Mitsubishi Grandis 2.0 DI-D - The Ultimate Diesel? : GRANDIS AS GRAND DOES

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You don't buy a family MPV and you certainly don't buy a diesel expecting much in the way of driving enjoyment. It's more a case of investing in a sensible purchase that you hope doesn't have to be too sensible. Which was why we chose Mitsubishi's Grandis DI-D as our latest long term test carâ€¦

There's something depressing about driving around in a large MPV when you're the only occupant. These vehicles make a number of compromises so that they can carry six or seven passengers in comfort but without the passengers there's always the nagging feeling you've been left only with the compromises. That's why such an inordinate part of our time with Mitsubishi's Grandis has been spent trying to recruit willing parties to fill it up.

Volunteering to ferry groups of friends to and from the pub, borrowing some kids from family members for the day or, in the absence of any actual people to take up the generous seating allocation, transporting large inanimate objects around as required. Such activities have been par for the course over our time in the company of Grandis. With the seating occupied, you can really grasp the whole point behind the Grandis. Aside from the obvious (that you simply wouldn't be able to get this many in a conventional car), there's the way the suspension eases over the bumps to deliver a comfortable ride for everyone on board and the way the body resists the rolling motion common to many high sided vehicles, again keeping its passengers happy. The Grandis is up with the very longest large MPVs on the road, part of the reason why the accommodation in the rear two rows is so generous and there's still a bit of luggage space behind. However, it's also narrower and lower than most of its rivals. This means that you can park the thing without someone standing behind with a couple of table tennis bats to watch your back end and you can thread it through congested streets without a police escort. All of which brings us to the power behind our Grandis, the Volkswagen-sourced 2.0-litre DI-D engine. It's not the quietest of installations I'll grant you but it certainly packs a punch. Even with a fully-loaded vehicle, you rarely find yourself frantically swapping down through the gearbox, yearning for more power. The engine's powerful torque helps it pull in most situations, so long as the ratio has been moderately well chosen. Economy too has left little cause for complaint. Official figures tend to be a tad optimistic in the real world but we haven't been a million miles away from the Grandis DI-D's 43mpg official figure on our test, consistently averaging in the high thirties.

"The engine's powerful torque helps it pull in most situations, so long as the ratio has been moderately well chosen"

The third row tends to be where seven or eight-seater vehicles are found out but although access could be easier, both leg and head room are adequate for two adults once you're inside. 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. Another plus point with the Grandis is its luggage space. Too often, smaller MPVs sacrifice carrying capacity to fit in that third row of seating but the Grandis is spacious enough to accommodate a pushchair or a couple of large suitcases, even with the back seats in use. The boot is fairly deep so you find yourself having to lift heavy items out but at least this means that the space is maximised. The Grandis manages to offer all this roominess inside without looking like an amorphous blob to passers' by. The frontal styling is particularly racy for an MPV, with a clean and curvy treatment incorporating elongated light clusters in the shape of arrowheads, twin mesh grilles and fog lights cut into the valance. The rear end looks rather distended in profile but it's a neat job and the bulkiness is a price that most buyers will be happy to pay for the user-friendly interior. From the driver's seat, the Grandis doesn't feel like a big vehicle until you look in the rear-view mirror and see all those passengers grinning back at you. The driving position is reasonably car-like but raised-up enough for you to get a slightly enhanced view out the front and down the flanks. The dash-mounted gear lever is pleasant enough to use but it's positioned on a section of the centre console that protrudes out and downward, hindering the cross-cabin access that should be a key advantage of a gear lever in this position. The plastics used are generally tough but not quite up with the standards set by the leading large MPVs and the mock carbon-fibre trim dotted around our high-spec `Warrior' model feels particularly cheap. Storage space is generous with cup holders for occupants of all three rows and good-size door pockets, as well as a large glovebox in the front. The Grandis is an MPV that doesn't surrender completely to the demands of life with a large family. Despite our best efforts, well over half of the journeys we've undertaken in the car have been solo but the Grandis doesn't punish you for failing to utilise its capacity in the way that some other products would. The styling is very sleek for an MPV, the chassis is nimble enough about town and it doesn't go to pieces when you show it a corner. The diesel engine, despite being a little noisy for our tastes, is very well suited to the vehicle, so all in all, it's been a positive showing by the big Mitsubishi.

Facts At A Glance
CAR: Mitsubishi Grandis DI-D range
PRICES: £19,914-£22,349 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUPS: 14-15
CO2 EMISSIONS: 176g/km
PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 10.8s / Max Speed 121mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: [DI-D] (urban) 33.6mpg / (extra urban) 50.4mpg / (combined) 42.8mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front, side and curtain airbags, ABS with EBD
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: (length/width/height mm) 4755/1795/1655