Exclusive: All-new Kia Carens - In the cabin

Today's Carens is fine if you simply want a spacious alternative to a conventional five-seat hatchback, but it isn't a true MPV. The new seven-seater, similar in format to the Vauxhall Zafira, puts that right.

While the current Carens is little more than an enlarged five-door hatchback, the new one has all the MPV tricks. As well as being considerably longer, wider and taller than the old car, it also has a lower floor. To make that possible, the fuel tank becomes an integral part of the rear suspension – a unique feature.

It's also even roomier than the present car. The increase in overall length is only 55mm, but the wheelbase has been stretched by 130mm, and the roof is 40mm higher.

Combined with the lower floor, this has allowed completely new seating positions leading to what Kia calls 'reception room' space. There's lots of leg- and headroom in rows one and two, but the individual third-row seats are suitable only for children.

Five- and the seven-seat versions both have a split bench behind the two front seats, but it folds differently in each car. In the five-seater, the backrest simply drops on to the cushion to provide an almost flat load-floor extension.

In the seven-seater, the arrangement has been changed to allow for a tilt-and-slide mechanism to simplify access to the rear. To fold the middle seats, you first tilt the cushion forward to an upright position; the backrest then goes flat to the floor. When the third-row seats are down they line up with it. In both cars, the front and middle row seats recline to form a bed.

The driver sits higher than in the current car and looks out through a more steeply angled windscreen, although this means that there are now quarterlight windows which restrict your view.

There are lots of storage spaces, including two underfloor areas separated into small trays, a large floor console, a cargo screen in the five-seater, a luggage box and roof rails.

The trim materials and switchgear layout are much smarter than in the current car, and there are more luxury options and safety features. Electrically heated and powered front seats, an MP3-compatible stereo with remote controls, cruise control, a foot-operated parking brake, electric folding mirrors, a trip computer, parking sensors, climate control, wiper de-icers and a dash-mounted gearlever are all new to the Carens.

There are also active headrests, side and curtain airbags, isofix child seat-mounting points and three-point belts all round for the first time. Kia expects a four-star crash-test rating.