Sensible. That's what you are if you buy into a people carrying MPV, a car like Chrysler's Voyager.

After all, in a vehicle of this kind, you've a car with a footprint little bigger than an ordinary estate, yet a car that can accommodate nearly twice as many people. You've a car with more carrying capacity than a small van, yet a car that should be as easy to manoeuvre as a family hatch. And you've a car that can be specified with a diesel engine as cheap to run as any decently sized shopping runabout. Sensible, as we said.

Which is why, in considering Chrysler's Voyager, you're probably not going to give a second thought to the petrol-engined option - a 150bhp 2.4-litre four cylinder unit. This (like the 3.3-litre engine now deleted from the Grand Voyager Range) is primarily for the US market. European family buyers are understandably reluctant to incur the running costs that come with a car which will average little more than 23mpg. Which is why the most significant part of this latest model lies in its 2.5 and 2.8-litre CRD turbodiesel engines.

"If you want space, value and a luxurious long distance environment, it's right up your street.."

Older Voyager diesels haven't traditionally been MPVs of choice in this sector, noisy, slow and not particularly economical. The 2.5-litre common rail CRD unit introduced a few years ago was much better and the more recent 2.8-litre CRD unit on offer alongside it is a bigger improvement still. Whereas the boost in outright power over the 2.5-litre car isn't enormous, the gain in torque means far greater capability. With 266lb/ft of torque available, the 2.8 CRD has way more pulling power than the old 3.3-litre V6 petrol Grand Voyager! With this amount of sheer lugging intensity, the 2.8 CRD can tow 3.5 tonnes, making it an ideal vehicle for those who want to tow serious caravans, boats or other large trailers.

The only real problem with the 2.8 is the cost, since Chrysler's rather odd pricing and trim structure means that to upgrade to the 2.8-litre CRD engine in the Voyager line-up means a hefty hop up of around £4,000. Prices for the 2.5 CRD start from £19,990, while the 2.8 (offered in automatic form only) costs from £23,955. Go for the stretched Grand Voyager and you only get the choice of 2.8-litre power at prices starting from £25,995.

Both CRD units feature all the latest industry buzzwords: common rail, 16 valves, twin overhead camshafts and twin balancer shafts. As a result, they're both far quieter than you might expect and have far more acceptable levels of performance (0-60mph in 13.5s on the way to 115mph for the 2.5). Fuel consumption's good too: you should average around 35mpg, with over 40mpg perfectly possible on longer trips. In fact, the only real drawback is pulling power. Don't get us wrong - there's plenty of it: even in the 2.5, there's some 230Ib ft, which again is more than the old 3.3-litre V6. The problem is the relatively narrow rev Range over which it's developed - which necessitates over-frequent use of the baulky manual gearbox. All of which makes the automatic gearbox offered in the 2.8 a welcome boon.

The latest versions feature some useful improvements. The exterior has been freshened up a little, retaining the Chrysler family look but adopting a revised grille and shapely projector headlights. There are also body side mouldings, a more attractive wheel trim design and, for plusher models, a wider Range of alloy wheel designs. Inside the fascia has been revised too.

Safety-wise, there are now side curtain airbags that cover all three rows of seats. It's always been something of a personal bugbear that manufacturers will jump onto a bandwagon and offer a seven seat vehicle without going the extra mile to offer seven seat safety features. Imagine the guilt you'd feel if a child suffered a head injury whilst travelling in the rearmost row of seats. Chrysler should be lauded in offering what is still a very rare feature.

Despite the willing nature of the latest diesel engines, this is still not a car to reward enthusiastic drivers in the mould of a Galaxy/Sharan/Alhambra. The presence of rather antiquated leaf-sprung rear suspension might warn you of that before you even set out. But then, driving satisfaction is pretty low down on the priority list for potential buyers of cars like these. More important is ride quality, an area in which the Voyager shines, ironing out potholes and undulations with aplomb. As a result, there is no other car in the class better at cosseting you over long journeys.

Another thing you should notice over the bumps is the general lack of shudder and vibration, courtesy of a 20% increase in torsional stiffness. As a result, there's great body control which means that piloting a Voyager around country roads makes you feel less like you're at the helm of a bus. The main reason for all that extra stiffness of course was to sort out some of the safety issues that tripped up the old car. These have been duly addressed - though at the cost of a lot of extra weight.

Inside, it's much as before: this is still the largest MPV in its class. In standard form, you get two individual seats in the middle which flip forward for easy access to the foldaway three person bench at the rear (which can be swapped for two individual seats). As usual, all the seats can be removed or folded into makeshift tables but they don't slide back and forth (a la Espace) to increase either centre legroom or rear luggage space. Chrysler has missed a trick here. The short wheelbase model offers 450 litres of storage space behind the rear third row of seats or, if that isn't enough, the long wheelbase Grand Voyager version has 671 litres, as well as 150mm more cabin space. Take all but the front seats out and the capacity rises to a vast 4880 litres - almost enough to move house with.

Nice touches include optional electric operation for the sliding side doors and tailgate - which would be a real boon in the supermarket carpark with your hands are full of shopping. Another extra worth having is the optional cargo organiser for the boot, which neatly divides the space into three separate cargo bays. For stowing smaller items, there's a removable central storage box, which slots into place between either of the front two rows of seats. The three-zone air conditioning's neat too, with the temperature for rear seat occupants controlled by a panel in the roof lining. As you'd expect, cup holders are everywhere and the multi-speaker Infiniti stereo system is brilliant.

In summary, if you're thinking Voyager, you now need to think diesel. As a package for those MPV customers in search of space, value and a luxurious long distance environment, this one could be right up your street. In fact, an example probably will be some time soon.