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sliding rear doors and loads of handy features as well as the two extra seats which are best suited to children.
The Grand C-MAX sits below the brand’s larger and more stylish S-MAX but costs considerably less to buy and still provides the seven seat option.
As it is based on the Focus, it is fun to drive and is surprisingly agile for an MPV.
It cruises without fuss on the motorway and even although it is softer than the normal C-MAX it is still good enough to tackle twisting country roads with ease.
The steering is sharp and accurate and the suspension copes well with all surfaces and smoothes out bumps and lumps.
Three trim levels are available Zetec, Titanium and Titanium X and the test car came in midrange Titanium guise.
It offers lots of equipment including 17-inch 15-spoke alloy wheels, fog lights, automatic headlights with LED day running lights, rain sensing wipers, a quickclear heated windscreen, rear parking sensors, dual-zone climate control and cruise control with a speed limiter.
In addition you get an 8-inch touchscreen with DAB radio and CD which includes Bluetooth and emergency assistance, full seat adjustment, an overhead consule with stowage for sunglasses and ambient courtesy lighting.
A navigation system can be added for £300 and the test car also came with a winter pack at £25 which heats the front seats and steering wheel
The C-MAX features all the latest electronic safety gear and also comes with a tyre pressure warning system and hill start assist. A driver assistance pack at £550 adds active city stop, lane departure warning, lane keeping aid, traffic sign recognition and auto high beam.
A convenience pack costing £275 offered active park assist and front parking sensors.
On the engine front there is plenty to choose from in both petrol and diesel - including Ford’s awardwinning 1.0-litre turbocharged EcoBoost power plant.
This car came with the 118bhp 1.5-litre diesel unit mated to a nice six-speed manual box which is not surprisingly the biggest seller.
I found this combination to be ideal for the Grand C-MAX. It packs bags of punch and reaches 62mph in 12.3 seconds and has a top speed of 112mph. It is also very frugal with a claimed combined figure of 64.2mpg - I averaged just over 50mpg.
For an MPV the Grand C-MAX remains fun to drive and with the added kit and tech it is an even better proposition.