Just occasionally, it’s okay to get excited about doors. When Mercedes-Benz launched the world’s first supercar in 1954 its doors were so swooned over that the car became known not as the 300SL, but the Gullwing. And when the doors of the first Lamborghini Countach swung forward or those of the BMW Z1 sank into its sills, so too did we get excited about doors. But on an MPV? Not until now.
So it’s okay to get excited by the doors of the Fiesta-based Ford B-Max. We thought the rear-hinged back doors of the Vauxhall Meriva were quite clever, but these are in a different league. The fronts open conventionally, the rears slide like those of a van.
But between them? Only fresh air. Half of each B-pillar is incorporated into each door, providing an unprecedented 1.5-metre-wide aperture when the doors are open and all the requisite structural integrity and side impact protection when closed. They provide access to a spacious and smart cabin with a well designed and attractive driving environment.
And this is just where the good news starts. You can see for yourself good the B-Max looks, but you’ll need to go for a test drive to see how well it rides and handles. It’s a little softer than the Fiesta to reflect its more family-orientated role in life but it’s still a sharp-steering, accurate and enjoyable car to fire down the road and comes with a clearly superior ride to the Fiesta.
It has two great engines, too: Ford’s super-frugal 96bhp 1.6 TDCi diesel motor, which gives the B-Max 70mpg potential and emissions of just 104g/km, or its all-new 118bhp 1.0-litre turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine, upon whose ultra-talented head awards continue to rain. How good is it? A 1.6 Citroën C3 Picasso has the same output and returns 40.9mpg. The B-Max claims 57.7mpg.
Now, though, for those who still remember turntables, there should be the sound of a stylus being dragged across the surface of the record, for here the hitherto sweet song of the B-Max abruptly ends.
Ford has done two things to the B-Max that seriously harm its case. First is to provide the car with a conventional rear seat. It folds of course, but unlike those of its rivals, it neither slides nor reclines so you cannot trade boot space for leg room or vice versa according to what you’re carrying. In a small MPV, that’s a proper limitation.
The second problem is easier to fix. While the high-output 1.0-litre petrol and 1.6-litre diesel engines are world class, Ford has cynically only made them available on the top grade Titanium specification. To add insult to injury both the lower spec 98bhp 1.0-litre and 74bhp 1.5-litre diesel actually use more fuel than their range-topping brethren while offering performance that’s poor for the petrol model and pitiful to the tune of a 16.5sec 0-62mph time for the diesel.
If Ford made its best engines available in the Zetec spec that most customers will choose, that would leave the fixed rear seat as its only serious failing. Left as it stands most customers will quickly realise how good their B-Max is without ever realising just how outstandingly great it could have been with a little more understanding from Ford.
Citroen C3 Picasso buyers can choose from four engines: 94bhp 1.4- and 118bhp 1.6-litre petrols or 89bhp and 113bhp 1.6 diesels. The 1.4 petrol is worth considering if you do most of your driving around town, but it feels a bit weedy on faster roads. The 1.6 petrol offers useful extra muscle, while both diesels are strong and flexible.
The Citroen wafts along serenely thanks to its supple suspension. The soft set-up does cause the body to bob up and down on undulating roads, but the Picasso doesn’t get too out of shape through tight twists and turns. The steering is usefully light around town, and weights up reassuringly enough at speed – even though it doesn’t offer the same sense of connection you get from a Ford B-Max.
Some wind noise can be heard around the windscreen, and range-topping Exclusive models come with roof bars, which also kick up a bit of din. However, the C3 Picasso is otherwise a refined car. Road noise is extremely well contained and the engines are generally smooth and quiet. The long-throw gearbox isn't the slickest you'll ever use, though.
The cabin feels airy, and forward vision is exceptional thanks to a wrap-around windscreen with skinny pillars. Drivers of all shapes and sizes should be able to make themselves comfortable, too, because there's a good range of seat and steering wheel adjustment. It's just a pity that the wheel obscures part of the well-ordered centre console.
The C3 Picasso is only slightly longer than conventional superminis, but it's a lot roomier inside, because the high roofline allows more upright seating. The rear bench seat is split 60/40, with the two pieces sliding back and forth so you can make the most of all that space. Boot capacity ranges from a generous 385 litres to an estate car-rivalling 500, and the rear bench can be folded flat in a jiffy.
Every C3 Picasso comes with remote central locking, front electric windows and a CD player, but you have to upgrade to the mid-level VTR+ trim to get rear electric windows, alloy wheels and air-conditioning. Range-topping Exclusive cars also come with luxuries such as climate control, electric folding door mirrors and rear parking sensors.
