Until now, the only version of the new-generation Ford Grand C-MAX we've driven has been the 148bhp 2.0-litre TDCi Titanium manual. This test is of a mostly identical car, but one fitted with the smaller and less powerful 118bhp 1.5-litre TDCi diesel engine, which is expected to be the most popular in the range.
I can see why, even though at first the lower power output doesn't seem to have much effect on running costs. Fairly close CO2 figures mean that both cars will require you to pay £30 per year in Vehicle Excise Duty.
The 1.5 has an advantage of only one percentage point in terms of Benefit In Kind taxation. Also, its 64.2mpg combined fuel consumption figure is only 2.8mpg better than that of the 2.0. At £23,145, the 1.5 is also the cheaper car by only £250.
However, in the real world it's easy to average 50mpg in the 1.5, whereas you might have to work hard to match that in the 2.0 model. Also, while having 148bhp is very nice, for this kind of car - practical everyday transport rather than something you might drive for the thrill of it - 118bhp is enough.
A 0-62mph time of 12.3 seconds may not seem impressive when the 2.0 can do the same thing in slightly under ten, but how much quicker do you actually need a medium-sized seven-seater to be?
As well as being strong enough for the job and reasonably economical, the little diesel is also very quiet, with no irritating clatter even when it's running stone cold. At motorway speeds, the road and wind noise (which are not objectionable) drown out the sound of the engine almost completely.
This is one reason why the Grand C-MAX feels relaxing to drive on the road, and there are others. Above all, the suspension has been set up beautifully. You can feel that the centre of gravity is higher up than in the related Focus when you're giving it large.
But most of the time the car handles well, and it rides superbly, soaking up large undulations in the road with great ease. There's a pattering over smaller bumps which suggests that it has large wheels (though it doesn't particularly - they're only 17-inch wheels) but that doesn't lower the quality of the driving experience by much.
The driver's seat wasn't ideal for me, though perhaps that's just because I'm taller than its designers were expecting this car’s drivers to be. People of more reasonable height - under six feet, say - will probably not feel the occasional twinges that I did.
There's lots of room in the second row, but the final two seats are strictly for children only. As always with smallish seven-seaters, I have concerns about how the little rascals would fare in the event of a heavy rear-end shunt.
You can forget about carrying much luggage if you're seven-up, as there's only 65 litres of capacity left over. Fold down all but the front two seats, though, and this expands to 1,715 litres. That's 31 more than you get in the five-seat C-MAX, and a handsome 500 better than the Focus can manage. Therefore, it would be unwise to think of the Grand C-MAX merely as something you can use to ferry kids to and from school: it could also, if the need arose, double as a small van.