Kia Carens review

It’s like a big, friendly hug, albeit a soft one. The whole car feels settled, quiet and calm, and the ride is cosseting. So for ferrying you and yours around, it’s spot on. Avid apex botherers should probably look elsewhere, mind, because the steering is vague, and you don’t get the same kind of interaction as you would in a Ford S-Max. Body roll is kept nicely in check for something of this size, though, so that’s a plus point. And the top line is simple – you don’t buy an MPV to set fastest laps at Silverstone.

The 134bhp 1.7-litre diesel is sufficient to transport you to day care in time, nothing more: 0-62mph takes 10.4 seconds (a smidge slower than an S-Max) and it’s preferable over the lower-powered version of this engine and the 1.6-litre petrol. That may be cheap but boy, do you have to work it hard, especially seven-up.