return of 52.3mpg with emissions of 139g/km. We averaged 41.5mpg which is impressive for a car of such proportions.

On the road the new Galaxy feels much more composed than previous versions. The handling has improved considerably and the steering has a good weight making it quite a driver's car.

Titanium X trim includes a panoramic sunroof, sat nav and Ford's SYNC 2 connectivity system with Bluetooth and costs from £35,395 for the Powershift model.

Inside, the cockpit has less clutter than before with much of the functions including the audio, ventilation and navigation being controlled from an eight-inch touchscreen while the instrument panel features a digital display between the dials.

An electronic parking brake frees up space on the centre console and is conveniently positioned to the side of the gear lever.

The automatic speed limiter is standard fit on this car and so is automatic parking but additional safety features such as emergency braking and blind spot alerts are extras, as is adaptive cruise control.

Combined, these features would add more than £2,000 to the price but with such equipment on board it moves the Galaxy into a commanding position.

With a full leather interior the new model is on the posh side and bordering on VIP standard.