PEOPLE carriers have been around in some form or other for quite a long time.

Big and practical, they've all shared one thing, looks that would do grace to a baked bean can.

Fiat broke with tradition with the Multipla, which looks like nothing on this earth. And Kia is following suit, though not quite as radically, with its MPV, the Sedona.

With a strong front grille and massive bonnet scoop, the big people carrier does look distinctive. Whether you like the bold aesthetics or not, at least it stands apart.

It's also quite an impressive first foray into the world of MPVs. It's got the most powerful turbo diesel engine of the bunch which churns out an enormous 250lbft of torque at pretty low revs.

What that means is that the Kia will romp up hills, even fully loaded, and has enough power where it is most needed to get you passed slow moving traffic quickly and safely.

Press the accelerator and you will hear a whistle from the turbo just before being pushed back in your seat - very impressive.

Okay, so the 3.0 litre four cylinder is a little clattery but at least it is frugal enough to see mpg figures comfortably in the 30s.

Also impressive is the amount of interior space.

A flat floor means you can walk straight out of the driver's seat, between the two centre captain's chairs right to the back bench and boot. It's a bit like an aircraft cabin, which had me searching for the trolley service.

All seven seats are supremely comfortable and are clever to boot. Four have arms and there are at least a million permutations in the tilt/slide/twizz/fold/remove stakes.

The dash is good, though the back wash/wipe switch is difficult to see around the steering wheel, especially at night when it isn't even lit.

The wood-effect is ghastly. It looks like a child has been at the fascia with a brown crayon and definitely needs to go.

And while I'm being picky, the manual gearbox isn't the best example of slickness either. Oh, and the sliding side doors need such a wallop to close that a bit of trim flew off on two occasions.

But that's probably something that could be adjusted out.

Otherwise, the Sedona is a fine vehicle which out-performs much of the opposition and undercuts them massively on price