Grandis was first shown at the 2001 Tokyo Motor Show as the Space Liner concept car, and was first introduced as a production model in Japan last year.

With a full-size body, Grandis has more power than any other four-cylinder competitor, the most flexible interior, excellent fuel economy, the tightest turning circle of a car of its size, and more style than any other vehicle in its class. And, safety has also come in for considerable attention, as would be expected in such an outstanding family vehicle.

Featuring the new Mitsubishi global identity that is boldly defined by the three-diamond symbol located centrally in the divided grille, Grandis has a flowing, stylish appearance that hitherto has not been seen in such a vehicle. The styling flows seamlessly from front to rear, as well as along the roof and side windows, and along the waist-high character line.

The sculpted reflectors visible inside the clear-cut lenses of the four-bulb halogen headlamp units lend a brilliant crystal touch to the classy look of the front end. Large reflector type front fog lamps add a sporty touch to the purposeful front bumper. Roof rails, dual sunroof and privacy glass that are all part of the optional Luxury Pack also add dash to the exterior styling.

Extensive use has been made of LED lighting – for example, in the turn indicators that are embedded in the exterior door mirrors, in the combination rear lamps, and in the high-mount auxiliary stop lamp.

Body-coloured door mirrors, bar-type door handles, side sill garnish, licence plate garnish and tailgate deflector all contribute to the integrated look of the car, which is described as sporty and elegant.

However, it is inside its capacious cabin that Grandis shines.

The dash is designed to a waveform theme, and generates a visual sense of roominess and comfort. The in-dash shift gate decorative panel features a metallic finish, while the four-spoke steering wheel, colour-keyed inner door handles and power switch panels, velour seating, cloth door trim inserts, and fully trimmed cargo area exude an air of sophistication.

Standard features include power steering with tilt steering column, power windows, electric door mirrors (including fold control), remote central locking that is incorporated in the ignition key fob (a first for the class), cruise control, remote fuel filler, electric tailgate opener, variable intermittent windshield wipers and washer (with speed sensing function), rear intermittent wiper and washer, rear window demister, day / night rear-view mirror, three-stage high contrast meters (including tachometer), rheostat, lighting monitor (buzzer), digital quartz clock, ignition key cylinder illumination with delay timer, front and rear auto air conditioning (with 2nd and 3rd row seat heater ducts), front cabin lamp with front map lamps, personal lamp for 2nd and 3rd row seats, front and rear door courtesy lamps, cargo area lamp, security coded radio / single CD audio system with four speakers, bee-sting roof antenna, twin trip meter, and A/T position indicator.

The optional Luxury Pack features a woodgrain gearshift lever, woodgrain and leather-wrapped steering wheel, metallic-look power window switch panels and inner door handles, illuminated vanity mirrors and six speakers for the audio system.

An air filter that removes pollen and dust from the air, and also has a deodorising feature, is standard across the range.

There isn’t any doubt that the Grandis interior raises the bar for utility and flexibility. There is a seating pattern to cater for every occasion and consumer behaviour – from local shopping trips, to journeys to the beach, or camping, Grandis can handle being fully loaded with people and leisure gear.

The flexible seating gives the user the ability to choose from a number of different configurations that combine the tip-and-tilt feature of the second row, and the individually stow-away feature of the third row seats.

The two front row seats have adjustable armrests and height and tilt adjustable headrests, while the driver’s seat is height adjustable.

The second row seat is a 60/40 split bench seat that slides, tips-and-tilts and folds flat. The three headrests are height adjustable. This seat can take three full-sized people, and has a reclining function and centre armrest. The seat squab can be tilted for a more comfortable ride.

The third row seat is a 50/50 split that has height adjustable headrests, and a reclining function. The third row seats can be individually stowed under the floor to allow a much larger cargo area. This means it is possible to use one seat normally, and stow the other under the floor to accommodate a more bulky piece of cargo – making it the ultimate in accommodation and storage flexibility. These seats can also be flipped to a rear-facing position when the car is parked.

However, it is not only the seat configurations where Grandis shines; it also has a multitude of handy storage compartments and other utility features that makes travelling a pleasure.

The instrument panel has a lidded upper box, an illuminated glove box with upper and lower compartments, while the front door pockets have bottle holders and the floor console has cup holders. There is a sunglass pocket in the roof area, near the rear-view mirror (although this is not available with the dual sunroof option).

The driver and passenger seats have seat back pockets as well as seat back trays that will be extremely useful for a range of reasons, while the second row passengers have cupholders in the door armrests, and bottle pockets in the rear doors for easy use.

The third row passengers aren’t neglected either, with cupholders being provided in the side armrests above the wheel arches (two on the driver’s side and one on the passenger side), side console boxes (under the passenger side armrests), as well as a storage box under the seats.

The cargo area has a convenience net to restrain items, as well as the storage compartment for stowing the 3rd row seat.

