Grandis entrance

Not bad eh?

A fairly aggressive face, high sides, swooping roofline, curved glass and a quite spectacular rear end complete with bumper to roof LED (Light Emitting Diode) lighting. Woohoo.

Nice one Olly.

Grandis even grabs some fleeting looks from pavement punters who normally wouldn't look twice at people mover.

And the inside is even better looking and functional as well. A dust and pollen filter built into the ventilation system also has a deodorising function.

This is the sort of stuff Mitsubishi needs to come up with to meet its competition.

Grandis joins a growing fleet of new people movers that could rekindle interest in the genre.

It's 44 grand which is still stretching the budget but is fairly close to its main competition, Honda's base- model Odyssey and not forgetting the Ford Territory rear wheel drive that are around 39 grand.

Grandis has seven seats arranged in three rows with multiple adjustments and configurations in the rear compartment. The back row can be completely stowed in the floor and the middle row slides forward and folds out of the way.

Heck, you can even lift the tailgate at the footy or drive in movies (do they still exist), turn the rear seats around and watch grandstand style.

Grandis has good performance from its 121kW/ 217Nm, 2.4-litre, four cylinder engine and whizzes along with nary a noise or vibe at all speeds despite its 1660kgs. The engine has variable valve timing to optimise performance, response and fuel economy. An average 10.5 litres/100km is within easy striking distance with mixed driving but that is with only a few on board. With seven, it would no doubt consume more.

Drive goes to the front wheels via a four speed automatic transmission that is both smooth shifting and quite adept when you need instant response. A tipshift "manual" function is provided but is essentially superfluous. Money would be better spent on an extra cog rather than the tipshift.

The ride and handling package impresses for such a vehicle. It's comfortable and controlled sailing over rough roads without bucking and hanging in there through tight sections. Quite unexpected when you think it is after all, a people mover.

There is plenty of luxury and safety equipment including multiple air bags, efficient climate-control air, ABS and electronic brake force distribution.

Grandis marks the end of the road for Nimbus and Starwagon.