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The Mazda5 has been heavily uprated

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"The Sicilians are passionate about two things," warned the man from Mazda, "cooking and driving.

"Don't be surprised to see drivers in the middle of the road," he added as we arrived in Palermo for the launch of Mazda's facelifted 5.

He was right. After 24 hours on the Med's biggest island, we'd become quite used to three lanes of traffic on two-lane roads, and cars and motorbikes driving on the wrong side.

It was a good test of the uprated Mazda5's agility and road presence on the narrow country roads and urban streets of the rubbish-strewn (apparently due to a local Mafia dispute) and dusty volcanic island.

The 5 has been a great success for Mazda, helping the company to push European sales through the 300,000 mark for the last two years.

It's a C-segment multi-activity vehicle that can seat up to seven in some comfort. First launched in 2005, the 5 has won 27 global awards and is Mazda's third best-selling car in Europe.

The new version is claimed to be even more family-friendly, retaining the practicality of the easy to use seven-seat system and double sliding walk-in rear doors, but has been redesigned externally and has an improved interior with a better quality feel. There are now no less than 45 storage compartments, and the maximum stowage volume sits at a yawning 1,678 litres.

The driver also now benefits from Mazda's fine blackout' white-on-black dials which are very easy to read and look pretty stylish too.

The 5 is a competent long-distance cruiser

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In fact the whole car looks pretty stylish, particularly with the sports body pack, and it was certainly noticed as we pulled in at the beautiful cafe Tenute Plaia (a favoured haunt of Brad Pitt and George Clooney, apparently).

Driving dynamics have also been enhanced. There are new gearboxes, a six-speed manual and five-speed auto, and the ratios have been brought closer together for better performance and improved, easier gear changes. The car also benefits from a new electronic throttle and the brakes have been tweaked for improved feel. As a result of the improvements to its three key strengths, all versions of the Mazda5 now handle better, with better fuel economy and reduced engine and wind noise.

On the road the car belies its seven-seater status. The suspension is well set up, nicely damping the ruts and chasms of Sicily's roads while keeping the car very flat during enthusiastic cornering.

The diesel and petrol engines are all easy-revving with the diesel predictably pulling strongly through the gears and needing less gear changes than the petrol units, which are eager enough.

The 143bhp diesel in fact was a joy to drive, cruising easily at 100mph and 2,800rpm while allowing virtually normal conversation levels.

The 1.8 petrol was also a competent cruiser, happy at 80mph and 3,800rpm, but had plenty more available and it performed surprisingly snappily for just 110bhp.

Again, engine noise was well suppressed.

Forward visibility is very good with big side windows but a fairly small rear window; good-sized door mirrors, though.

Mazda is very much a "happening" company and, with its solid build quality, good attention to detail and high reliability ratings as well as residual values, the 5 looks set to further boost the company's reputation.

It certainly seemed to catch the eye of the Italian motorists who, surprisingly often, didn't need a good blast of the horn to notice the car and move over to let us pass - and allowed our driving to be pleasant rather than passionate.

The food was pretty good too.

Prices start at a typically competitive £14,760 OTR for the 1.8 TS, rising to £20,545 for the 2.0-litre Sport Nav.

11:37am Monday 10th March 2008

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