Sector: MPV Price: £24,845 Fuel: 56.4mpg CO2: 132g/km

Looking at those trashy garden and household gadget brochures that come with the Sunday papers, I’ve often wondered at what point the need for practicality and an easy life will lead me to turn to a waistband extender or a handy remote control storage bag for the sofa arm.

However due to the acquisition of two kids rather than grey hairs, I’ve realised that I’m already at that stage when it comes to cars.

Forget sleek coupes with low rooflines and limited space, I want a car where I can get the kids in their car seats as soon as possible when it’s peeing down with rain and my back is getting wet – and where I can fit them and their friends and assorted paraphernalia in without having to close the boot door and hope for the best, much as I do with the freezer.

And as for sports suspension and sharp handling, you can forget anything that may get in the way of getting the toddler to sleep and providing some relief from unrelenting choruses of “Bob the Builder”.

So whilst testing a seven-seater MPV may be anathema to some, it was manna from heaven for me. And actually I found there were little compromises to be had with the Kia Carens. It may not offer the sharpest handling in the segment and the interior – whilst very well put together – is a little on the staid side, but overall the Carens offers a highly family friendly solution that I was reluctant to part ways with.

As the replacement to both the previous Carens and the Sedona, the latest Carens straddles a space normally occupied by two models in other carmakers’ line-ups but does so very well. The second row of seats individually slide forwards and back and fold over, giving multiple options for storage/seating. The rearmost two seats fold into the floor and, although they don’t slide, they’re easy to raise/lower from both the front and back. However, like most rivals, they’re sized only for kids and access to them isn’t great.

With all seats folded down, there’s a large, flat load area with up to 1,650 litres of space. There’s also a rather nifty storage space to house the tonneau when it’s not in use. Meanwhile the interior also offers plenty of cubbies including underfloor storage in second row and other handy items like trays on the back of the front row seats.

Three engines are offered, of which we tested the highest-powered 134bhp diesel. Considering most of the time I tested the Carens it was either filled to the gunwales with passengers or luggage or a combination of both, the engine did a good job of hauling everyone around without feeling listless. It does struggle under around 2,000rpm though.

Suspension proved well set up for comfort, at the expense of a little body roll, whilst steering was fairly direct, if a little artificial feeling. It was also refined as a cruiser, with just a bit of wind noise from the wing mirrors – which incidentally also seemed in a slightly obscuring position when it came to junctions, although visibility otherwise was very good. To aid with the approach to comfort, the Carens also offers a good driving position, helped by a 10-way power adjustable driver’s seat on the top two trims.

And our top-spec “3 with sat nav” trim also came with plenty of other goodies, including a panoramic sunroof that kept the kids (and some of the adults) suitable entertained and a combined parking sensor/camera system.

So whilst, you may wonder how you managed before you had a Kia Carens – just like with a waistband extender – the former is certainly a darn sight more desirable.

Verdict:

If impressive driving dynamics aren’t top of your list but comfort and practicality are, the Carens could well be worth a look. The seven-year warranty, impressive kit list and somewhat stylish looks add to its appeal too.