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The Ford Galaxy is a seven-seater car produced by
Ford of Europe Ford of Europe GmbH is a subsidiary company of Ford Motor Company founded in 1967 in Cork, Ireland, with headquarters in Cologne, Germany. History Ford of Europe was founded in 1967 by the merger of Ford of Britain, Ford Germany, and Irish H ...
from June 1995 to April 2023. Considered in the motor industry to be a large multi-purpose vehicle (MPV), it was the first Ford-brand MPV produced and marketed outside of North America, the model line is currently in its third generation. Sharing its platform architecture with the
Ford Mondeo The Ford Mondeo is a large family car manufactured by Ford since 1993. The first Ford model declared as a " world car", the Mondeo was intended to consolidate several Ford model lines worldwide (the European Sierra, the Telstar in Asia and Aus ...
, the Galaxy was developed alongside the
Ford S-Max The Ford S-Max (stylized as Ford S-MAX) was a car produced by Ford Europe for the European market. A multi-purpose vehicle (MPV), Ford also describes the S-Max as an SAV (sports activity vehicle). Introduced at the 2006 Geneva Motor Show, the ...
; the model line is slotted between the Connect and Custom variants of the Ford Tourneo/Transit model family. In contrast to the American-designed
Ford Aerostar The Ford Aerostar is a range of vans that was manufactured by Ford from the 1986 to the 1997 model years. The first minivan produced by Ford, the model line was marketed against the Chevrolet Astro/GMC Safari and the first two generations of the ...
and
Chrysler Voyager The Chrysler Voyager (and the long-wheelbase Chrysler Grand Voyager) is a minivan produced by the Chrysler division of Stellantis. In the current lineup, it is positioned as the lower-end Chrysler minivan, having replaced the Dodge Grand Cara ...
(both imported to Europe), the Galaxy is configured with four sedan-style doors (in line with the
Renault Espace The Renault Espace is a five-door car manufactured by the French carmaker Renault since 1984 for five generations. It is classified as a large MPV/ minivan within the M-segment. The first three generations of the Espace were amongst the first ...
).


First generation (V191; 1995)

