How excited were we, when we were asked to review a car, not only that but the new Kia Venga, not only that but at the start of the new school term also?
Chris had the honours for driver, the children and I the features and passengers reviews, this suited well as Chris is a complete petrol head, he talks cars all the time, on a journey anywhere he points out new models, he can even tell a car from the wing mirror alone.
He drives all day with his job and absolutely loves it still. So with these credentials we feel we know our onions I mean cars pretty well.
The children were excited as this meant lifts to school in order to review their ride. So all in all the first week back to the grindstone for us was eased very nicely.
The car arrived last Monday and my first thoughts echoed by each family member was its so much bigger than I thought.We were reviewing the Kia Venga 1.4 petrol version.
We all had a feeling of space and enjoyed that, Chris is tall and found enough leg room without putting his seat back so that the children felt cramped.
Width wise in the back the Venga accommodates three children comfortably, even with a booster seat.
Split rear seats meant they could move the seats back too. Paige and Conor gave this as one of their top benefits. It gave a sense of being as important as the adults in the front.
They actually probably slide to allow extra room when luggage space is at a premium, but we left the kids with their feelings of VIP passengers intact!
If that’s not enough the rear seats fold into the floor to give a van-like load deck.
I loved the boot, I get pretty irate lifting shopping out of the deep boot in my car on a weekly basis, just coming back from holiday we would have been happy with the Kia's innovative high level floor with no boot lip which means heavy items eg buggies can slide straight out, no stooping.
The two tier shelf appealed with a second shelf complete with tray and net, perfect to stop the shopping rolling about.
Paige above modelling the badminton racquet's and showing the ample room in the boot, under this top tier were four picnic chairs two blankets and a bottle of lemonade and you can see there was still vast amount of room.
Over to the driver Chris for his verdict
The car is quiet and copes well around town, also at motorway speeds, however don't expect lightening performance as gear changes are required for that A-road overtaking manoeuvre.
This is balanced well though by the good economy and tax saving emissions, good for the planet and
pocket.
Equipment levels are generous and our car even had an iPod cable included so we could make the most of the quality sound system fitted.
Another great touch for the driver is the footrest next to the clutch, which made long distance journeys especially comfortable.
Parking is a doddle with large mirrors and a compact overall length, making light work of tight supermarket spaces, although the steep rake of the bonnet can leave you guessing how close that car in front is.
The high driving position and a large glass area make for superb visibility, both contribute to a light, airy cabin.
Road noise is kept to a minimum and light steering means this is an ideal town car.
The front armrest and easy to reach controls are something you would expect from a more expensive brand, it is a reassuring reminder that Kia have done their homework with this car.
Overall quality and value with a superb seven year warranty, fixed low cost servicing, free road tax on the diesel version, all mean this car should be considered a serious contender when the time comes to change your old car.
Finally some info from Kia
The fun miniMPV is available with a choice of 1.4 and 1.6 petrol engines and a 1.4 CRDi diesel engine that features Intelligent StopGo stop-start technology, that helps you do you bit for the environment by reducing emissions to a low 117g/km.
The kids will be more than entertained with the range of cool features this car has including climate control, iPod connectivity and a panoramic sunroof.
Available in five colours and priced from only £11,495 On The Road and as with every Kia, it comes with a seven year / 100,000 mile warranty as standard.
If it’s something bigger you are after then check out Kia’s range of MPV’s including the Carens and the Sedona at http://www.kia.co.uk/
No comments:
Post a Comment