There are two strikes against the Alphard in this department, first being its physical size at almost two metres tall and a shade over two tonnes, and secondly, it’s a van-like MPV.

So long as you don’t expect a sports car-mimicking experience, the Alphard delivers a good drive, and even a little better than expected from a car which has an obvious emphasis on being driven around in than driving.

The drivetrain gives the car a perky take-off, which is useful in city traffic – the 170bhp 2.4-litre V6 as found in the Camry is mated to a continuously-variable transmission. The latter does its job cleanly and efficiently, with little ‘rubber-band’ response. You even get a manual shift mode (seven-speeds) but it’s better to leave it in ‘D’ and forget it.

The helm is good too, having none of the feather-weight or lack of feedback that plagues most big people-movers, and this is crucial in manoeuvring the 1.83-metre wide space-cruiser around.

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