We had thought that the Tarraco seven-seat SUV was going to replace the long-lived Alhambra, but thank goodness it hasn't. Whereas the Tarraco is seriously compromised in space terms, especially in the third row, the Alhambra - with its big, boxy body - is not.
This is a car with genuine space for seven genuine passengers. What’s more, thanks to those sliding side doors, they can all get in and out easily even in narrow car park spaces.
Build quality is excellent, if the cabin design is a bit old-hat, well who cares? The kids are just going to wreck it anyway… MPVs have fallen dramatically out of fashion in the past couple of years, especially large ones such as this, but we are genuinely thankful that the Alhambra (and its cousin, the VW Sharan) is still available.
Best model: Alhambra 2.0 TDI SE 115 for €43,940
Price range: €41,600 to €49,825 Finance from €465 per month.
Co2 emissions: 135 to 140g/km
Sum up: For families, space is still the ultimate luxury.