The first Galaxy was designed as a
joint venture A joint venture (JV) is a business entity created by two or more parties, generally characterized by shared ownership, shared returns and risks, and shared governance. Companies typically pursue joint ventures for one of four reasons: to acces ...
product between Ford and the
Volkswagen Group Volkswagen AG (), known internationally as the Volkswagen Group, is a German multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. The company designs, manufactures and distributes passenger and commercia ...
. Produced at the joint-venture
AutoEuropa Volkswagen Autoeuropa Lda. is an automotive assembly plant, located in the city of Palmela, near Lisbon, Portugal. Formed in 1991, it began operations in 1995 fully owned by Volkswagen. It is the largest foreign industrial investment in Portugal. ...
plant in
Palmela Palmela () is a town and a municipality in Portugal. The population in 2011 was 62,831, in an area of 465.12 km². The municipality is located in the Lisboa Region and Setúbal District, about south of Lisbon. The municipal holiday is 1 Ju ...
,
Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of th ...
, the vehicle was badge-engineered to create three vehicles: the Ford Galaxy; by
Volkswagen Volkswagen (),English: , . abbreviated as VW (), is a German Automotive industry, motor vehicle manufacturer headquartered in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. Founded in 1937 by the German Labour Front under the Nazi Party and revived into a ...
as the
Volkswagen Sharan The Volkswagen Sharan is a seven-seater minivan that was produced by the German Volkswagen Group and built at the AutoEuropa plant in Palmela, Portugal, with a front-wheel-drive version across two generations, from 1995 to 2022. Through badge engi ...
; and by
SEAT A seat is a place to sit. The term may encompass additional features, such as back, armrest, head restraint but also headquarters in a wider sense. Types of seat The following are examples of different kinds of seat: * Armchair, a chair ...
as the
Alhambra The Alhambra (, ; ar, الْحَمْرَاء, Al-Ḥamrāʾ, , ) is a palace and fortress complex located in Granada, Andalusia, Spain. It is one of the most famous monuments of Islamic architecture and one of the best-preserved palaces of ...
. Production started in May 1995. The Galaxy used predominantly Volkswagen Group mechanicals, most notably the 2.8 litre
VR6 VR6 engines are V6 piston engines with a narrow angle between the cylinder banks and a single cylinder head covering both banks of cylinders. Volkswagen Group introduced the first VR6 engine in 1991 and VR6 engines currently remain in productio ...
petrol engine from the top versions of the
Volkswagen Golf The Volkswagen Golf () is a compact car/small family car (C-segment) produced by the German automotive manufacturer Volkswagen since 1974, marketed worldwide across eight generations, in various body configurations and under various nameplates ...
, as well as Volkswagen Group's 1.9 litre
Turbocharged Direct Injection TDI (Turbocharged Direct Injection) is Volkswagen Group's term for its current common rail direct injection turbodiesel engine range that have an intercooler in addition to the turbo compressor. TDI engines are used in motor vehicles sold by th ...
(TDI)
turbodiesel The term turbo-diesel, also written as turbodiesel and turbo diesel, refers to any diesel engine equipped with a turbocharger. As with other engine types, turbocharging a diesel engine can significantly increase its efficiency and power output ...
unit. Initially only the 2.0 litre inline-four petrol version used a Ford powerplant – this derived from the Ford I4 DOHC engine. In later years, this unit was supplemented by a 2.3 litre 16 valve version first seen in the facelifted
Ford Scorpio The Ford Scorpio is an executive car that was produced by Ford Europe from 1985 to 1998. It was the replacement for the European Ford Granada line (although in the UK and Ireland the Scorpio was marketed under the Granada name until 1994). L ...
. This engine was transversely mounted as opposed to longitudinal mounting like in the Scorpio. The 2.8 litre VR6 model was also available with an optional four-wheel-drive system, however this did not reappear on the second generation. All of the VW Group sourced engines were supplied with "Ford" badges on the rocker covers, despite being VW Group designs. All
automatic transmission An automatic transmission (sometimes abbreviated to auto or AT) is a multi-speed transmission used in internal combustion engine-based motor vehicles that does not require any input from the driver to change forward gears under normal driving ...
s were VW Group AG4 boxes, but manual gearboxes on all engines were VXT75 five speeds (modified versions of the trusted Ford MTX-75 five speed set-up to suit the transverse engine layout). The original interior used a mix of both Ford and VW Group components, using a
Volkswagen Golf The Volkswagen Golf () is a compact car/small family car (C-segment) produced by the German automotive manufacturer Volkswagen since 1974, marketed worldwide across eight generations, in various body configurations and under various nameplates ...
-derived instrument pack, and most of the switchgear, while the curved fascia moulding was of Ford design, heavily reminiscent of that used in the
Ford Mondeo The Ford Mondeo is a large family car manufactured by Ford since 1993. The first Ford model declared as a " world car", the Mondeo was intended to consolidate several Ford model lines worldwide (the European Sierra, the Telstar in Asia and Aus ...
.


Public reaction

In 1999, the MkI Ford Galaxy was rated in a '' Top Gear'' magazine survey as the least satisfying car in the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...
, though 12,233 people bought a Galaxy in the previous year, which was twice the market share of its nearest rival, according to a Ford's spokesman. In the UK, Ford Galaxy sold more than Volkswagen Sharan and was the best selling MPV.


Trims and facelifts

When the car was launched in 1995, there were two trim levels; the Aspen and the GLX, as well as the Ghia which launched a few months later. In 1996, the 4x4 powertrain was available, the Aspen was updated with body coloured bumpers and updated hubcaps, as well as the launch of the Ghia X which was powered by the 2.3 petrol as standard instead of the 2.0 like that on the standard Ghia - and it had a few more standard features like air conditioning and front fog lights. In early 1997, the Ultima was also launched, designed to be more luxurious than the Ghia. It had 6 leather captains chairs, as well as a front passenger airbag, traction control and different alloy wheels (all as standard features). However, it never sold very well and approximately only around 125 were on the road at its peak. Then, in 1999, Ford introduced the new LX and Zetec trim styles which replaced the Aspen and GLX models. In August 2000, the Galaxy received a facelift with new exterior (incorporating New Edge) and interior styling including a new dashboard. The updated trims included the LX, the Zetec and Ghia. Contrary to the name, the Zetec was not available with a Zetec engine, but with the 1.9 TDI engine which was supplied by Volkswagen, as well as Ford's own 2.3 petrol. In 2004, the Galaxy received a very minor facelift with new taillights, a new lower front grille and a few differences to some trims. As well as this, the Silver
special edition The terms special edition, limited edition, and variants such as deluxe edition, or collector's edition, are used as a marketing incentive for various kinds of products, originally published products related to the arts, such as books, prints, ...
was launched alongside the Mondeo Silver, both having alloy wheels and only being available in 3 different silver colours.


