A grand sense of timing for Grandis

The timing could have been better. As the decision by DaimlerChrysler to abandon its partnership with Mitsubishi sent shockwaves through the Mitsubishi car firm and put its future product plans under review, Mitsubishi Ireland continued undeterred with the launch of the new luxury people carrier, the Grandis, on Monday.

The seven-seat replacement for the elderly Spacewagon model, is powered by a with its 2.4-litre petrol engine and carries much sharper and more stylised lines than its predecessor.

While most of the attention focused on the future of the firm, for now all that can be done by Irish interested parties is drive.

The Grandis carries the new design characteristics of Mitsubishi's French styling chief Olivier Boulay, though his influence mainly came in reworking some of the lines rather than styling it from scratch.

It's a very roomy cabin, in keeping with competitors like the Renault Espace and Ford Galaxy and the large expanse of glass and long dash that stretches to the windscreen adds to the feeling of spaciousness.

While we were trapped in the myriad of snarling traffic in Dublin on Monday and unable to give the car a good run in the country, a short spin on the M50 did let us get a feeling of what the car is like on the open road and the big engine is quite capable of hauling the larger body along at motorway speeds.

The best thing about the larger people carriers is that you get a proper set of rear seats and the soft-cushioning in the Grandis should suit all posteriors. There's also quite a deep boot that should be able to accommodate most needs, though the golf clubs will have to wait until the back seats are folded down.

A 2-litre diesel version is due for launch next year. As for the arrival of other products, they remain in question until the finances are sorted out.

Prices for the Grandis start at €37,950 for the seven-seat format and €39,200 for six seater sports version, putting it on a par with the likes of the similarly powered Chrysler Voyager and Ford Galaxy.

The Grandis is entering a growth market, but there are many of competing products and concerns over the company's future may overshadow its arrival.