The first Galaxy developed without further intervention from Volkswagen was the third generation released in 2006.
One of the strongest rivals on the market was from its own stable, the Ford S-Max, with which the Galaxy shared many of its underpinnings.

In simple words, the Galaxy was more practical, while the S-MAX was more fun to drive and had sharper visuals.

Longer than an S-Max by 52mm and wider by 65mm, the Ford Galaxy was a people carrier offering seating for 7. Its suspension was tuned for comfort, the tall roof ensured great headroom and the big trunk offered 435 liters of cargo.

Unusual for a bulky MPV, the Galaxy was still fun to drive while equipped with the punchy 2.0-liter TDCi Diesel engine that developed 142 hp. Other engine choices were available.

Accessing the 3rd row of seats was a little difficult to access, but once inside, occupants had great room. The second row of seats was mounted on rails, thus expanding the room in the 3rd row was possible.

Inside, the Galaxy was fitted with a new instrument easy-to-read instrument cluster and a leather-wrapped steering wheel with mounted toggle controls for the Ford’s Human Machine Interface.

No compromise was made when it came to safety and the Galaxy was equipped with lots of active and passive safety systems.