The Hyundai Trajet is never going to win awards for looks but Korean cars still have a distance to go before they finally catch up with their European counterparts. And, besides, looks are not really what the Trajet is all about – it is more about value for money.

And value for money is what you get when you consider the cost of others in the same class (the Trajet is a full-sized MPV) then the car is well worth considering.

There are seven seats in the Trajet and it is a comfortable and spacious car to drive. However, as I have mentioned elsewhere, luggage space is a major problem with these bigger MPV’s. With seven seats occupied the storage space is really limited but I suppose few cars ever really have seven seats occupied at the one time. In fact, a recent French study showed that MPVs had an average occupancy of two adults and one child. In Ireland it would be more but not much more. Also, with only five seats in use the Trajet probably has best in class in terms of luggage accomodation.

The Hyundai is a nice car to drive with a good and flexible 2.0 litre engine. It is relatively quiet and pulls well. The car has recently been given a facelift with small changes to the front grille and the rear lights. The dashboard has also been re-styled and the car also now comes with seven three-point seat belts.

The ride and handling are adequate but these are qualities lower down the scale of requirments for MPV drivers and users. More important is the interior space and driving comfort, both of which are quite impressive. The rear middle seat can be folded down into a table for the benefit of two rear passengers. As I said, the seats are big and comfortable.

On the open road the Trajet will cruise comfortably and is at its best in these kind of driving conditions. Push it a little on twisty roads and you will see that it is not really designed for demanding driving. But should it have been? Its natural habitat is the leafy suburbs where it has been making quite an impression. Those who either don’t want, or can’t afford the Lexus jeep, or the more luxurious MPVs that seem to populate suburban supermarket car parks, seem quite happy to look to the Trajet as a perfectly respectable alternative.

The next generation Trajet is likely to feature less wieldly seat movement (if you have to take them out, they can be quite an effort) and this is probably the main area in which the car shows its age compared to the competition. But, remember, you are getting a big and practical vehicle for €27,995 – a lot less than you will be for perhaps its slightly more modern, but nevertheless expensive, counterparts.