I remember visiting a motor show a few years back, spotting Mitsubishi's stand and instantly turning to do something more interesting like queue for a cardboard cup of flat cola. Quite how Mitsubishi turned from one of Japan's most innovative car manufacturers to an also-ran is another story altogether, but of greater interest to UK buyers is that the company is on the rise again. Cars like the Evo, the Colt and the latest Outlander models have rekindled interest in this brand and the Grandis MPV proves Mitsubishi are back in the business of building realistically priced desirable cars.

The Grandis name may well be new to the UK but it's a familiar sight on Japanese roads where it has been attached to what we call Space Wagons for some time now. I'll leave you to draw your own conclusions as to why this piece of information hasn't entered the common currency in the same way knowledge of the Mazda Eunos, the Nissan Fairlady or even the Mitsubishi Pajero has. First seen in Europe at the 2003 Frankfurt Motor Show and in the UK at the 2004 Birmingham Show, this Grandis will certainly create a bigger splash than any Mitsubishi MPV before it.

If you equate MPV motoring with setsquare styling, dull road manners and the resignation that an ever-growing family has dispatched any notion of fun behind the wheel to a distant memory, the Grandis will come as a welcome tonic. Looking rather like an inflated Honda Stream, the Grandis appears to have been squeezed form a tube rather than bolted together on a production line. Some of the detailing, that long rear overhang for example, is by all conventional wisdom deeply unfashionable but walk round the car and it all works very neatly. A full seven seater, the Grandis is powered either by Mitsubishi's 2.4-litre 165bhp petrol engine or their 134bhp 2.0-litre DI-D diesel and is priced from £17,254 as a petrol or from £19,914 as a diesel.

"If you equate MPV motoring with setsquare styling and dull road manners, the Grandis will come as a welcome tonic"

There was one glaring flaw in the Mitsubishi plan when they came to launch the Grandis. Where was the diesel engine? Thankfully, this faux pas has now been rectified by the DI-D unit. This Volkswagen-sourced oil-burner is only offered with 6-speed manual transmission but there are two different gearboxes to choose from if you go for the petrol. As well as the conventional manual transmission, there's also Mitsubishi's innovative INVECS-II four-speed automatic. Equipped with a sports mode, this gearbox attempts to learn a driver's style and can rapidly adapt to offer intelligent shifting patterns. The 2.4-litre engine isn't quite as thirsty as expected, managing a combined fuel consumption figure of 30.4mpg. Naturally the automatic version is a little less fuel-efficient but even here 28.5mpg is still a fair return. The Grandis is no slouch either, accelerating to 60mph in less than ten seconds and on to a top speed of 124mph. The automatic car is a little tardier off the line, registering an 11.5 second sprint to 60 and a top speed of 118mph. When you learn that the diesel can return an impressive 43mpg, you start to understand why it was such a big miss when the Grandis first arrived on these shores. Family buyers like good fuel economy and they may also be pleased to learn that the DI-D is fairly nippy. 0-60mph takes 10.8s and there's a 121mph top speed.

Let's try to get a handle on the Grandis' dimensions. At 4755mm long, it's a good 10cm longer than a Ford Galaxy. It's also a good deal narrower, its wasp-waisted 1795mm width making it less broad in the beam than a Ford Fiesta. That swooping roofline also means that it's low slung, never reaching more than 1655mm off the deck making it low for an MPV. That's about 14cm lower than a Toyota Previa. If headroom in your garage is an issue but you need seven seats, the Grandis is an interesting option. It's not the only option, however, as Honda's even more compact and low-slung Stream also seats seven and offers sparkling driving characteristics.

The Mitsubishi certainly scores over the Honda in terms of sheer space available inside and by the innovative nature of its seating arrangements. Their 'Hide & Seat' concept involves a rear row of seats that can be individually folded away into the floor in a simple operation that takes seconds. No longer will you have to fold and tumble seats, leaving ugly, greasy mechanisms exposed, nor will you need to risk a herniated disc by lugging these bulky units into the garage only for the cat to spend a penny on them whilst you're out. With the second and third row of seats folded in place, there's 1545 litres of cargo capacity available. Park it in a salubrious inner city neighbourhood and you could almost rent it out as a studio flat. The third row of seats isn't just a crude bench as in most vehicles of this ilk. Both seats can be reversed to provide a rear facing vantage point - ideal when viewing an outdoor event as the rear tailgate provides an excellent rain shelter. What's more, both these seats can be individually reclined for additional comfort.

What's less of a surprise is that the Grandis comes very well equipped. Anti lock brakes, electronic brakeforce distribution and twin front and side airbags are fitted as standard to all models, although a black mark has to be awarded for only fitting curtain airbags for the first two rows of seats. Four trim levels are offered, Classic, Equippe, Elegance and Warrior although such is the capricious nature of Mitsubishi's marketing effort in the UK that by the time of going to press, these models may well be named something completely different. At £17,254, the Classic includes 17-inch alloy wheels, a CD player, keyless entry and alarm, automatic air conditioning, front fog lamps, a rear spoiler, electronic door mirrors and a height adjustable drivers seat with armrest. That's a fair roster for an entry-level vehicle. The diesel-engined models cost around £1,200 in addition to the price of an equivalent petrol car.

Although the Grandis may not be the complete MPV, it nevertheless will prove very attractive to those who need an MPV but don't want to be seen behind the wheel of a bus. An MPV you could even want? Mitsubishi could be onto something here.

TOP 5 GRANDIS DEALS

The results below show the top GRANDIS deals on buyacar

	Mitsubishi Grandis 2.0 D-ID Equippe 5dr People Carrier
	ETR	Mthly £355	Saving £2,529	Price £17,390
	Mitsubishi Grandis 2.4 MIVEC Warrior 5dr Auto People Carrier
	ETR	Mthly	Saving £2,921	Price £19,528
	Mitsubishi Grandis 2.4 MIVEC Classic 5dr Auto People Carrier
	ETR	Mthly	Saving £2,234	Price £16,215
	Mitsubishi Grandis 2.4 MIVEC Equippe 5dr Auto People Carrier
	ETR	Mthly	Saving £2,526	Price £17,623
	Mitsubishi Grandis 2.4 MIVEC Classic 5dr People Carrier
	ETR	Mthly	Saving £2,064	Price £15,195

typical 9.99% APR

PCP finance quote over 48 months,  10,000 miles pa,  deposit of £1000