For many families, a basic car that can carry a crowd – meaning more than five people – fits the bill. Ford has more choices around this people carrier option than any other car brand, from the C-Max to the S-Max and Galaxy, which tops the range.

I’ve had the new generation C-Max in Grand specification on the road in recent weeks. What separates the Grand version from the basic C-Max is the seven-seat capacity. From the outside, the other obvious difference is the two sliding doors. These are a dream in tight parking spaces and give great loading access for people or shopping.

Ford has significantly upgraded the C-Max models in the past year with new engines and new styling, but the space and versatility principles remain the same. Ford has opted for a new 1.5-litre turbo-diesel engine over the former 1.6-litre unit.

ADVERTISEMENT

There’s marginally more power, more torque for better acceleration, lower CO2 rating and better economy from the new engine. So Ford has answered most of the demands of modern drivers, but is that enough?

Out on the road, there is a livelier pace to the new Grand C-Max. Its six-speed gearbox uses a high mounted gear lever for easy driving style. And the clutch is suitably light, which makes this an easy car to drive.

I like the higher driving position than either the Focus or the Fiesta, as it gives great road visibility. I also like the more upright seat position as, over longer journeys, the experts tell us that this is the best posture.

There is also good rear visibility. However, the seat base is a little on the short side, so it won’t suit everyone.

The engine is well controlled in terms of noise, as its position is well isolated from the inside. I liked the improved acceleration and the extra economy is always welcome.

I found the Grand C-Max to be reasonably economical, but not as good as Ford is claiming. On paper, the economy rating is good at 22.7km/litre (4.4/100km or 64mpg). Ford claims this is 12% better than the previous model.

In real driving conditions I’d expect it to be nearer to 40% less than the official economy rating and that should give you a range of about 850km on a full 60-litre tank of diesel.

That level of economy converts to a CO2 rating of 113g/km, which is marginally lower than the previous engine model. Looking across the three-year ownership cost, the Grand C-Max is reasonably competitive to own. I found very few of them were on offer secondhand, so they are well liked and retain their value.

I found its depreciation level over three years to be less than 30%. That converted to a running cost of €0.30/km, which is certainly cost-effective against the bigger people carrier options on the market.

I’ve compared the Grand C-Max to the Mazda5 simply because they are both seven-seat cars with sliding rear doors. They are very similar in terms of performance, while the C-Max has better acceleration and economy, even though it’s marginally smaller and more expensive.

The Grand C-Max was equipped with some of Ford’s new technologies but still no recent Euro NCAP safety rating. This safety equipment is designed to help avoid accidents while parking or more serious higher-speed collisions. Most are on the extras listing, meaning more cost, so examine the most useful ones for your needs rather than opting for everything or nothing.

Ford’s Active City Stop collision avoidance system is very effective in, firstly, warning you if an accident is near. It can pre-charge the brakes if the driver still does not respond and reduce the engine torque, so that the car automatically applies the brakes to reduce the impact of collisions. The system can operate at speeds of up to 50km/hr (30mph).

I took note of the new pre-collision assist system. This works in a similar way to active city stop and has a greater vehicle detection range of between 8km/hr and 180km/hr. It issues warnings and applies braking if required.

Ford also offers the active park assist, with the new perpendicular parking system, to take the stress out of parking by locating suitably-sized parking spaces and, at the push of a button, steering into the space. All the driver has to do is control the accelerator and brake. It costs an extra €560, and I reckon that it’s worth it.

The Grand C-Max comes with an entry price of €29,200, or £21,495 in Northern Ireland. That’s about €2,600 more than the five-seat version.

The Grand C-Max is a cost-effective mid-size people carrier with capacity for seven. It’s compact and versatile, but don’t wait until the children grow too big before you take that choice. CL