EXCUSE the pun, but it must have been galling for French manufacturer Renault to find itself trailing both Ford and Chrysler in the people carrier hit parade.
After all, it was Renault who spawned the trend for multi purpose vehicles with the advent of the Espace back in 1984.
With its recently launched fourth generation model the company is determined to regain its position at the head of affairs - and the omens are positive.
The design team's brief was simple: we've got the best MPV already, now let's raise the bar again.
So they set about creating the first luxury MPV, one which offers traditional people carrier qualities allied to the refinements of an executive car. That meant powerful engines, class-leading dynamics, a top notch interior, plus cutting edge safety and entertainment gear.
And just as important, down came the prices - in several cases at least - and an extra grand's worth of equipment was thrown in.
You need only look at the Espace, and its stretched by 20cms sibling the Grand Espace, to appreciate its aerodynamic profile and expansive dimensions.
If all seven individual seats in the Grand are being used, no one should complain about lack of leg or shoulder room, though a tall adult in row three can feel the car's roof ruffling the barnet.
Another advantage of the latest version is that the old fixed anchoring points have been dispensed with in favour of sliding rails, allowing greater variety of seating position.
The six engines are split evenly between petrol and diesel, while there's a choice of four trim levels. It means that buyers of the entry grade 2.0 Espace Authentique at £19,130 are paying just £635 more than they would for the lowest spec Voyager and under £1,000 more than for a 2.3LX Galaxy.
Given the amount of standard equipment, you can make a compelling case for the Espace.
All versions come with seven individual seats, each with built-in lap and diagonal belts, Renault's keyless ignition and remote central locking system, eight airbags, customised air-con for all three rows, automatic parking brake and electric windows. And for those who appreciate 'son et lumiere' the Grand Espace has a huge double sunroof and a high quality CD system with column-mounted controls.
The test car was the range's performance flagship, which uses the 245bhp 3.5-litre V6 engine from the luxurious Vel Satis model. It offers serious grunt, best appreciated on the motorway where the car becomes a genuine high performance Grand Tourer. Then the passengers can stare in amazement as the little boxes vanish on the fuel gauge.
For such a huge vehicle the Grand is surprisingly easy to manoeuvre and its five-speed Proactive automatic transmission adapts to any kind of driving.
For me the Espace is back on top of the pile - as for Renault's 'first true luxury MPV' claim - they should hang fire on that one until some of those flimsy lids have been toughened up.
FAST FACTS
Renault Grand Espace 3.5 Privilege
Price: £29,985
Mechanical: 245bhp, 3,498cc V6 24-valve petrol engine driving front wheels via 5-spd Proactive automatic transmission
Max speed: 140mph
0-62mph: 8.4 secs
Combined mpg: 22.8
Insurance group: 15
CO2 emissions: 297g/km
BiK rating: 35%
Warranty: 3yrs/ 60,000 miles; 12yrs anti-rust; 3yrs paint