Although Kia claims the two target different clienteles, for comparative reasons we recently sampled the Ceed estate’s corporate cousin, the chubbier and roomier Carens seven-seater MPV, with a £20,540 P11D price, £500 below the wagon.
That’s down to nominally lower spec and a less powerful 114hp 1.7-litre diesel engine.
The level-two Carens also had a less opulent interior, lacking the infotainment/reversing camera screen, but was well kitted out, while some sibling envy was due to its nifty rear seat flip-and-fold system, volumetric cabin alarm, and stop/start functioning after reaching 15mph rather than the SW’s 29mph
