POPULAR Moms’, Dads’ and licensed taxi, the Kia Sedona has had another upgrade. The most obvious change from the second-generation Sedona that appeared four years ago is the brand’s signature tiger-nose grille first seen on the new cee’d.

But the most significant change lies right behind that grille – in the shape of the new Hyundai-Kia 2.2-litre CRDi diesel engine.

It’s the only powerplant available – then, when you’ve got a unit this good, why confuse people by offering them a worse alternative?

The smooth, new-generation oil burner is smaller than the previous engine but more powerful, more frugal and cleaner.

It offers more power than many petrol engines of similar size – 192bhp – while still offering bucketloads of good old diesel pulling power.

Those opting for the manual transmission can give themselves a green pat on the back with carbon dioxide emissions of a decidedly unembarrassing 179g/km, while the new engine’s grunt should spare them having to keep stirring the six-speed gearbox too hard, even when all the family’s on board.

Going for the six-speed auto still keeps the CO2 figure below 200 – just as well, because we Guerns love autos, which is why Forest Road’s demonstrator was thus equipped.

Sedonas come in three specification levels – they’re called 1, 2 and 3 to avoid confusing people from St Peter’s – and the demo car is a top-of-the-range 3.

Equipment levels are generous right across the range and the 3 is a tempting package for sensible money.

Rear passenger doors and tailgate are electrically operated either from the cockpit or – subject to child safety locks being off – the people in the outer seats in the centre row. (Seating is the European-preferred 2-3-2, not the American 2-2-3, by the way).

The seven individually-adjustable seats – the driver’s is six-way electrically adjustable and both fronts are heated – are covered in supple grey leather and the cabin quality generally belies the moderate prices.

The fascia – mercifully spared naff wood – has a pleasant soft feel, the light grey throughout adds to the airy feel and there’s a neat foldaway table between the front seats where the handbrake would be. The parking brake is foot operated.

Instrumentation and switchgear are large and clear and pleasant to operate and kit includes climate control – rear passengers get their own controls so everyone should be comfortable – and there’s a CD/tuner with MP3 and CD compatibility. It also has a USB connector allowing MP3 audio players to be played through the system.

Sound quality is good across all three rows of seats.

MPVs are all about space and versatility – I seem to remember being told that Sedona, Arizona, is a city famous for its wide open spaces and the Kia is respectable as far as that is concerned.

There is generous room in the front five seats and reasonable room for adults in the rears. Access to the cheap seats is as good as with most rivals, too – just tumble either outer seat of the centre row out of the way.

But with teenagers or adults in all seven seats, luggage space is tight – as we found when we took the Sedona to Town on Liberation Day.

In some markets there is a long wheelbase version – obviously their equivalent to the Grand Espace and Grand Voyager – but it doesn’t come to the UK/CI market nor, I believe, even to Europe.

Still, since the seats are individual you could always fold one of the rears to carry six along with a buggy and a fair bit of baggage, too.

The seats fold, tumble and – if you want serious luggage space – lift out.

That’s the sort of thing that people have had to do for years with other people carriers but it is a bit of a shame that the loadbay isn’t as state of the art as that fine engine.

Still, for a medium-large MPV the Sedona is a decent drive – that’s not damning with faint praise, it’s simply that enthusiastic drivers are not really the target audience once you get seven adult chairs.

At least driving the Sedona is no chore. The steering is nicely weighted and accurate and the brakes reassuring.

And it’s no slouch.

Floor the throttle and the benchmark sprint to 60mph comes up in under 12 seconds and the top speed is the far side of 120mph. For a 2.2-litre diesel in a hefty, automatic, MPV very impressive figures.

Local fuel economy should be impressive, too.

It took ages for the fuel gauge needle to leave the full mark and of all the diesel autos I have driven, none has made such a good job of using high gears and taking advantage of the diesel’s low-down torque to keep revs – and therefore noise, wear, consumption and emissions – to a minimum.

The Sedona was often – and quite happily – in a gear or even two higher than most drivers would have selected with a manual.

That said, few who value their licence should get the auto into the top of its six ratios on local roads, while few will find any point bothering with the tiptronic function and selecting ratios manually.

The auto box also seemed pretty adept at holding on to the lower gears to make the most of engine braking when going downhill.

Ride is good with most surface imperfections passing relatively unnoticed and while it stops short of sporty, the Sedona handles tidily enough: the feel is certainly that of a car rather than barge or van.

Rear parking sensors have been consigned to the options list – which gives you a nice smooth rear bumper to chamois – and been replaced on all bar Sedona 1 by an electrochromic rear view mirror.

The system, which I first saw in a Soul, works well enough, even at night,  although the reversing camera display is only on the left-hand third of the rear view mirror.

Also helping keep an eye on what’s behind, there are two large, effective electrically adjustable door mirrors which powerfold on Sedona 3.

At least they powerfold on the move, which is more than I can say for some.

As a frequent user of Les Blicqs, the Dos d’Ane and even Grands Moulins, it is a feature I appreciate.

With six airbags and Isofix child seat mountings on second and third row seats, families can travel quickly, comfortably, in some style and safely (four Euro NCap stars for adult protection, three for children) and there’s the option of a DVD to stop the rear seat chorus of ‘are we nearly there yet?’.

And should the fruit of your loins ever misbehave, a wide-angle conversation mirror gives a view of all five back passengers so at least parents can pick the perp so Santa leaves the lump of coal and orange in the right stocking come Christmas Eve.

For the type of vehicle it is, the Sedona is easy to drive here, frugal and lively.

Factor in the seven year/100,000 mile warranty and we can expect to see even more of them on the road.

Go get ’em, tiger’s nose.