PEOPLE carriers are full of compromises.

If you need to transport more than three other people in reasonable comfort, a conventional hatchback or estate will not do, but you often end up buying what looks like a van with windows.

What's worse is that your glorified commercial vehicle drives like a, er, commercial vehicle, pitching and wallowing in a very un-car-like manner and making you wish that you didn't have so many children or friends, or both.

Certain manufacturers are starting to realise that this is simply not good enough - especially when you've given up a perfectly good car in the pursuit of family happiness.

Mitsubishi is one such firm. With its ever-popular 4x4 Shogun, a recent surge in popularity of its rally replica Lancer and a new supermini-shaped iteration of its long-serving Colt brand, the company once thought by some as past its sell by date has been thoroughly reinvigorated.

Mitsubishi is no stranger to the MPV. Remember the Space Wagon and the Space Star? Mitsubishi's latest MPV offering, the Grandis (pictured above), is something of a stylistic breath of fresh air for Mitsubishi.

For one thing, it doesn't strike a pose similar to the current crop of full-size MPVs. Toyota's Previa aside, the Grandis cuts a decidedly sleek dash out on the road. From nose to tail it is as far removed from the typical "van with windows" template as you can get. And yet, despite coming over all swoopy and rakish, the Grandis will accommodate seven occupants in a two-three-two formation.

What makes the Grandis feel special is that it neither looks nor drives like a car with seven seats. In fact, it feels more like a car, which is good news for when you drive it on your lonesome.

But if you do need to shift bulky loads, the Grandis will oblige. The rear seats disappear into the floor and the second row folds forward to reveal a cavern of space, in the Grandis' only impersonation of a van.

If there is one area where the Grandis does follow convention, it's at the business end of the cabin. As with an increasing number of MPVs, the gearshift is fascia-mounted and part of a console packed with all the main controls. And driving position is suitably lofty, despite the car's lower-than-MPV-norm ride height.

But where the Grandis excels is in bucking convention. Fire up the car's 2.4-litre petrol motor (diesel fans get their turn next summer), give the throttle a prod and prepare to be pleasantly surprised by pace and agility. It's no Lancer but it is a match for some conventional family hatches.

The four-speed auto gearbox is a decent alternative to the five-speed manual if you want to give your left leg a rest, but the downside is that economy and low-down urge is blunted. The car's stable at speed and turns into corners with the enthusiasm of something much smaller. Threading it through town and parking is no great chore, either.

Anyone still unconvinced of the merits of the Grandis should look at the car's price and equipment list. For the money - even in so-called base-trim Classic - it comes with a mountain of kit, including eight airbags, ABS and EBD, climate control, alarm and immobiliser, radio/CD and alloy wheels.

The middle-order Equippe adds a CD changer, traction control, twin sunroofs, cruise control and leather-covered steering wheel and gear knob.

Elegance-spec cars get leather for the seats as well.

For more information, call Mill Lane Mitsubishi on 01256 780790.