Gallery

File:Ford Galaxy rear 20080331.jpg, Galaxy Mk I (1995−2000) File:Ford Galaxy front 20071109.jpg, Galaxy Mk II (2000−2004) File:Ford Galaxy rear 20071109.jpg, Galaxy Mk II (2000−2004) File:Ford Galaxy I TDI (Facelift 2000–2006) front MJ.JPG, Galaxy Mk II (2004-2006) File:Ford Galaxy I TDI (Facelift 2000–2006) rear MJ.JPG, Galaxy Mk II (2004-2006)


Second generation (2006)

The second generation Galaxy was introduced at the 2006
Geneva Motor Show The Geneva International Motor Show is an annual auto show held in March in the Swiss city of Geneva. The show is hosted at the Palexpo, a convention centre located next to the Geneva Cointrin International Airport. The Salon is organised by t ...
, and went on sale alongside the
Ford S-Max The Ford S-Max (stylized as Ford S-MAX) was a car produced by Ford Europe for the European market. A multi-purpose vehicle (MPV), Ford also describes the S-Max as an SAV (sports activity vehicle). Introduced at the 2006 Geneva Motor Show, the ...
(which had a lower rear roofline, external cosmetic differences and only child seats in the third row) in June 2006. The new Galaxy is larger than its predecessor, and is a four pillar vehicle of Ford design, with no Volkswagen Group content (Ford sold its stake in AutoEuropa back to the Volkswagen Group the year before). No longer produced at the AutoEuropa plant in
Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of th ...
, Europe's replacement Galaxy is assembled at a newly re equipped plant alongside the Mondeo in
Genk Genk () is a city and municipality located in the Belgian province of Limburg near Hasselt. The municipality only comprises the town of Genk itself. It is one of the most important industrial towns in Flanders, located on the Albert Canal, ...
,
Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to ...
. With the S-Max catering to customers who require a sport-oriented
multi-purpose vehicle Minivan (sometimes called simply as van) is a North American car classification for vehicles designed to transport passengers in the rear seating row(s), with reconfigurable seats in two or three rows. The equivalent classification in Europe is ...
(MPV), Ford was able to expand the Galaxy in every dimension without losing sales in size conscious Europe. Due to its size, Ford was unable to design the Galaxy using a full
Kinetic Design Kinetic Design is the name given to a style of automobile design used by Ford Motor Company for many of its passenger vehicles in the late 2000s and early 2010s. Developed by the design studios of Ford of Europe in Germany and Britain, it replaced ...
format. However, Ford states that the Mk II Galaxy has 'elements' of Kinetic Design, such as its trapezoidal grille, large wheelarches and angular headlights. The vehicle has no spare wheel; instead an aerosol foam sealant is provided to seal punctures until a new tyre can be purchased. Only Ford's own engines are used, all diesels being from the Duratorq family of engines in and 1.8-litre format, and also and 2.0 TDCi versions, with 2.2 TDCi for more power. Two petrol engines are now offered, there is the "1.6T 160PS EcoBoost Start/Stop" and the "2.0 203 PS EcoBoost However the 1.6l Ecoboost engine has been criticized by the Independent writer Jamie Merrill. He describes the engine as not powerful enough and should have been left in the smaller cars. In the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...
, the Mk II Galaxy was available in Edge, Zetec, and Ghia trim levels. In February 2008, Ford added the Titanium high level trim in common with the Focus, C-MAX, Kuga, Mondeo and S-MAX ranges. The Titanium model is specified to the same level as the Ghia but adds a 'techno' feel. At the same time, the availability of a 2.2 TDCi engine option (joint design with PSA) was announced. The current trim levels available in the United Kingdom (November 2011) are Zetec, Titanium and Titanium X. The Ford Galaxy also comes with many features such as Home Safe Lighting, Quickclear heated windscreen and a cooled passenger glove box. One major selling point of the Galaxy and S-MAX is the "FoldFlatSystem". This design allows the second and third row seats to fold flat into the floor, although this change in seating design reduces the load carrying capacity of the vehicle. This model of car is known as the main vehicle on the British television series '' Outnumbered'', which replaces the Vauxhall Zafira the family had in the older series.


