Category: Compact MPV 
Price Range: £11,495 to £16,995
Useful space with five or seven seats, good ride quality, strong diesel engine, improved quality.
Weak petrol engine, plastics could be better, lifeless steering.
Practical and sensible family transport; no more, no less.
The five-seater has one advantage over the seven-seater: an extra 16 litres of luggage space (when the seven-seater is in five-seat mode). But in every other regard the seven-seat car is the better choice. There may be nothing original about having two rear seats that fold into the boot, but Kia has made a good job of maximising the potential of what is now a conventional set-up.
In the seven-seater, the second row of seats slides forwards and backwards to optimise the knee room for everyone in the car. The second row splits 60:40, and the sixth and seventh seats fold easily into the boot to form a flat floor. That third row is reasonably easy to get to, thanks to the obliging manner in which the middle row slides out of the way.
Standard equipment on the entry-level GS version includes air conditioning, electric windows, electrically operated and heated wing mirrors, tilt (but not reach) adjustment for the steering wheel, and an MP3-compatible sound system. There are also more cubbies and cupholders than you'll ever use. The LS version gets all that, plus 16" rather than 15" alloy wheels, an electric sunroof, rain-sensing wipers, reversing sensors, electric folding mirrors, cruise control and a very good automatic climate control system rather than air con. Options include 17" wheels and part-leather trim. It's all OK as far as it goes, but there's a distinct lack of magic - nothing will make you go 'ooh' or 'aaaah'.
The smooth ride, combined with the lack of wind noise produced by the aerodynamically slick body, makes the cabin a calm, relaxed place. It's a pity, therefore, that the seats in the second row aren't particularly comfortable or supportive. The floor is lower than the old model's, and the roof higher, which helps give an impressive amount of knee, elbow and head space in the first two rows, and an acceptable compromise in the third row. A clever new rear suspension design allows the boot floor to be lower than would be possible with the old design, which leaves room for adults as well as children in the third row, although those adults wouldn't want to be there for very long.