Featuring a 2.4 litre four-cylinder SOHC engine with MIVEC (Mitsubishi Innovative Value lift and timing Electronic Control) Grandis is the first vehicle to bring this innovative, powerful and fuel efficient engine to Australia.

The MIVEC engine employs a multi-mode variable valve-timing mechanism that incorporates a modulated displacement function. The MIVEC system regulates engine operation in three modes – low speed, high speed and MD (Modulated Displacement) – to match different driving situations. MIVEC engines produce higher output than a naturally-aspirated production engine and realises significant increases in torque across the full engine rev range, and excellent fuel economy.

The engine develops 121kW at 6000 rpm and 217Nm of torque at 4000 rpm, and is Euro Step 2 emission compliant.

This power output makes Grandis best in class, compared with Nimbus delivering 96kW, Odyssey 110kW, Avensis 118kW and Tarago 115kW.

The new MIVEC engine helps the new Grandis deliver superior acceleration (0-100 km/h in 12.0 seconds with a maximum speed of 195 km/h), and superb overtaking (60-80 km/h in 4.0 seconds and 120-140 km/h in 6.9 seconds).

Fuel economy is excellent at 10.4 litres per 100 kilometres.

Mated to Mitsubishi’s acclaimed INVECS II ‘Smart Logic’ four-speed automatic transmission with ‘Sports Mode’ sequential shifting, the drive-train delivers optimum power, economy and drivability. The ‘dash-mounted shifter and more compact manual gate design makes for easier and simpler operation.

The gear ratios are:

1st	2.842
2nd	1.529
3rd	1.000
4th	0.712
Reverse	2.48
Final Drive	4.406

Power is put to the ground through a fully independent suspension that features MacPherson struts at the front, and a semi-trailing arm arrangement at the rear. Steering is power-assisted rack and pinion.

The steering and suspension work in perfect harmony to deliver well-mannered and precise roadholding, with a flat, compliant and fatigue-free ride. Considerable testing was undertaken in Australia to confirm suspension settings, and to ensure that the ride and handling characteristics were suited to local conditions.

A family-oriented car, such as Grandis, needs to deliver on safety. And, Grandis does.

Grandis’ new platform achieves the highest levels in its category in terms of crashworthiness, structural stiffness and vibration and noise suppression. In-house tests show that Grandis achieved six stars in the JNCAP, much higher than all other similar vehicles

Major structural features of the platform include a straight frame rail design with octagonal-section front side chassis members, three-directional input / dispersion dash cross member and pillar braces that raise crash energy absorption and dispersal efficiencies, plus spherical section floor panels that realise increased floor stiffness and reduce vibration.

Additionally, the use of tailor blank technology – in which multiple sheets of different thicknesses are welded together before forming – for the side door outer panel, and front and rear side chassis members delivers the optimum panel gauge configuration and thereby helps to reduce body weight.

Corrosion performance has also been improved with a significant increase in the use of corrosion-resistant sheet.

Developed using Mitsubishi’s own RISE advanced safety body technology, the new platform realises a dramatic improvement in crashworthiness. The frame is structurally designed to effectively absorb and disperse crash energy, while minimising cabin deformation. As a result, Grandis achieves a 6-star JNCAP crashworthiness rating in in-house testing for 65 km/h frontal offset, 55 km/h full frontal, side and rear impacts.

However, secondary safety has not been neglected, as Grandis has a host of secondary safety features.

It is available with a six-bag SRS airbag system that includes dual stage driver and front passenger bags, as well as side and curtain airbags fitted as standard.

Sure and safe braking is provided with the fitting of ventilated disc front, and solid disc rear brakes. All models come with Grandis’ 4-sensor, 4-channel ABS with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD) as standard. These features, along with the variable-assist vacuum booster combine to generate maximum stopping power with minimum pedal effort under emergency braking.

Three-point lap-sash seat belts with seat belt pre-tensioners and force limiters, and height adjustable anchors are provided for the driver and passenger. All other seating positions have three-point lap-sash seat belts. A seat belt reminder warning is provided.

Tether anchors are provided in the second and third row seats (one bracket and two plugs in the second row, and two plugs in the third row), while the rear doors have child protection locks.

An electronic immobiliser is standard.

Grandis is fitted with 16” X 6.5JJ steel rims as standard, although a five-spoke 16” alloy wheel is standard with the Luxury Pack option. Tyres are 215/60R 16 95H radial tyres, with a T135/90D 16 temporary spare wheel mounted under the rear floor.

Available in eight exterior colours – Cool Silver Metallic, Deep Red Mica, Light Blue Metallic, Medium Purple Metallic, Light Yellow Green Metallic, Deep Blue Metallic, Black Mica and White Solid – Grandis comes with a two-tone blue and grey interior.

The two options are the Luxury Pack (at a cost of $3,745) and Dual Sunroof (at a cost of $2,000).