The Flexi Fuel (FFV) option is based on the 2.0 litre petrol engine version of the car and the intention is to offer an economy option to compete with modern diesels.

This Galaxy model that I drove is the second car from the Ford range that I have driven recently fitted with FFV engine technology. The car looks and drives very much like a normal petrol powered car except that it has the capacity to use the new E85 bio-fuel, which in Ireland is produced from a product called whey, a bi-product of the cheese making industry. This fuel is now available at Maxol petrol stations with the green labeled pumps and it’s about 20% cheaper than both petrol and diesel, due to a lower rate of fuel Excise Duty.

The price of fuel at the pumps and the availability of the E85 fuel along with a keener buying price for the car are among the compelling arguments to consider the Ford Galaxy FFV people carrier. But are these strong enough arguments to consider the FFV over diesel power?

Ford now offers its FFV engine as an option on the big Galaxy people carrier to give a lower entry pricing and keener running costs, if you’re near an E85 petrol station. The entry price is €37,255 before delivery charges.

To begin with let’s look at the Galaxy in its own right. This is an impressive MPV offering true seven seat capacity with comfort. The Galaxy has been a market leader for Ford in the segment and that’s no surprise.

The car is comfortable, easy to drive and has space with versatility. Seat adjustment is good and there is an excellent seat position for all passengers. The rear most seating is reasonable in terms of legroom, while the mid row provides the best position.

Ford claims that the Galaxy has 32 possible seating configurations; I didn’t try them all. In the boot area there is 30% more luggage space than the previous Galaxy.

This Galaxy comes with the latest driver assistance and occupant protection technology, including driver's knee airbag. It has a five star EuroNCAP rating with 35 points for adult occupant protection, which is a leading score in this class. It boast a four star performance for child protection rating as well as excellent front and side impact figures.

In terms of driving and styling, the Galaxy matches the best of Ford handling and styling. The control layout is similar to that of the Mondeo with hints of silver linings that seem to work well with the overall styling. Seat position, comfort and adjustment are good for the driver and the foot-well space is ample along with good headroom.

The Galaxy is among the bigger MPV’s on the market, competing with the likes of the Citroen C8, Renault Espace and Volkswagen Sharon. All typically dominate their offerings with diesel power, while Ford is the only company to offer a petrol type engine and this is the FFV version that I drove.

The Galaxy FFV comes with a 2.0 litre petrol type engine that can run on either bio—ethanol E85 or petrol or a mix of both. The engine is designed to deliver 144bhp and ample torque at 210Nm for what is a big MPV.

The acceleration figures are good at 10.7 seconds for a 0 to 100km/hr race. That’s better than the competition. It’s difficult to get equivalent tested figures for the performance of the FFV version, but it may be marginally lower as this fuel is considered to give a slight dip in performance over regular unleaded petrol. My test drive showed no obvious power deficiencies.

In economy terms the Galaxy FFV compares well with its diesel counterpart in overall cost terms. The fuel is about 20% cheaper and the economy performance is about 20% less at about 8.2 litres/100km (34mpg), so in essence they are a match in running costs.

The petrol based engine gives higher CO2 rating than an equivalent diesel MPV at 197g/km. That pushes the Galaxy FFV into Band F of the motor tax system and a penal €1,000 per annum motor tax cost.

With an entry list price of €37,255, the new Galaxy FFV version is almost €5,000 cheaper to buy than the 2.0 litre equivalent powered diesel version. And there’s another €2,500 rebate due on top of this which is enough for many new car buyers to make the switch.

The FFV option is flexible in that you have a choice of fuels depending on availability. When running on regular petrol, it’s a more costly option than diesel, but on E85 it’s competitive. So check your local E85 availability before making that final choice, it could save you a lot in the pocket.

Ford Galaxy 2.0 FFV - Specifications

Top speed 194 km/hr

0 – 100km/hr 10.7 seconds

Economy 8.2l/100km

CO2 emissions 197 g/km

Road Tax Band F (€1000)

Price €37,255

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