It sounds like science...
It sounds like science fiction, but computer software giant Microsoft has taken out a patent on the idea. What"s more, inventors reckon this new method of directing drivers would cause less of a distraction, therefore making it safer.
But the significance...
But the significance of the picture goes further than simply looking inside the new people carrier. The S-MAX is the first Ford to be based on the platform of the next-generation Mondeo, and the top-selling family hatchback will have a very similar dashboard design to that seen in the mag.
Revealed in concept form at last year"s Geneva expo, the S-MAX will be available in five or seven-seater guises. The stylish interior features a dashboard dominated by a bold centre console, trimmed here in aluminium.
As with the smaller Focus C-MAX, the S-MAX has a gearstick mounted higher up the dashboard than on a conventional hatchback, and Ford has made a real feature of the handbrake. It"s the first time the blue oval has fitted an aircraft-inspired handle - something Renault drivers will be familiar with.
The steering wheel buttons visible in this spy shot are also a new design, giving the driver fingertip control of the in-car entertainment systems. Due to go on sale in the UK at the end of the summer, the S-MAX will cost from around ÷£17,000, with flagships priced nearer ÷£23,000. The engine range will be shared with the new Mondeo, but a hot version of the MPV will be powered by the Focus ST"s five-cylinder unit.