It is hard to believe that the effortless and smooth performance of the Ford C-Max with EcoBoost comes from a 1.6 litre four-cylinder petrol engine.
The powertrain is a delight to use in town or on open roads, thanks to its responsiveness, power output and slick manual gearchange.
Sophisticated direct fuel injection, compact turbocharger and variable valve timing combine to give big engine responses and top-end power with diesel like mid-range pull and economy.
The 150PS EcoBoost is rated at 9.4 sec from rest to 62mph, with a 127mph maximum and combined consumption of 42.8mpg in the C-Max, and it's only marginally behind those figures in the bigger and 111KG heavier Grand C-Max.
On very twisting roads the agile C-Max coped with all manner of surfaces, dismissing them without a ruffle to the interior, while you had to be pushing it to induce body roll.
It steered and braked accurately and powerfully and gave excellent feedback.
Visibility was good, the room ideal for a family and the boot rises from a minimum 432 litres to over 1,684 litres in the C-Max and up to 1,742 litres in the Grand C-Max.
The new EcoBoost engine sets new standards and benchmarks in performance, economy and smoothness.
The Grand C-Max is a genuine seven-seater with a lot of headroom, legroom and shoulder space.
The simple sliding side doors and quick-folding seats will instantly win praise but on the move the new car's agility will both surprise and delight a driver as well.
It really soaks up the bumps without them being felt in the cabin and without excessive body roll on sharp corners.
In fact, the precise steering response and delightfully progressive brakes make the big Grand C-Max feel like a sportier hatchback.
With the 140PS diesel engine and the Powershift auto-box the Grand C-Max is a particularly easy drive. Maximum is 127mph, 0-62mph is 9.8sec and overall consumption will be about 48.7mpg.
In full auto mode the changes are smooth and quick and even better when used in the manual sport mode.
There is a noticeable rise in engine noise as the revs build but it never sounds harsh, just busy.
The Grand C-Max is about 111kg heavier than the five-door and this seems to have made it ride better and more smoothly than the C-Max, which is also good.
On mountain roads the Grand C-Max handled well and had plenty of power under foot for overtaking opportunities.
Visibility was good, and there is a lot of headroom inside. The seats in the middle row cleverly fold to reveal a walk-through into the back row or in a few moments fold flat to take the luggage space from a minimum 432 litres up to 1,742 litres Grand C-Max.
