THE flexibility of Fiat's Doblo came home to me when I invested in some new fitted wardrobes.
To make way for them I was faced with the task of transporting the old, free-standing ones to a friend's home some miles away. And that's where the Doblo came in.
This mid-sized people mover is definitely more spacious than it looks, and a few seconds juggling with seat backs gave me all the space I needed for what was quite a bulky consignment.
My test car was the newly introduced Family version, which means you get seven seats rather than five, in a 2-3-2 seating configuration.
The space taken by the extra row of seats at the back does reduce the luggage space but the clever thing is this row is removable - so you can get back to a five seater to give you additional luggage space if necessary.
In my case it wasn't, as the rear seat back folds flat and the whole seat tips on end. With the rear seat down and the backs of the middle row folded flat too the job was a cinch.
A few covers over the interior to protect the car and everything went in easily, aided by the huge top hinged rear hatch which reached right down to the bumper so there are no nasty lips to lift items over.
But that's the nice thing about the Doblo - it's flexible. You not only get a spacious family car but one which has almost as much space as small van when you need it.
In fact it is one of those unusual cars which can serve a multitude of purposes.
Anyone with a small business for example, could buy the seven-seater and take out the rear seats during the week to use the van-like carrying capacity and then put them back at the weekend for the family.
The tall stance and square styling of the Doblo means it is not the sleekest looking vehicle in Fiat's range - but it is ideal for what it is designed for.
Its height also means that it can accommodate the tallest of drivers with ease.
There are sliding doors on both sides making it easy for passengers to get in and out and the slightly elevated seats help if you have to carry any elderly passengers.
The recent re-vamping of the model not only saw the introduction of the Family version but also a new look interior, putting more colour into the car.
The black dashboard has now become two-tone, black at the top and pale blue at the bottom in the case of my test car.
The air vents and some of the switches set in the black section were also in pale blue which was very distinctive and certainly lightened up the whole ambience inside the vehicle.
My test car was powered by Fiat's impressive 105bhp, 1.9-litre JTD engine which gives punchy performance combined with sensible economy. I also found it a surprisingly quiet diesel.
The only negative thing I found on the car was the fact that any items left in the "boot" section could be seen by anyone looking into the vehicle.
There was no rear luggage cover to hide items away under, although a large overhead stowage shelf running the width of the car above the driver and front passenger's head could be used to hide smaller items.
FAST FACTS
Fiat Doblo 1.9 JTD Family
Price: £11,195
Mechanical: 105bhp, 1,910cc, 4cyl diesel engine driving front wheels via 5spd manual gearbox
Max speed: 105mph
0-62mph: 12.4 secs
Combined mpg: 47.9
Insurance group: 6
CO2 emissions: 157g/km
BiK rating: 21%
Warranty: 3yrs/ 60,000 miles; 8yrs anti-rust; 3yrs paint