Venga is Kia's best yet

Feb 8 2010 John Murdoch

KIA are currently enjoying record sales in the UK recording their best ever figure of 5,030 registrations in January.

The Korean manufacturer is in top form at the moment and has just launched two new models in a bid to increase its market share even further.

The Venga, which means 'arrived' in Spanish, is a king-sized supermini that is good enough to challenge anything in its class.

Manufactured in Slovakia it is the first Kia model to be introduced since the group snatched design guru Peter Schreyer from Audi and it comes complete with an amazing seven year guarantee.

KIA may have started out building cheap value-for-money models but they have come a long way in the last five years.

The Venga is the best so far and so good that it now has to be judged alongside the best in its class.

The Venga, not only looks good, it is well built, extremely capable and has a huge amount of room inside - and yet it is only a little bit larger than a basic hatchback.

The range is priced from £11,495 to £15,395 and represents excellent value and proves that the brand is no longer dealing at the bottom of the market.

The design is very clever, for the Venga looks great and manages to provide room for five adults and luggage in a shape that is just over 12 feet.

On the launch we tried it out for a short spell with five large males aboard and there was room for everyone and the Venga still performed well.

You can carry between 444 litres to 1,253 litres of luggage depending on how you utilise the space and there is also an underfloor storage space to keep valuable belongings out of sight.

The Venga is very well equipped across the three model range and air conditioning, electronic stability and traction control are all standard features.

The cabin is bright and the instrumentation is clear and the controls easy to use. The dash is still on the plasticky side compared to some of its rivals but then they are more expensive.

The Venga features a new 1.4 diesel engine which is made in the same factory and it offers stop/start technology which pushes the fuel economy to an excellent 62.8mpg average.

Low emissions mean a road tax of just £35 a year for private motorists and the diesel also performs well. It takes 14 seconds to reach 60mph but feels quicker and is always willing. It can reach 104mph if pressed.

A 1.4-litre petrol model is also offered and it is a very sweet unit which can average 45 miles to the gallon. It is also slightly quicker and a bit quieter than the diesel unit but both are very good.

A 1.6-litre petrol automatic version is also available and can only be ordered in mid-trim at £14,095.

The Venga's ride and handling are as good as anything in the class and much of its underpinnings are shared with the trendy Soul.

It is well screwed together and is a very competent little car which will attract buyers from different age groups and lifestyles.

It deserves to do very well and thanks to its ubeatable seven year warranty, I am sure that it will. It is on sale now.