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The Toyota Tarago was the go-to ride for big families, but we find out if its replacement is up for the same task.

Here is everything you need to known about the Toyota Granvia.

VALUE

The Granvia replaces the revered Tarago in the Toyota line-up, but it isn’t as accessible to cash-strapped families, as prices start from a steep $70,700 drive-away.

For that money, the Granvia misses some bells and whistles but does have six individual bucket seats, a smallish 8-inch centre touchscreen, satnav, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto and decent driver assist tech. Two extra seats are a no-cost option.

The VX model we drove cost about $12,000 more and added automatic sliding rear doors, electronically adjusted, quilted leather seats and a 12-speaker audio unit.

The Granvia’s capped price servicing plan isn’t as attractive as other Toyotas. Services are at six-month intervals and cost $1560 over three years. Other models have five-year plans that cost less.

COMFORT

Comfort is the Granvia’s strong suit, particularly in VX form whether the second-row seats feel like something you’d find on a business class flight.

The seats recline and a footrest extends to allow occupants to stretch out and get some shut-eye. Individual seats in the third row are equally comfy, with armrests, plenty of adjustment and their own air vents and USB ports.

The optional fourth row is a bench seat but with a bit of mixing and matching you can fit eight adults in comfort. The only catch is that with eight seats in place there’s very little room for luggage.

Bizarrely, Toyota won’t provide us with an exact number, which suggests corporate sensitivity over the shortcoming. It’s not the easiest thing to manoeuvre around a carpark and the high roof means a lot of underground parking is off limits.

On the plus side, the cabin has acres of space and big windows allow lots of light into the cabin. The Granvia cushions its occupants pretty well from bumps and road noise.

SAFETY

The Granvia has an extensive range of active safety aids including auto emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, lane-keep and blind-spot assist, auto high-beam, traffic sign recognition and radar cruise control.

Rear cross-traffic alert is particularly handy to have, given the size of the car and the limited vision when reversing, while parking sensors front and rear make it easier to navigate carparks.

The Granvia was crash-tested in 2019 and scored a 94 per cent rating for adult occupant protection. There are nine airbags.

ON THE ROAD

Don’t expect any thrills through the bends in the Granvia. The people-mover is based on the HiAce van and the commercial vehicle underpinnings mean drivers have to exercise an extra degree of care through corners, particularly in the wet.

There’s plenty of body roll and the suspension can sometimes struggle to recover from mid-corner bumps and corrugations.

Driven sensibly, though, the Granvia is fine for family duties and road trips.

The 2.8-litre diesel is reasonably quiet and refined and pulls well at low revs, although it has less power than some rivals. We couldn’t match the claimed 8.0L/100km, though.

VERDICT 3/5

The Granvia is big and comfy but there are other people movers that are better designed and more sharply priced.

ALTERNATIVES

Kia Carnival Platinum, $71,890 drive-away. Considerably cheaper and more fuel efficient, with a more modern cabin and better road holding.

Hyundai Staria Highlander, from about $72,000 drive-away. Looks more like a delivery van than the Carnival, but mechanically identical with a classy hi-tech cabin.

Volkswagen Multivan Comfortline, from about $75,700. Sharper pricing but cloth trim and a smaller 2.0-litre turbo diesel that’s down on torque.

TOYOTA GRANVIA VX 6 SEATS VITALS

PRICE About $82,500

WARRANTY/SERVICING Five years, unl’td km, $1560 over three years

ENGINE 2.8-litre diesel, 130kW and 450Nm

SAFETY Nine airbags, auto emergency braking, lane-keep and blind-spot assist, radar cruise, rear cross-traffic alert

THIRST 8.0L/100km

LUGGAGE No number published

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