Talk about segment-first, heck, world-first features. The new Ford S-Max Concept, to be formally unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show 2013, has systems that monitors the driver’s heart rate and glucose level. It may seem like a bit of an overkill to have these in a car, but the way Ford describes them, they sound very useful.

In fact, every car should be fitted with these features as standard – especially the cars driven by fat people. As part of the SYNC system, you get Ford’s ECG (Electrocardiogram) Heart Rate Monitoring Seat that records the driver’s heart rate and can alert medical center in case you have a hear attack, and even better, trigger active safety systems to take over in case of emergency. The glucose monitor system, meanwhile, has the capability to warn a parent at the wheel if a sleeping child behind suffers a diabetic attack.

Another advanced feature to be showcased on the Ford S-Max Concept is car-to-car communications technology that enables the vehicle to “talk” to similarly equipped vehicles, delivering warnings in the event of oncoming traffic on the wrong side of the motorway. It makes stuff like the parallel park assist and pre-collision assist seem primitive.

In terms of design – not that it matters, because, after all, it’s a van – the S-Max features a high mounted grille, swept-back headlamps and that unique front fascia that gives it Ford’s current corporate look. It looks kind of like a Fiesta that’s swallowed a box. Powers comes from the all-new 1.5-litre EcoBoost petrol engine.