Certain things are a given. Mini-MPV drivers tend to be a practical bunch and, as such, often look to a version powered with a diesel engine. Launching a mini-MPV with no diesel variant in the showrooms is akin to fighting with one arm tied behind your back, whilst wearing a carrier bag over your head and an iPod playing Vivaldi. In other words, you're not exactly bringing you're A-game. Such a fate befell the Mazda5 when it was originally launched. It was genuinely hard to fault anything outside the engine bay but the 1.8 and 2.0-litre petrol units were never going to punt this car far up the sales charts. A pair of diesels gave the Mazda the capacity to realise its potential and the latest facelift has enhanced its chances further.

Manufacturers like to think in terms of 'publicity schedules'. They worry endlessly about how much press coverage their cars are getting and how to maximise editorial exposure. The biggest bang for the buck comes when the car is brand new, as the Mazda5 was back in May 2005. From then on, attention tends to wane as the car becomes more and more familiar until it's eventually replaced. That's why I was a little worried that Mazda missed the boat with the diesel Mazda5. In trying to launch this car when latter arrivals like the Vauxhall Zafira are still hogging the press limelight, the Japanese company gave itself an uphill task. In the event, the diesels fared well and now the latest facelifted car is well-equipped to grow its market share.

Let's take a look at this pair of oil-squishing powerplants. Both are sourced from the same 2.0-litre block and customers get a choice of Standard or High Power versions, in a move reminiscent of Mazda's flagship sportster, the RX-8. Standard yields up 108bhp and 228lb/ft of torque whereas the High Power variant accesses the full 141bhp and 265lb/ft monty. The more powerful engine doesn't suffer in terms of fuel economy or emissions either, Mazda quoting identical figures for both powerplants. To whit, that's a combined economy figure of 46.3mpg and carbon dioxide emissions of 162g/km.

"Choosing between power and price will be easy for most Mazda5 buyers"

Of course, a cynic may well wonder whether the sizable price difference between these two cars is an entirely artificial construct helped by some software tweaks on the electronic brain of the more powerful car but there are other differences. Trim levels for a start. Whereas the Standard model can be bought in TS and TS2 trim levels, the High Power model is only offered in the not directly comparable Sport and Sport Nav versions. Clever stuff by Mazda but you do get saddled with an 8E rather than a 6E insurance rating for your trouble.

When asked to sum up the philosophy behind the Mazda5, the best the company could come up with was the bafflingly obtuse "insightful new dimension of zoom-zoom pleasure". Rather than dip into a random marketing catchphrase generator, perhaps we can put a little flesh onto the rather good-looking bones of the Mazda5, now priced from £16,265 in diesel form.

The origins of the Mazda5 can be traced through the Premacy via the MX-Flexa design study, shown at the 2004 Geneva Motor Show. Originally built to demonstrate one possible direction for future Mazda MPV vehicles, the MX-Flexa received such a warm reception that many of its design principles have been incorporated virtually unchanged into the Mazda5 production car. Kenichi Fukunaga, Mazda5's Program Manager explains further, "We conceptualised the Mazda5 as a communicative and dynamic activity vehicle".

The latest Mazda5 can be identified by its revised bumpers and light clusters fore and aft along with a v-shaped grille bringing a racier feel to the front end. The interior has been designed according to Mazda's "6 + One" concept which aims to deliver comfortable seating for six occupants, plus an additional element of utility that stresses plenty of room for luggage, walk through convenience and ample stowage space. The key theme is the open area created in the centre of the cabin that allows every occupant ample shoulder space and assists interaction between the passengers by ensuring there are always sightlines between one row of seats and another.

Although there's ample room on the inside with three rows of two seats, the Mazda5 isn't superstretch limo long. In fact, at 4,505mm in length, it measures just 85mm longer than the Mazda3 family hatch and the width is identical, so there won't be any horrors when manoeuvring this wagon into a crowded multi-storey car park. Despite its wheel at each corner stance, the turning circle of just 530cm means that even if you do need to throw a shifty three-point turn, you won't need acres of road to do so.

Mazda claim a class first for the large sliding doors on both sides which are now available in electrically-operated form as an option. Previously restricted to seriously-sized MPV vehicles, these make good sense because they don't swing out in the manner of conventional side-hinged doors. How many times have you been forced to sheepishly apologise when the kids whack their doors into the flanks of a parked car in a supermarket car park? The Mazda5 solves that particular problem. These doors slide backward to create an opening of fully 700mm, Mazda deeming this wide enough for a parent carrying an infant. The plastic tailgate is another product of extensive testing. Mazda discovered that the tailgate mechanisms of many MPVs and 4x4 vehicles were becoming so heavy and cumbersome that they were difficult for lighter weight operators to close. With a two-step mechanism built in, the tailgate of the Mazda5 is light and smooth in its action.

The second and third rows of seats can be arranged in a number of configurations. In addition to their sliding adjustment and reclining functions, the second row also features a double-fold mechanism. Folding down the second and third row seatbacks creates a virtually flat floor for the luggage compartment. Other rivals are a little slicker in this regard, but the Mazda5 scores in terms of ease of operation. The space between the final row of seats can be assigned to either a utility box or a 'karakuri' occasional seat.

Better late than never, Mazda have finally propelled the '5' into a position where it can trade blows with the class best. Whether anybody will take notice is another matter entirely. Time to flex some marketing muscle.

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The results below show the top 5 deals on buyacar

	Mazda 5 2.0d TS2 5dr People Carrier
	ETR	Mthly £275	Saving £2,063	Price £14,907
	Mazda 5 2.0d Sport 5dr People Carrier
	ETR	Mthly £318	Saving £2,122	Price £16,778
	Mazda 5 2.0d TS 5dr People Carrier
	ETR	Mthly £260	Saving £2,042	Price £14,228
	Mazda 5 2.0d Sport Nav 5dr People Carrier
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