YOU can't move for compact people carriers these days.

As far as family-centric vehicles go, something boasting sliding, tumbling seats and more space than a regular hatchback is always going to win over mum, dad and the kids.

Not all MPVs are equal, though. Some come with conventional doors, some with a sliding door and some come with five, six or even seven seats.

However, any new entrant needs to combine versatility with a substantial slug of family hatch driving manners. And it's this attribute that trips up so many MPVs and why the Mazda5 could be the next big thing in the compact MPV sector.

The Mazda5 (pictured) feels reassuringly neutral when driven with even the smallest hint of enthusiasm. Pitch and roll has been kept to a minimum, while the controls are the usual slick operating type found in Mazda's other cars.

You also get the now-standard, high-mounted gearlever that's a feature of so many people carriers.

Best of all, engine choice stretches to a pair of Euro-centric two-litre diesel units, as well as two petrol motors of 1.8 and two-litres.

Both diesels come with six-speed manual gearboxes and the top-performing 143 horsepower variant will prove its worth when you need to haul a full complement of people and their belongings. While all this gets the Mazda5 halfway to the winning post, the other battle centres on the car's ability to swallow people and family clobber, without putting the squeeze on occupants.

The Mazda's twin sliding doors are new and you won't find them on similarly-priced rivals. The step-through potential might be lost on dad commuting to work but, at the weekend, or when making trips to the home improvement centre, it's a different matter. You experience similar surprise and delight from the seating arrangement.

Up front there's adequate room for two adults but the total seat count runs to seven.

The seventh seat is craftily hidden until you need it. Tip up the cushion of the nearside middle-row seat, lift out the upturned seat and you've got chair number seven.

The corresponding backrest doubles as a jumbo-sized armrest when you need only six seats.

Far from being a gimmick, this system could be especially useful for when you want to keep an eye on a small child. Admittedly, the seat won't comfortably accommodate a well-fed adult, but maintaining eye contact with junior could be the difference between a tantrum and a trouble-free trip.

Jump seat aside, space in both the centre and rear rows is good - even for adults. Folding the middle row forward requires little effort and, if the back row is also collapsed, the Mazda5 doubles as a van with windows, complete with a flat load bay.

The seats can't be removed but this arrangement is versatile enough as it stands.

When you take into account all the various storage areas and the numerous cupholders at your disposal, it's easy to see how the Mazda's cabin could become a motorised extension of the family home.

Add an optional roof-mounted screen for playing DVDs and long trips take on a new dimension.

Family-friendly to the point of wanting to tuck you into bed at night, the Mazda5 is a well-thought-out car. Sure, you can find most of its features in rival models but - and here's the thing - you can't find them all in one rival.

For further details, call Alan Gibson Mazda on 01256 866900.