There are two turbocharged petrol engines – a 103bhp 1.2 and a 138bhp 1.4 (also supercharged). The smaller engines gives modest pace when you’re loaded up, but it’ll be fine for most buyers. You also have the choice of 89- and 103bhp 1.6-litre diesels and 2.0 diesels with either 138- or 168bhp. The higher-powered 1.6 is adequate, while the 2.0-litre engines give strong, smooth acceleration.
The Touran’s ride is a little firm at low speed, but the trade-off is fine body control that helps to prevent your passengers feeling queasy. Handling is easy and fluent and the steering impresses, feeling suitably light around town, yet weighting up reassuringly as the speed increases.
The engines we’ve tried are smooth and quiet most of the time, but the least powerful ones can become a little rowdy when you pile the revs on. Road noise is well contained and, although the car’s upright shape creates some road noise, the Touran is a refined cruiser.
The Touran’s cabin is rather dull, but it’s very user-friendly. The dashboard layout is sensible and there’s plentiful two-way steering wheel- and driver’s seat-height movement. The controls are simple and there are plenty of useful storage areas. Forward visibility is good and the large, upright rear window helps when parking. A rear-view camera and a system that steers the car into a suitable space are also available.
The Touran has a versatile seating layout with a spacious middle row of seats that slides and folds. The rearmost row is adequate for adults on short journeys, although luggage space suffers. The boot is large in five-seat mode, but freeing up maximum cargo space involves removing the heavy middle seats.
You can spend a lot on a high-end Touran, but the more basic models are sound buys, even if its resale values aren't particularly strong by VW standards. Every version has respectable fuel economy and CO2 emissions, but the 'green' Bluemotion models are particularly impressive.
The Touran’s interior is made from tough stuff and is well assembled to stand up to the rigours of family life. Smart controls make the driver’s immediate environment reasonably classy, too. VW mechanicals traditionally cope well with high mileages, and owners of the car rated its reliability as better than average in the 2012 JD Power survey.
There are three trim levels – S, SE and Sport. Even the cheapest (S) models come with air-conditioning, alloy wheels, four electric windows and cruise control. Extras on SE and Sport models include automatic headlights and wipers, front and rear parking sensors, a USB input socket and VW’s Park Assist system.
The Sharan is available with two turbocharged petrol engines – a 148bhp 1.4-litre and a 197bhp 2.0-litre. However, the 138bhp and 168bhp 2.0-litre diesels suit the car better because of their extra mid-range muscle. Volkswagen’s DSG semi-automatic gearbox is standard with the 2.0-litre petrol and an option across the rest of the range.
So far, we’ve only driven cars with the optional Adaptive Chassis Control, which lets you choose from three suspension settings, but you don’t have to fiddle with this much because it strikes a good balance between comfort and control when you leave it in the normal setting. Accurate steering adds to the Sharan’s appeal, although its bus-like proportions can make it tricky to manoeuvre in tight spaces.
There’s some wind noise around the door mirrors at motorway speeds, but the diesel engines stay smooth and hushed at all times and road noise isn’t an issue unless the surface is particularly coarse. An engine stop-start system that reduces fuel consumption and CO2 emissions is standard on all but the 2.0-litre petrol and is fairly unobtrusive.
Like many MPVs, the Sharan has small front quarterlight windows, so your view through corners could be better. However, the driving position is elevated and there’s loads of seat- and steering wheel adjustment to help you get comfortable. The dashboard is bespoke, but most of the switchgear is borrowed from other Volkswagen models and a doddle to use. There are lots of useful cubbies around the driver, too.
The Sharan has plenty of space for seven, and you’ll find it surprisingly easy to get kids in and out in tight parking spaces thanks to its sliding rear doors. The five rear seats can all be folded flat when you need to transport really big loads, but the boot is still huge in five-seat mode and there’s even enough space for a decent amount of luggage when all the seats are upright. Our only real criticism is that the third-row seats are a bit of a fuss to fold flat.
The Sharan costs about the same as equivalent versions of the Ford Galaxy. Average fuel economy and CO2 emissions are also competitive, and the Sharan will hold its value better than the Ford over three years.
The Sharan’s dashboard is covered in classy soft-touch plastics and, although the materials get harder as you move back through the car, they still look and feel reassuringly solid. Volkswagen has a good reliability record, too, consistently scoring well in the annual JD Power customer satisfaction survey.
The Sharan has a maximum five-star Euro NCAP crash test rating, and every model comes with stability control, a tyre pressure-monitoring system and seven airbags, including a driver’s knee bag and curtain airbags that run the full length of the cabin. Deadlocks, marked parts and an alarm are also standard across the range, while SE models and above have locking wheelnuts to protect their alloys.
