The Kia Optima Saloon scored a full five-star crash test rating when it was tested by EuroNCAP late in 2015 and all cars come equipped with tyre pressure monitoring, ISOFIX mounting points, hill-start assist, numerous airbags and an alarm as standard.

Mid-range cars also get lane-departure warning system and a speed limit display system that comes in handy when travelling on unfamiliar roads.

You get a suite of advanced safety systems if you opt for top-of-the-range 4 cars, including an autonomous emergency braking system, automatic high beam and blind-spot monitoring with rear-cross traffic alert that notifies you of unseen cars when changing lanes or pulling out of junctions or parking spaces.

To avoid any bumps or scrapes in your local multi-storey, all cars come equipped with front and rear parking sensors and a reversing camera. Only top-of-the-range cars are installed with a system to park the car for you into parallel and perpendicular spaces, though, and 4 cars also come equipped with a 360-degree around view camera.

• Boot space not as big as rivals
• Plenty of storage options available

This latest-generation Kia Optima Saloon is a practical car with plenty of ideal storage options around the cabin for all of your personal items. The highlights include a rear armrest, door pockets, a large centre cubby, cupholders and sunglasses holder.

Boot space has grown by just five litres up to 510 litres so the Optima still lags behind the Volkswagen Passat and Ford Mondeo. The opening has been made bigger though, making it easier to place larger items inside. There’s still easily enough space for the family holiday or weekly shop, plus there are metal hooks to help secure more fragile items.

Front and rear USB ports mean both you and the kids can have various devices charging for long journeys, plus top-spec cars come with a wireless charger too.