THE quest to come up with an MPV that drives like a car rather than a minibus might not quite be on a par with the alchemist's elusive pursuit of the process to manufacture gold but it perhaps has some of the hallmarks.

Traditionally transporting seven people in comfort has necessitated dispensing with decent driving dynamics.

For most it was probably a price worth paying, or alternatively one could opt for one of the slightly scaled down MPVs that sacrificed some space to offer a decent drive.

These days there are a few full-size MPVs that possess that once elusive ‘car-like' handling and the SEAT Alhambra is one of them.

The old Alhambra had an extremely lengthy innings, being around since 1995, and was overdue for replacement.

While it looks smaller than its predecessor the current version launched at the tail end of 2010 is actually longer and wider, perhaps due to the fact it sits a little lower.

Lots of thought has gone into creating a versatile and practical vehicle that is characterised by fit and finish that has the Volkswagen stamp of quality all over it.

In reality the SEAT Alhambra and the Volkswagen Sharan are virtually identical other than the badges that differentiate them.

Strangely, having driven both I actually prefer the Alhambra, though perhaps that has more to being a self-confessed SEAT fan than anything else as I'm assured that mechanically there's nothing between them.

The Alhambra is a very family/passenger friendly car and accessing all seven seats is a relative breeze, once you've got used to a slightly complex though in reality rather well designed seat folding system.

The rear seats will all fold flat to create a van-like loading area should you want to use it to transport wardrobes or similar bulky items.

Another bonus is that even with all three rows of seats in use it still has a decent sized boot, aided in part by a sunken boot floor.

There's also a fair bit of flexibility as regards the five rear seats in that you can adjust legroom in the rear two by moving the middle row forward.

And crucially the tow rearmost seats are not just the sort of child/short journey ones you might encounter in a more compact MPV and more than up to the job of accommodating a couple of adults.

Large MPVs are always better if they come with sliding doors and the Alhambra's electronically operated ones are a great feature that enable easy access in tight spaces such as supermarket car parks - a real advantage for a big car.

They can also be operated by remote control which is even better, as can the tailgate. My only worry about all this electronic opening and closing would be the fact it might prove a drain on the battery.

As mentioned at the outset one of the great things about the Alhambra is the fact it offers such a great drive.

Mated to Volkswagen group's excellent 2.0-litre diesel engine it packs a performance punch that takes you by surprise and more importantly when pushed around the bends it doesn't feel like you're trying to defy the laws of gravity.

There's a slight bit of roll but given its height and overall bulk it manages to sit remarkably flat and in truth I actually found it fun to drive.

The 2.0-litre 140ps Ecomotive model is also the most frugal and on the combined cycle will manage more than 50mpg.

It's hard to imagine a more economical way of transporting seven people in comfort.