It’s got sports suspension, a punchy new turbocharged engine and space for seven – this is the new Ford S-Max.

Updating the family-man favourite, Ford has reintroduced its best-selling sporty MPV for 2010.

Vijay Pattni went to Spain to test the two-tonne S-Max on some twisty tarmac.

Ford sold more than 9,000 S-Max models last year, meaning a lot of children got to school in a hurry.

Why? Because Ford boasts how the S-Max has sporting credentials, matching the looks and dynamics of a well-sorted saloon.

The S-Max, like its Galaxy sibling, offers seven-seats, a sloping coupe-like roofline together with a big bodykit and sports suspension settings.

In the flesh you’ll notice the S-Max has a new fascia, a new lower front bumper with LED running lights on range-topping models, and a redesigned tailgate.

Fire it up, and you’ll also notice it comes with a brand new 2-litre turbocharged petrol engine.

The aluminium four-cylinder EcoBoost SCTi engine offers diesel-like shove, with 200bhp and 220lb/ft of pulling power. Powertrain manager Andrew Fraser said the new turbo unit is nearly as powerful as the old 3-litre V6 petrol engine used in the Ford Mondeo ST220.

The new unit is mated to a double-clutch six-speed automatic gearbox – called PowerShift – and together with more precise fuel injection and low-end turbo response, helps deliver a diesel-like torque curve with fuel-saving effiencies. Ford claims 34.8mpg on the combined cycle, and the S-Max 2-litre turbo emits 189g/km of CO2.

The S-Max rides more firmly than its Galaxy brother, and the sound insulation seems to have been wound down a notch – possibly to allow more of the turbo engine note into the cabin.

The 0-62mph sprint takes 9.5 seconds and the auto-box does a good job of second-guessing which gear you’ll need next, rather than hunting up and down the ratios. The whole car feels urgent; the steering feels direct, the sports suspension controls body roll well and you can turn-in with a little aggression. Tellingly, Ford’s test route included tortuous twisty back-roads which the S-Max felt perfectly comfortable bowling across.

The S-Max is available in Zetec, Titanium, and Titanium X Sport trim. The S-Max Titanium X Sport gets 18-inch alloys, sports suspension, a full bodykit and Alcantara leather trim along with a panoramic roof.

For added practicality, the S-Max comes with the Ford Fold Flat System, allowing individual seats to be folded away to form a flat floor, giving up to 32 possible seating combinations.

We think the Ford S-Max is a remarkable sporty MPV, with good looks, a fantastic new petrol engine and a well-sorted chassis which errs towards big saloon rather than wallowy MPV.

The S-Max is also available with Ford’s new 2-litre Duratorq diesel engine, showcased in the new Galaxy, a 2.2-litre 170bhp diesel and a 143bhp 2-litre petrol engine later in the year.

Prices will be announced closer to the UK on-sale date, scheduled for April 2010.

Key facts:

Model tested: Ford S-Max 2.0SCTI EcoBoost Powershift
On the road price: £24,395
Date tested: February 2010
Road tester: Vijay Pattni