Deputy editor Fiona Dart packed her kids and said hello to the Grand C-Max courtesy of Hine Motors in Shaftesbury

OFFERING seven seats rather than the five offered by the C-Max, Ford's Grand C-Max is the obvious choice for growing families who have spread beyond the Focus.

This well-made vehicle looks great, is very comfortable and best of all, still handles like a hatchback.

The interior is smart - lots of high gloss finishes - and the front seats are good and firm.

Visibility is brilliant all-round - the slightly higher seating position plays a part in this.

The sliding rear doors are nice and light and prove a huge bonus when negotiating tight parking spaces with squirming toddlers.

The additional rear seats are easy to set up and come into their own when you want to offer young friends a lift - although you do lose most of your storage space.

The middle seat can be stowed away to give a passage through to the back seats or just to create a luxuriously roomy four seater.

With the last row of seats folded, the boot took our cumbersome double buggy and all the necessary tackle for a day at the coast.

The low level boot takes the strain out of loading and - if you can plan ahead - all the rear seats can be removed to extend the load area in the event of a spending spree at Ikea.

The Grand C-max is definitely the choice for those who want to combine driver enjoyment with their family commitments and aren't quite ready to surrender to the full-blown MPV.

Hine Motors in Shaftesbury has a limited number of C-MAX and Grand C-MAX available for delivery before 31st December which have option packs fitted. However, the cost of the options will not be passed on, giving a useful extra saving in addition to a £500 discount on eligible cars. With some Grand C-MAX this could give an overall saving of up to £1,200 on retail prices - a useful early Christmas present!

For more information call 0843 2242763