Behind the wheel, the Grandis fulfills the promise of its striking design. It has responsive steering, with none of the slack afflicting large minivan helms. This MPV turns corners with the eagerness of a compact sedan. The 2.4 liter inline-4 with MIVEC variable-valve timing provides 165 hp and 217 Nm of forward thrust. Bottom-end torque makes quick work of stoplight getaways and overtaking. Pressing on to the higher end of the rev range results in a surge of acceleration, as well as a pleasingly raspy engine sound. Ignore the large passenger compartment in the rear view mirror, and you can easily imagine you’re driving a sporty sedan.
We were at first stymied by the Grandis’ purchase price. After comparing products with similar features, the value is better than it first looked. The C-size sedans with similar 2.4-liter engines have comparable price tags, and they’re not as versatile. Larger minivans with premium features command several hundred thousand pesos more.
We can imagine that for most buyers, the initial attraction will be the Grandis’ svelte styling. What should seal the deal are the excellent passenger comfort and the fun to be had behind the wheel.
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| Interior continues with sleek and sexy lines. Overall build quality is commendable, but there are still some dodgy plastics (top). 2nd row is quite roomy especially with sliding feature (middle). Last row is barely adequate, but when put down, storage space is fairly limited (bottom). |
