We used to have big, medium, small cars and trucks. Then we had people carriers, family cars, SUVs. Now we have mini-SUVs, or soft-roaders, and now the mini-people carriers, or hatchbacks-and-a-half.
While it's merely a sign of a hunger and desire of firms to milk a profit wherever they see a gap, sometimes in the rush, you begin to wonder have they lost the plot. Some niches seem to defy logic.
Initially, Ford seemed in sync with the principle that a saloon, people carrier and two hatchbacks should be enough to satisfy the needs of most buyers. And it seems to have worked well for the blue oval brand, the best selling car brand in Ireland. After all, five years after its launch, its Focus model remains the most accomplished all-rounder in its class, and incidentally the best selling car here yet again last year, despite the fact it's being replaced by a new version in autumn.
However, like it or not - understand it or not - the compact MPV sector has proven much more than a passing phase and, the Ford range has always seemed incomplete due to the lack of a rival to Renault's Scénic compact MPV. So, believing that late is better than never, Ford's Focus C-Max has now arrived.
It's yet another entrant in that strange world where cars with five - or sometimes even four - seats play on their extra spaciousness. This despite the fact the added room is often only above the heads of all within.
For some reason lost to us, Irish and European motorists are besotted with the idea of driving high-roofed hatches, the benefit of which seems lost on all but those who drive around bedecked in top hats or tall feathered headgear. Of course, some put forward the case of the seven-seater owners who suddenly realise they don't use that last row of seats, but like the legroom in the back so opt for a five-seater version. But that doesn't explain the popularity of these cars with childless couples.
Regardless of the logic, where the market calls, the car companies are going to answer. So Ford duly arrives on the market with its own version of the tall five-seater to compete with the likes of the Renault Scénic, Citroën Xsara Picasso, Toyota Corolla Verso and the leader of the pack, the Opel Zafira.
Of course, several of the C-Max competitors now feature a seven-seater option and Ford itself toyed with this idea for some time, eyeing up the Opel and its cleverly configured 'flexispace' seven-seat cabin as the best in the market - and rightly so. Then, when the Focus seven-seater was nearly ready, Ford got cold feet. It seems the end result was both too van-like and too much like a shrunken version of the Galaxy. Research also hinted at the move by buyers from seven to five. Out went the mobile bus and in came an upmarket five-seater, well-finished, quiet, comfortable and more in keeping with its executive saloon than a small family Fiesta.
Leaving aside our personal bewilderment at what people need tall cars for, the Focus C-Max does do many things very well, not least transport five adults in comfort. Except it can be a four-seater if you prefer, thanks to the comfort seat system, standard on the Zetec range. Pulling a handle lifts the centre section of the rear seat, and lets you hinge it down and back into the boot space. You can then pull another handle in each full-size, outer rear seat and slide it diagonally backwards and inwards to create extra legroom and shoulder space.
The C-Max measures in slightly lower in height than the others, though among the longest and widest. While the differences are only in millimetres, sometimes it's all that's needed to keep the peace in the territorial wars which erupt in many back seats.
Our initial fear was that it would inherit some of the pointlessness of its junior sibling, the Fusion; a car that has been eclipsed in its price bracket by the Opel Meriva and Honda Jazz.
However, suffice to say the C-Max bears a lot more of the traits of its closest brother, the impressive Focus and even hints at the Mondeo inside. Despite the MPV space and practicality it still feels more like a hatchback than its boxier rivals and its rounded, sloping roof gives it looks uncannily like an expanded Fiesta, for good or ill. The seating position is very comfortable and you get a very clear view of the road. The dash feels solid and features a much tidier facia than the current Focus range.
Most surprising of all, however, was that, despite its utilitarian principles, it's great fun to drive. Fans of the current Focus will be glad to hear that despite its stature, the C-Max is a tidy handler.
It's the latest model to be built on the new Focus platform and yet another reason why we can't wait for the new Focus to arrive later this year. Already we've had the Mazda3 and the Volvo S40 - all impressive in their handling characteristics - but now we have the best evidence yet that Ford is set to retain its reputation for offering superb mainstream handling.
Grip is impressive, as is the lack of body roll. Best of all, the steering is quick and offers great feedback. Even in strong motorway crosswinds, the C-Max stuck to the road. Match all this to a nice dash-mounted gearbox and we were enjoying our time behind the wheel.
Our test car was powered by a revised version of the Mondeo's 118 bhp 1.8-litre petrol engine. With a top speed just a whisker short of 120 mph, 0-62 mph in 10.8 seconds and 39.7 mpg combined, the 1.8-litre C-Max offers plenty of performance for the driving enthusiast, plus low running costs to please penny pinchers.
It managed to offer us an average of 30.9 mpg under quite tough conditions and with all the various electrical devices regularly working at full tilt. Yet mulling over the performance figures for the model range, the car that leaps from the statistics is the 2-litre TDCi. Powerful enough to cover the 0-62mph dash in well under 10 seconds and with a top speed of 125mph, crucially, it can also generate more than 62 miles to the gallon.
Most of its immediate competitors don't offer 1.8-litre petrol versions, but even taking the 100 bhp 1.6-litre version isn't shamed against equivalent competitors, with a top speed of 107 mph, 0-62 mph in 12.9 seconds and a fuel consumption figure of 40.9 mpg. It will however, undoubtedly have to work hard to haul bigger loads and shoppers could be tempted to move into the Meriva/Fusion/Jazz category.
More importantly, a term you don't always use in conjunction with Ford, the C-Max range seems to be competitively priced, with the 1.6-litre Zetec starting at €23,600: cheaper, for example, than the Citroën Xsara Picasso.
The biggest failing, of course, is that it doesn't have the option for seven seats, something that most of the newer entrants offer. But if its researchers are right, then they can happily leave our favoured mid-range people carrier, the Opel Zafira, to retain that niche. If five seats and room for a top-hat - or more likely a spacious five seater - is what you want, then because of its handling and rounded styling, the C-Max is the one we'd choose to drive.
