SINCE they first emerged around the mid 1990s in the guise of the Ford Galaxy and VW Sharan, MPVs have jousted with the faithful old estate car for top spot in the people carrying league.

While I have always favoured the estate car, occasionally there comes along an MPV which perhaps could state a case for something of a rethink.

In fact, both MPV and estate car have a definite place in the scheme of things and recently I found myself in the latest version of the Mazda5.

First unveiled in 2005, the oriiginal Mazda5 impressed with its good looking, contemporary design while sliding side doors and the clever Karakuri interior layout gave it something of an edge over some of its rivals.

The new model goes a stage further.

Fully embracing Mazda's Nagare style theme of natural flowing movement, the latest Mazda5 enjoys boldly sculpted flanks with a wave pattern making quite a striking impression.

Businesslike headlights and a steeply raked windscreen further enhance the newcomer's eye catching design.

The entry level TS model sets the standard with a spec list which includes the likes of 16-inch alloys, air con, four-speaker sound system, cruise control, heated door mirrors and electric front windows.

Two further trim levels add the likes of climate control, privacy glass, automatic headlights and wipers, plus a trip computer while the Sport model in the spotlight here also adds power sliding doors, leather trim, heated front seats, spoiler and side skirts.

Wider opening sliding doors help to give excellent access to the rear of the car and with Mazda's tried and tested Karakuri seating system continuing to provide numerous configuration options for person space and/or luggage room, this is a surprisingly spacious load carrier.

Currently there are two petrol engines available to power the Mazda5, 113bhp 1.8-litre and the 148bhp 2.0-litre driven here, plus a 1.6-litre turbo diesel unit which will be available in January.

Build quality is good and with Mazda having made concerted efforts to improve the quality of fabrics and plastics.

Inside it looks much more durable and serviceable while plenty of interior storage and child-friendly features are a further plus.

Powered by the flagship MZR 2.0-litre petrol engine paired with a six-speed smooth switching manual gear change and using Mazda's stop/start technology average mpg rises some 14.2% to more than 40 while CO2 emissions come down 15% to 159g/km over the outgoing 2.0-litre petrol engine.

Dashboard instrumentation now offers a much clearer, more user friendly layout with bright and easy to read dials making the driving position more driver focused while attractive wrap around windows help to make for good overall vision.