Category: Compact MPV 
Price Range: £11,495 to £16,995
Price, improved refinement and equipment, a thoroughly decent all-rounder.
Still not quite as sophisticated as some rivals.
Compact MPVs are never going to be trendy style statements, so you might as well buy one that gives good value, whatever its badge.
The seating position has been improved, and whilst it is still not as high as in some rivals, the all-round vision is good. The instruments are all clearer to read, but the switchgear - often a problem in Far Eastern cars - is the 'wrong' way round for UK drivers, with the wipers easily confused with the indicators, and some of the controls not instantly obvious. However, if you owned a Carens, you'd soon get used to this. And there's still no intermittent setting for the rear wiper. MPVs like this are not meant to perform like sports cars - unless they're the turbo-charged Zafira GSI - but the Carens handles well enough to give a degree of satisfaction. Its suspension is quite agile, the fatter tyres have improved its grip, and the diesel engine is strong enough to push on hard. It's certainly not a frustrating experience for keen drivers.
We haven't tried the petrol version yet, with an improved version of the old 1.8-litre unit, but its power upgrade should make it quicker than before. The diesel, as used elsewhere in the Kia range, is a noisy but strong common-rail engine that easily cruises on the motorway, has plenty of torque (pulling power) for overtaking and effectively nips around town. It is smooth at speed and would also work well for towing.
