Our Fleet: Ford Grand C-Max - February 2013

I've always been a fan of the heated front windscreens fitted to many Ford models, but our Grand C-Max has got an extra trick up its sleeve which ramps this affection up to a new level.

Previously on frosty mornings, I used to get a smug satisfaction from being able to turn the heated front windscreen on and let any ice thaw while my neighbours struggled to de-ice their cars with a scraper.

But our Grand C-Max has raised the game. It is fitted with voice recognition technology which, on hearing the word "demist", turns on both the heated front and rear windscreens as well as the air-conditioning at full heat and power directed at the windscreen to clear any ice and mist.

It may only save a few seconds of fiddling around with buttons and dials, but has made winter motoring much less of a chore.

The voice recognition technology can also be used to control a number of tasks such as retuning the radio, operating a phone which has been linked to the car via Bluetooth, and controlling the air conditioning.

Other technology our Grand C-Max is fitted with includes the useful blind spot indicators which I talked about in an earlier report (click here), but the real show-stopper is undoubtedly active park assist.

Simply select the option and drive along a row of cars, and it will tell you when a big enough space is available. From then on, it will automatically guide you into a space – the only input needed from the driver is to operate the accelerator, brake and gears. It's a strange feeling to see the steering wheel whirling around in front of you, but works brilliantly.