FORD'S C-MAX compact people mover is getting a mid-life makeover complete with a new look front, smarter interior and more economical engines.

The latest version of the popular family model - and the larger seven-seat Grand C-MAX - will be arriving in the summer and for the first time will be available with Ford's frugal 1.5-litre diesel engine.

The new line up will be priced from £18,195 with the 1.5-litre diesel starting at £19,895. Prices for the Grand C-MAX are from £20,295 and £21,495 for the new diesel.

Both come with restyled noses in keeping with Ford's new design theme also seen on the new Mondeo and the latest versions of the Focus and Fiesta. It's clean and smart and gives the cars an air of refinement.

The interiors have also been spruced up with less clutter and more storage space.

The changes bring the C-MAX bang up to date alongside alternatives such as the Citroen C4 Picasso and Vauxhall's Zafira models.

On the technology front the C-MAX's automatic parking set up can now extricate the car from tight spaces as well as handling parallel and perpendicular manoeuvres while it is also available with adaptive cruise control and a new distance alert which activates if travelling too close to vehicles ahead.

There's also the option of a power operated tailgate - something which Ford claims as a first in the compact MPV market - which works by waggling your foot under the back bumper.

All but the entry level 1.6-litre petrol engine have been tweaked for efficiency which in the case of the 2.0-litre diesel has resulted in a 20 per cent reduction in emissions making it good for around 60 to the gallon in everyday use.

Officially the new 1.5-litre diesel can nudge close to the 70mpg mark with a CO2 figure of 105g/km.

On the road the changes make considerable impact. Noise levels have been improved significantly and the ride gives the C-MAX a sturdy feel.

When it comes to all round dynamics there was not much to fault with the current version but the latest model moves that up a stage with suspension and damper setting improvements.

For a people mover the C-MAX is finely balanced and the 2.0-litre Grand C-MAX diesel we tried showed good performance.

The engine develops 150ps which results in a 0 to 60 time of 9.8 seconds, a top speed of 125mph and with the help of stop/start an official fuel return of 61mpg with emissions of 119g/km which is very respectable for a seven-seater.

We achieved an average of 39.5mpg on a journey which took in a good mix of city traffic, motorways and country lanes.

As with Ford's B-MAX baby MPV the Grand C-MAX has sliding rear doors which make for easier access and the fold-down seating arrangement can be configured to enable passengers to walk through to the back seats.

Usable luggage space with all seats in use is tiny at 65 litres but as a five seater the Grand C-MAX offers 475 litres of space extending to a van-like maximum of 1,742 litres with all but the front seats folded flat. That's with a tyre repair kit in lieu of a proper spare wheel.

Think of it as a five seater with two occasional seats in the rear and the Grand C-MAX is a very safe bet and the range topping Titanium X six-speed manual we drove tipped the scales at £24.895.

The regular C-MAX is a five-seater only and very user-friendly with movable rear seats which can create an exceptional amount of legroom if necessary. It's not far off the Grand C-MAX either in terms of boot space which ranges from 471 to 1,723 litres.

In all there are some 20 onboard storage places including a drop-down compartment in the roof and a sunglasses holder as well as a good sized glovebox, centre console and picnic tables on the back of the front seats.

Driver aids, which work from an array of sensors, radars and cameras, now include cross traffic warnings which alert the driver to oncoming traffic when reversing out of a blind spot.

Sat nav is standard on mid grade Titanium models which cost from £20,115 and is operated from a new look eight-inch touchscreen in the centre of the dash which itself has been smartened up with fewer controls in front of the gear lever.

Ford's latest SYNC voice control system is also a feature in Titanium trim but all models now feature air conditioning, digital radios and a new-look instrument cluster which includes a 4.2-inch display screen.

Since the C-MAX was first introduced in 2004 Ford has clocked up some 210,000 sales in the UK making it one of the most popular people movers on the market and last year it was second only to the C4 Picasso in the sales charts.