Owning

The Kia's length, width and stretched wheelbase provide excellent legroom in the rear. The boot is also generous, with a 420-litre luggage capacity. In the front, though, the cabin doesn't give you the same sense of space, because the driving position is flawed. Upper-range LS and V6 models get an electric driver's seat as standard, but it doesn't adjust low enough. The amount of reach and rake movement on the steering wheel isn't sufficient, either, so you end up feeling cramped. Seats don't offer much side support either. And although the Kia is very well screwed together, it is summed up by annoying touches such as the aftermarket-style radio and indicators that are on the wrong side of the steering wheel - which ruin the everyday ownership experience. The weighting of the controls could also be better. But equipment levels are very good indeed, though arguably they have to be, given some steep list prices. Depreciation will also be a bit steep, while returns of 38.8mpg from our diesel test car were disappointing - though it had very few miles on the clock. Looser engines often return better figures.

    See also:

    Tire specification and pressure label
    The tires supplied on your new vehicle are chosen to provide the best performance for normal driving. The tire label located on the driver's side center pillar gives the tire pressures recommend ...

    INSIDE
    Inside, a good mix of materials with a protruding center stack (reminiscent of the Volkswagen New Beetle) offer a good use of space. The glove box is huge, but the flat-folding rear seats and unde ...

    Brake system
    Power brakes Your vehicle has power-assisted brakes that adjust automatically through normal usage. In the event that the power-assisted brakes lose power because of a stalled engine or some oth ...