The all-new, third generation MPV has bags of room and practicality, plus a generous helping of good looks. As I found on a week-long road test for Flush Magazine, it’s a versatile and handsome package that works so well on so many levels. The five-door car’s lines are dynamic and distinctive, and there are premium touches which include chrome exterior door handles, LED indicators and kerb lights. Inside you will find abundant head, leg and shoulder room in all three rows of seats (Carens models are seven-seaters throughout the range). There are three individual sliding and reclining centre row seats and two separate seats in the rear, all of which fold flat for a great variety of passenger/load-carrying
configurations. The front passenger seat also folds flat to allow very long loads to be carried. The cabin is a pleasant place to be, with classy materials and sophisticated detailing, soft touch surfaces, black high-gloss panels and chrome accents. There’s intelligent storage space aplenty, including a cooled glovebox, centre console box, second-row under-floor storage, front and rear door storage large enough to hold drinks bottles, and front seat-back pockets. Those seat backs also have fold-up tables with cup-holders, and there are cupholders in the second and third rows. The centre seat of the middle row folds to form a table. Kia models are always wellequipped, and our car, a Carens ‘2’ 1.7CRDi, boasted loads of features, including privacy glass for rear windows and tailgate, LED daytime running lights, projection headlights with levelling device, cornering function, welcome and follow-me-home feature, rain-sensing front wipers, electrically adjustable and heated body-coloured door mirrors, leather and chrome trimmed gearshift, leather trimmed steering wheel with function controls, cruise control and speed limiter, six-speaker audio system with RDS radio/CD, MP3 disc compatibility and USB and AUX ports, Bluetooth with voice >