That frontier is being pushed back time after time as those clever people who create our cars find ever-more innovative ways of putting a quart into a pint pot.
Renault are singularly adept at spatial transformation... from the mighty Espace down to the Modus. And with the Megane Scenic, they pioneered what has become a segment all its own, the midi-MPV that is now so favoured by families.
But what if you need extra room in your midi-MPV?
Renault has the answer to that, too, with the Grand Scenic, which, as its name suggests, is a Scenic that has grown some more.
That growing has been done cleverly, with an exterior outline that does not differ too much from the standard Scenic yet encompasses a third row of two fold-away seats.
When not in use, the extra seating capacity disappears under the load floor giving a big, flatboot space. That area increases even more with the second row of sweats folded up, as I found when turning removals man for my daughter, lugging all her worldly goods away for a final year at university.
Why do they need all this gear? When I was an undergraduate, in the Dark Ages, a single suitcase sufficed. Now, there's everything but the kitchen sink to be lugged, so I was glad of the Grand Scenic's carrying capacity.
Lugger
But the car is more than just a clever load lugger, as I found on the 350-mile round trip to the palace of education and enhanced social life.
For, even bearing considerable tonnage, the GS accelerated and handled sweetly.
The 1.9-litre turbo-charged diesel engine proved well up to the task, and, mated to six-speed transmission, showed itself to be a fuel-sipper rather than a supper.
My top-spec motor had lots of the gadgetry we've come to expect - air con, CD player, sat nav, electrically folding door mirrors, all available to hand in a stylish yet simple dash, with digital instruments, let down only by fiddly little controls for the radio.
In a bid to create more front area floor space, the handbrake is an electronic device, situated under the dash to the driver's right - a slight pull to operate, and an automatic release on accelerating away.
It took a little getting used to, but once installed in the Turner memory bank, proved to be an excellent system.
Renault have also rung the changes on entry and start-up.
A hands-free card is available that opens the car as the owner approaches, but my motor had a remote control card, encompassing two key fob-type buttons for locking/unlocking. The card then slots into the dash and press-button ignition does the rest.
Comfortable, supportive seats (even after 350 miles!)loads of stowage space and pleasantly tactile plastics and fabrics, including half-leather in my loan car, give the GS a feeling of quality.
And, as I know from parental beast-of-burden experience, it's a leader in the space race...
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