Third generation (CD390; 2015)

After its sibling, the
Ford S-Max The Ford S-Max (stylized as Ford S-MAX) was a car produced by Ford Europe for the European market. A multi-purpose vehicle (MPV), Ford also describes the S-Max as an SAV (sports activity vehicle). Introduced at the 2006 Geneva Motor Show, the ...
, was presented at the
2014 Paris Motor Show The 2014 Paris Mondial de l'Automobile or 2014 Paris Motor Show took place from 4 October to 19 October 2014 on 'Automobile and Fashion' theme. Introductions Production cars * Audi A1 facelift * Audi A6#C7 (Typ 4G, 2011–present), Audi A6 f ...
, the all-new Galaxy went on sale in mid-2015. The Galaxy is available with the same range of engines as the S-Max, namely one diesel (in four states of tune) and two petrol variants. The petrol 1.5 SCTi Ecoboost has 160 hp, and the larger 2.0 SCTi has 240 hp, but can only be mated to Ford's Powershift automatic gearbox. At launch, Ford expected only two percent of United Kingdom sales to be petrol models. All the diesels average over 50 mpg – the most economical being the 2.0 TDCi Duratorq 120, which manages 57mpg. Both the 2.0 TDCi 150 and 180 versions come with either a six-speed manual gearbox or the Powershift auto – the 180 hp version can also be specced with AWD. The range topping Bi-Turbo 2.0 TDCi 210 comes with the Powershift gearbox only, and can accelerate from 0 to 60 in under nine seconds. The trim levels, mirroring those available in the S-Max, Mondeo and
Edge Edge or EDGE may refer to: Technology Computing * Edge computing, a network load-balancing system * Edge device, an entry point to a computer network * Adobe Edge, a graphical development application * Microsoft Edge, a web browser developed ...
, include Zetec, Titanium and Titanium X.


Mid-cycle facelift

Ford updated the Galaxy for the 2020 model year. It received a new front grille and bumpers with a similar design as the Mondeo, Focus, Fiesta, Puma and Kuga. The Galaxy also received the Vignale version, a new automatic transmission and an updated infotainment system with
Apple CarPlay CarPlay is an Apple standard which enables a car radio or head unit to be a display and a controller for an iOS device. It is available on all iPhone models beginning with iPhone 5 running iOS 7.1 or later. According to Apple's website, all m ...
and
Android Auto Android Auto is a mobile app developed by Google to mirror features of an Android device, such as a smartphone, on a car's dashboard information and entertainment head unit. Once an Android device is paired with the car's head unit, the syst ...
.


Hybrid update

In late autumn, 2021, Ford stopped selling the standard petrol and diesel models, only selling it with one engine choice, a 2.5 litre hybrid Duratec - producing 190PS with a
Durashift Durashift is the brand name of a range of Ford automatic and recently manual transmissions. Durashift EST Durashift EST ''(Electronic Shift Transmission)'' features electronic control with manual selection of gears. It is an automated manual t ...
CVT transmission.


Discontinuation

In January 2022, Ford announced plans to discontinue Galaxy after 27 years of production, stopping accepting orders for minivan in favour of realisation of existing ones. Afterwards cars will be axed from European lineup without direct successor.


Reviews

The 2012 Ford Galaxy was reviewed by ''
What Car? ''What Car?'' is a British monthly automobile magazine and website, currently edited by Steve Huntingford and published by Haymarket Consumer Media. Other team members include deputy editor Darren Moss and test editors Will Nightingale, Neil ...
'', and was given 4 out of 5 stars. They added that the Galaxy was more fun to drive than most MPVs. '' Top Gear'' also reviewed the car and gave it 7/10 and added it looked great all around.Top Gea
"Ford Galaxy Overall Verdict"
''Topgear.com'', 21st Oct 2012


References


External links

*
Ford MPV Owners Forums

WhatCar? Ford Galaxy Review
{{Ford Motor Company vehicles
Galaxy A galaxy is a system of stars, stellar remnants, interstellar gas, dust, dark matter, bound together by gravity. The word is derived from the Greek ' (), literally 'milky', a reference to the Milky Way galaxy that contains the Solar System ...
Minivans Euro NCAP large MPVs Front-wheel-drive vehicles 2000s cars Cars introduced in 1995 Cars powered by VR engines 2010s cars Ford CD4 platform