Compact MPVs have to do it all. From the weekly round of school runs and shopping trips to holidays and weekends away, they have a demanding job.
Providing up to seven seats in a package that's little bigger than a regular hatch is difficult enough, but making this both affordable and stylish is even harder. Renault is an old hand at meeting this brief after it created the sector with 1996's original Mégane Scenic.
Since then, demand for mid-size people carriers has exploded, and every major car maker now has a contender on its price list. As a result, Renault's third-generation model faces a tougher task than ever before. To meet this challenge, it is bigger, more versatile and comes with a new 1.4-litre turbo petrol engine that promises big car performance with small car running costs.
But the Scenic isn't the only new arrival. Toyota's practical Verso people carrier adds some style to the familiar mix of versatility and reliability. It promises to give the French car a run for its money.
Before either can claim class honours, though, they have to make it past our current favourite: Mazda's excellent 5.
So, which one of our trio will win this space race?
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