There are times when only a large car will do and when those occasions happen more often than not, then it makes sense to consider a people carrier. Twenty years ago the idea of a seven-seater vehicle that wasn’t a mini-bus was radical. Today, there are so many variations of utility vehicles offering different sizes and seating combinations that choosing one can be a bewildering experience.

But cut through the hype and if you want something that carries a lot of passengers and their baggage on a regular basis, then you should still be looking at the “traditional” people carrier model.

Kia has had a lot of success with the Sedona over the years and the latest version is no exception, ticking virtually every box and a few more when it comes to space, practicality, creature comforts and value for money.

The initial impression is that it is a big vehicle but in fact it is no longer than an estate car, and certainly shorter than most vans.

The thing to get used to is that it is wider than your everyday car, so swinging quickly into narrow car parking spaces is not recommended, unless you don’t value your wing mirrors.

That said, driving the Sedona is surprisingly easy. I found the handling to be precise which makes manoeuvering simple, while the steering is light and the controls easy to use.

The optional automatic gearbox on the test model made the experience even better, adding to the surprisingly smooth ride.

At the heart of the Sedona is a new 2.2 litre diesel engine and, if you don’t like it, then you can lump it because this is the only power plant available.

Fortunately it is quiet, refined and reasonably powerful, delivering everything you would require in this class of vehicle, with comfortable cruising on the motorway, and enough in the tank for safe overtaking on A-roads.

But what you really buy this type of car for is space, and the Sedona offers it in abundance.

There are seven seats which offer reasonable leg room, even in the rear, as they can slide backward and forward. You can also flip the seats in any combination you want, or remove them completely. The only problem is finding somewhere to put them when you have done that.

In the test car the rear two rows of seats were accessed through power sliding doors which certainly saves having to yank and pull every time you want to get the kids in the back.

The doors and boot can be opened through a button on the key fob or a couple, near the doors themselves, and from a central point over the rear view mirror.

However, they did not seem to work on every occasion, despite studying the owner’s manual and in the type of frost we have been experiencing recently, I was nervous about the motors being frozen or fusing with the ice — the manual does not recommend operation in such conditions. But what choice do you have?

Creature comforts inside the car are good with climate control, heated leather front seats and individual heating controls for rear passengers, although my other gripe was that the heater took a long time to warm up and wasn’t quite up to the job in very cold conditions.

My favourite gadget was a reversing camera built into the rear view mirror which allows you to see exactly where the rear bumper is.

This was a boon for reversing into spaces you would not otherwise attempt in such a vehicle and, although it is an optional extra, I would highly recommend it.

As you would expect there are a plethora of cup holders and compartments to swallow up all sorts of odds and ends and generally you feel well looked after by the Sedona.

In a competitive field, the Kia is a major contender and commands attention.

Model: Kia Sedona 2.2 CRDi ‘3’ Auto Peformance: 0-62mph 11.3 seconds, top speed 122mph Economy: 44.2mpg CO2 emissions: 179g/km Price: £24,295 Web: www.kia.co.uk