As a nation we seem peculiarly fond of going at things half-cocked. We live in a democracy that gives a casting vote to unelected aristocracy and our Millennium celebrations consisted of erecting a white elephant in Greenwich and launching a Wall of Damp Squibs over the Thames. It rarely seems to occur to us that if something's worth doing at all, it's worth making the effort to do it right. The same goes for buying cars. If you want a car that will routinely haul seven people about, don't hobble it with a puny engine thinking it will save you fuel. It won't. Opt instead for a beefy diesel engine like the ones fitted to Renault's latest Grand Scenic.

Even the entry-level 1.5-litre dCi unit (from £17,485) fronts up with a healthy 106bhp and some 148lb/ft of torque. If you want real overtaking power, the 2.0-litre version sports 150bhp and a whopping slug of torque. This means that even if you are travelling seven up in the Grand Scenic, you'll not be left for dead the moment you try to accelerate into a gap.

Both engines are of the latest common rail design and a variable geometry turbocharger provides a useful boost in torque above 2,500rpm. The 2.0-litre car features a six-speed gearbox with ratios chosen to suit the Grand Scenic. Refinement is very good, Renault having used sophisticated engine mounts and an enormous amount of noise insulation material to ensure that the passenger cell is well isolated from vibration and harshness. Over a mixed series of driving conditions, you can expect to achieve fuel consumption figures that appear better suited to a citycar. The 1.5-litre dCi model will return an average of 53.6mpg while the punchy 2.0-litre version manages an impressive 48mpg. Emissions of 138 and 154g/km respectively are also extremely creditable.

Both cars are reasonably quick off the mark, although outright sprinting ability isn't their forte, the lazily flexible diesel powerplants showing their best figures when accelerating through the gears. Motorway cruising is relaxed and refined, the 1.5-litre car able to run to 107mph with the more powerful 150bhp Grand Scenic good for 127mph.

In unveiling the Grand Scenic, Renault have opened up a new front in the battle for the MPV customer's pound. As the first manufacturer to offer a mini-MPV in two different lengths, it aims to offer something for everybody. From cheap and cheerful Kangoo through Scenic, Grand Scenic, Espace and Grand Espace, Renault aim to cover every base. In offering seven seats compared to the regular Scenic's five, the Grand Scenic gives the Scenic sub-brand a distinct advantage against cars like the Ford Focus C-MAX as well as the host of mini-MPVs that only just manage to squeeze in seven seats.

"Even if you are travelling seven up in the Grand Scenic you'll not be left for dead the moment you try to accelerate into a gap"

The Vauxhall Zafira may have started the trend for seven-seat mini MPVs with its ingenious Flex7 seating system, but there have been a host of imitators following in its wake. Some have been good but the majority have been very poor, offering a vestigial pair of seats at the back with dreadful access. Having the kids' muddy feet clambering all over the upholstery is never ideal but these are the compromises many of these vehicles impose. Renault decided early on in the planning cycle of the Scenic brand that the job wasn't worth doing at all unless it was tackled properly.

Looking at the back of a Scenic, there's little doubt that the French company could have adopted a similar tactic and wedged in a pair of flimsy dicky seats but instead they've used an entirely different chassis that has also doubled up for models like the Megane Sport Saloon. This 'platform sharing' philosophy helps to defray the costs in developing the new models but also means that with an extra 23cm in length, the Grand Scenic is a good deal bigger than many of the early full-sized MPVs we fondly remember. What's more, at 4.49 metres in length, it's a mere 13cm shorter than something contemporary like a Volkswagen Sharan or Ford Galaxy.

Much of that additional length has come about by extending the rear overhang by 18cm. The minimal 5cm grafted into the wheelbase means that the Grand Scenic doesn't look particularly different to its more compact sibling. This is entirely intentional, as Renault didn't want to ruin the Scenic's smart lines by merely creating a crude 'superstretch' version. The two additional rear seats are neat items but suffer the usual problem of the seat squabs being very low to the floor. The flipside of this - if you'll excuse the pun - is that they can be folded in one motion completely flat into a void beneath the floor. This means that the Grand Scenic can operate as a five seat vehicle with a cavernous luggage area which refutes the usual MPV complaint that once loaded with a meaningful complement of passengers, there's nowhere for the luggage to go. It also means that the Grand Scenic can be easily configured as a five, six or seven seat vehicle, the rearmost seats folding away individually with a one handed movement. With a carpet covering them in their recessed position, few would even realise they were there.

The Renault Grand Scenic is a very interesting vehicle, working a tight niche between the Scenic and the Espace. That the diesel versions compete pricewise with many full-sized Asian rivals may not concern the motorist who wants an element of quality over quantity. The Scenic brand brings with it connotations of being the genuine article and Renault's engineering, their safety record and their depth of understanding of what makes a great MPV back up this perception. If you do insist on doing things right, the Grand Scenic diesel will doubtless appeal.

TOP 5 GRAND SCENIC DEALS

The results below show the top GRAND SCENIC deals on buyacar

	Renault Grand Scenic 1.5 dCi Dynamique S 5dr [7 seats] People Carrier
	ETR	Mthly £266	Saving £5,262	Price £14,588
	Renault Grand Scenic 2.0 dCi Dynamique S 5dr [7 seats] People Carrier
	ETR	Mthly £299	Saving £5,849	Price £16,101
	Renault Grand Scenic 1.9 dCi Dynamique 5dr [Non FAP] People Carrier
	ETR	Mthly £264	Saving £5,254	Price £14,596
	Renault Grand Scenic 1.9 dCi Dynamique 5dr [7 Seats] [Non FAP] People Carrier
	ETR	Mthly £268	Saving £5,325	Price £14,775
	Renault Grand Scenic 2.0 dCi Dynamique S 5dr Auto [7 seats] People Carrier
	ETR	Mthly £316	Saving £6,114	Price £16,841

typical 10.48% APR

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