Weekend Roadtest: Kia Carens 3 1.7 CRDI SatNav

You are probably very happy with your five-seat family car, until you need a bit more room.

Now you don’t regularly need to carry around six people, or possibly seven, so you bought a car with five seats. And it’s full.

The choice is simple, do you make two trips, leave someone behind, or take a chance and squeeze in another one or two onto the back seat without seat-belts. Well, the last choice is highly dangerous and illegal, while the second is possibly anti-social, so you have only one choice. Or do you?

How about pulling up the extra two seats hidden in the rear loadbed? Maybe you don’t have a Kia Carens, but possibly you should think about one as your next family car.

To all intents and purposes it’s a conventional five-seat MPV but in fact it is a very cleverly engineered seven seater.

Even with five seats in use their layout can be varied to improve access and room while the occasional/ semi-permanent rear pair of seats are very comfortable and ok for legroom on all but the longest trips.

As it is, boot capacity can be steadily increased from a minimum just under 500 litres to over 1,650 litres.

Our test car came with the more powerful diesel in the line-up but you can opt for a petrol engine instead, and we had a manual box but you can also select an automatic and the range comes in four trim specifications.

Most of the time we saw 42mpg but occasionally on longer steady runs it headed towards 50mpg and we would end a main road trip at an indicated 48mpg.

It has good pulling power and while you sometimes know it’s a four cylinder pushing out the power, it was generally quiet and always very smooth for a diesel.

The longer gearing in 5th and 6th explains its economy and composure and dropping down the box to overtake saw its much more eager and willing side.

We liked the controls, their positioning and effortless operation while the turning circle will quickly endear itself to those who regularly drive in towns and negotiate tight car parks.

There was no complaint from the suspension and it was even natured if not quiet over bad surfaces.

Handling was safe and surefooted and with the reversing camera there was no worry about what you couldn’t see behind.

A low waistline, big windows, efficient wipers and bright headlights gave good vision and the seats were generous and comfortable with good adjustment on the front pair.

Storage is abundant in the Carens with a cooled glovebox, underfloor bins and even seatback tables as well as many cup and drinks holders throughout. Heating and ventilation is good throughout and there are powered windows under the fingers.

Upper models have leather seats while high quality cloth is standard and the design, feel and thought which has gone into the Carens suggests it is a level above rivals at this price.

Our family liked the on-board info-tainment system and its multi-tude of sources as well as plug-ins.

In fact you might find you regularly acquire two more people on a family trip and will really appreciate the Carens capabilities.