Small families wanting automotive space but with little desire for a Transit van with windows or a road-going tractor with seldom used all-wheel drive, will be heartened to hear a new kind of car shape with excellent space but a small footprint has arrived.

The idea of a boxy vehicle with a tall, upright and wide stance akin to a small commercial vehicle but with real passenger car interior attributes and quality plus huge interior space is already an established style trend in Japan and the US with cars like the Nissan Cube and Scion xB. Variously termed ‘urban crossovers’ or plain ‘boxcars’ these cars can be ideal for families as they not only offer great cabin space – including fantastic headroom on account of their high roofs – but also good access to that space via five large doors. And most are no longer than a Ford Fiesta, so a doddle to manoeuvre and park.

Perhaps surprisingly, one of the best examples comes from Kia – the formally unloved South Korean brand bought by customers who favoured ‘value’ over style.

But the Kia Soul is a car families can get really excited about. Kia’s highly competent Ford Focus rival – the Ceed small hatchback launched two years ago – set the tone for what the brand could achieve from a quality and reliability standpoint and now the 2009 Soul adds a dash of emotion.

Aside from the strong boxy exterior looks with a new distinctive front grille, there are some great interior touches that tell the owner they’ve picked an unusual car, even in mid-range ‘Samba’ trim.8 The cabin of our test vehicle may have featured the usual array of functional grey plastics and trims but open the central storage area or the glove box and you’ll be treated to a burst of red inside – a bit like an old jewellery box or a Paul Smith suit lining detail. Elsewhere the top half of the seats feature upholstery bearing the car’s ‘Soul’ logo repeated into a pleasing pattern to remind you of the cool car choice you’ve made and there’s adjustable ambient red LED lighting within the front door speakers too.

These are simple and inexpensive ideas but effective ones in the differentiation stakes. A high degree of customization is also possible beyond the basic trim levels – just as with the Min and Fiat 500. Don’t opt for the over the top ‘Burner’ spec however – unless you like your car grilles bedecked with red lipstick and dragon decals across the bodywork – leave that to the 18-year olds.

The Kia Soul is not all show though. There’s good function. 8 Rear seats fold fully flat to create a useful 800 litres of luggage space and the standard auxiliary and iPod USB connection points are placed by a flat rubber-topped tray in front of the gearlever so mobile devices and all their associated wires have somewhere to sit without messing up the cabin or sliding about. It’s safe too, with a just-confirmed five-star EuroNCAP crash safety rating including the excellent accident avoidance system Electronic Safety Control standard across the range.

The Kia-developed 126bhp 1.6-litre CRDI diesel engine is a decent unit as well. Although a bit noisy at start-up and lacking a little refinement its 50-plus mpg and low emissions are up there with the best in class. It’s certainly got the power to drive the family from school-run to weekend mission with a reasonable ride and solid body control through corners despite its height. It might not have the boot space for a big summer holiday with two or more in the back, but that scenario aside, the Soul really is a great combination of style and function – and that’s the first time FQ’s ever said that about a Kia.