Our fleet: Ford B-Max 1.6 TDCi Titanium - September 2014

The B-Max doesn’t have many direct rivals in the mini-MPV segment. The Vauxhall Meriva, Citroen C3 Picasso and Nissan Note are probably the closest, as drivers switch to the new breed of ‘baby crossovers’ such as the Nissan Juke and Renault Captur.

This is reflected in the sales figures, with 80,000 B-segment crossovers being registered, against 50,000 B-segment MPVs so far this year.

Based on our experience with the B-Max to date, this segment of car is still very capable, and worth considering.

The rear sliding door arrangement and lack of b-pillar that allows unimpeded access to the back seats definitely has its uses – sliding a dining table top over the headrests and onto the fully flat folded rear seats was handy, considering the rear hatch was too narrow.

The front passenger seat can cleverly fold flat for longer loads, although the 60/40 split rear bench folds in the wrong place for this to be completely useful to those of us with a right hand drive vehicle – you lose three seats instead of two. Two trips to IKEA have proved just how flexible this ‘small’ car can be.

Yes, driving prowess isn’t up there with the Fiesta upon which it’s based - but for a taller vehicle, it’s really not far off.  MPG has improved, reaching mid-50’s on many occasions, and the slightly larger tank is now consistently providing a range of 500 miles – so filling station visits aren’t too regular.