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GET THE MAX

Flushed with the success of their S-MAX and Galaxy models, Ford has given the C-MAX mini-MPV a sprucing as well. Andy Enright takes a look

Stick with five or twist with seven seats? That was Ford's dilemma when Vauxhall's Zafira changed the way we looked at small MPVs back in 1999. Ford hemmed and hawed for four years, adopting a wait-and-see approach as the market fragmented into two camps, the Zafira ruling the seven-seat market and the Citroën Xsara Picasso trumping the five-seat offerings. The five-seat Focus-C-MAX, launched in 2003, might not have been overwhelmingly novel but what it did, it did very well - offering the civility of a family hatch with just a bit more practicality.

The launch of the Ford Galaxy and S-MAX twins showed that when it came to family vehicles, the Blue Oval could blend style with practicality. The latest C-MAX (it drops the Focus prénom) continues this trend, now looking a good deal sharper and featuring some sassier detailing as well as a carefully chosen package of extra showroom-friendly features. All at prices little different from before, starting at £12,995.

As before, six basic engines are offered, the Range split between three petrols and three diesels. The 90bhp 1.6-litre diesel unit is a development of the Fiesta's 1.4TDCi common-rail powerplant, plus there's a 115bhp 1.8-litre Duratorq TDCi unit. Pick of the Range however, has to be the punchy 135bhp 2.0-litre TDCi engine sourced from Peugeot. Backed up by a six-speed gearshift, this has proved to be the engine most able to take the fight to Citroen, Renault, Volkswagen and Vauxhall. Petrol buyers are catered for with 100bhp 1.6-litre 16v, 125bhp 1.8-litre and 145bhp 2.0-litre options. Plus there's the option on the diesels of an environmentally-friendly Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF). Thus equipped, the 1.6-litre emits 110bhp while the 2.0-litre remains at a healthy 135bhp. Petrol buyers can also get the 1.8-litre 135bhp engine in environmentally-friendly Flexifuel guise.

The C-MAX only really had one rival for the crown of best-handling MPV-style vehicle and when Honda pensioned off the Stream in 2005, the Ford stood alone as the driver's choice. There's never been a duff-handling Focus derivative and once you've dropped the kids off at school, the C-MAX is a car that you can enjoy on the twisty route home. During the development cycle, an all-electric steering set-up was developed that offered far better feedback than any electric power steering system to date. The thing was though, it still wasn't as good as the existing helm, so despite being undoubtedly clever, it was ditched. Instead, Ford uses a hydroelectric pump system that offers great feel and a three per cent fuel saving over conventional systems. This, coupled with the celebrated control blade rear suspension, ensures that the C-MAX feels a very capable handler.

"All the C-MAX needed to succeed was to find its own voice."

In terms of design and build, Ford didn't need to do too much to the latest C-MAX as it was already a very competent product. Endowing it with a little personality and desirability was the name of the game with this revamp and the results look good. The styling is a good deal less introverted these days with a redesigned front end that includes design elements from the S-MAX - most notably, the lower trapezoid front grille, a redesigned upper grille, headlights and tail lamps. Specify the optional bi-xenon lights and a light strip runs across the top line of the lamp unit. It's all rather Audi, as are the LED tail lights.

Ford's rear seat flexibility system remains the ace in the C-MAX hole. A 40-20-40 "tip and tumble" rear seat sees the centre section flip rearwards into the luggage compartment, leaving the remaining two seats to slide diagonally along a runner towards the centre of the car, giving unprecedented levels of space for four. With 100mm of extra legroom and 60mm of additional shoulder room, even extravagantly dimensioned passengers should be able to find space in the back of the C-MAX. Even in the standard three-abreast bench position there's plenty of room, offering 946mm of legroom and 582 litres of luggage compartment space. Remove the rear seats altogether and there's a monstrous 1,692 litres available.

Ford hasn't skimped when it comes to equipment with this generation C-MAX. What is worth bearing in mind is that a lot of what's new is reserved for the options list so make sure you're comparing eggs with eggs price-wise. Some standard features that are noteworthy include an MP3 connector socket in the centre console, while the Titanium model features blue tinted glass. The Range runs from entry level Studio trim through Style, sporty Zetec and the rather techno Titanium. Of the options available, the panorama glass roof is perhaps the most desirable. This covers almost the entire roof area and features internal blinds and a Solar Reflect coating to ensure you don't feel as if you're driving a mobile propagator.

Other options include a Sony in-car entertainment system with integrated six-CD changer, key-free entry, Bluetooth and DVD navigation. Sports packs are also available for the first time, including an alloy wheel upgrade, sports suspension, racy seats, a three-spoke steering wheel and a body coloured spoiler. Prices start at £12,995 for the 1.6-litre petrol Studio and top out at £18,745 for the 2.0 TDCi Platinum. Load it with extras and you could easily bump that over £20k.

The downside of garnishing the C-MAX with every conceivable extra is that it won't be reflected in the car's resale price. The C-MAX hasn't built the biggest following to date and models like the Volkswagen Touran will cling onto their value a little better. Diesel models are better in this regard and the 2.0-litre diesel variant is by far the most desirable in terms of retained value, that excellent engine being a major draw. Fuel economy across the board is very good with the 2.0-litre diesel engine good for 48.7mpg on the combined cycle. Even the petrol engines are relatively frugal, the entry-level 1,.6-litre capable of getting just over 40 miles from a gallon of unleaded, but this figure will dip significantly if the car is loaded and the engine extended.

Because the C-MAX has never been a car favoured by the backwards baseball cap brigade, insurance costs have been kept at a reasonable level. Ratings open at Group 5 and even the punchy 2.0-litre diesel is only rated at Group 10, offering a lot of go for such modest premiums.

All the C-MAX needed to succeed was to find its own voice. The old car was extremely competent but contrived to hide its light under a bushel of bland styling and an over reliance on riding the coat tails of the Focus hatch. No longer. The latest generation C-MAX sees Ford at its expressive, expansive best. Yes, it took the introduction of the bigger and bolder S-MAX to really kick the C-MAX into life but it's just about been worth the wait.

Personally, I'd love to see a version with the 2.5-litre turbo engine from the Focus ST plumbed in up front but that's just the road tester in me talking. For the real world there's something for (nearly) everyone and genuine gripes are few. That said, it's worth remembering that in the interim, Volkswagen and especially Citroën have upped their game quite markedly. This could get interesting.