Unless you were one of the few people who actually owned one you are probably not going to remember the Kia Carens. The Korean company's take on a small MPV disappeared at the start of 2005 and there were no flowers for a budget alternative to far more talented opposition.
Undeterred, Kia is launching a new model which is due in November. This is Kia taking on the big names at their own game: the company talks about the Opel Zafira and Renault Scenic when it mentions the opposition.
There will be one model called the ES which is pretty heavily loaded: active headrests, six airbags, seven seats, 16-inch alloy wheels and air conditioning are standard for example.
Indeed the layout and design of the interior is where people will see the most obvious improvements over Kia's past efforts. The dash is well laid out and they use more expensive feeling materials nowadays.
There is plenty of space in the cabin in all directions and while the boot doesn't look class-leading it certainly compares well.
I wasn't tremendously excited about the styling: they certainly didn't take any risks. You'll get a choice of two engines. There is a 2-litre petrol with 138bhp and a 2-litre diesel with 143bhp.
The lack of a small engine variant might limit its appeal in Ireland. Of the two, the diesel is the one to go for. The petrol engine is strong enough to pull the car along with a certain amount of gusto but it gets thrashy when revved and it never feels entirely settled at cruising speeds either.
The diesel has the edge on refinement, making less noise, offering more flexibility and generally suiting the car far better. Both engines come with the option of a four-speed automatic which I wouldn't bother with to be honest.
The Carens doesn't surprise dynamically although there are genuine improvements. The ride quality is excellent, indeed as good as I have experienced on any small MPV but the enthusiastic driver will keep shopping though.
There is an almost comical level of body-roll and it pushes into understeer pretty early on. It's safe and manageable but nothing more. If Kia keeps the price at around the projected €30,000 then it will sell here. Cars like the Zafira remain more talented, more complete, but the margin is starting to narrow.