THESE days, we are all having to be a little more cautious with our money.

Whether it be grocery shopping, opting for own brand rather than the more recognisable products or down the High Street, deciding to forgo that designer label in favour of something a little less flashy, our hard earned is that much more precious to us these days than it used to be.

Some people might think that spending less means settling for something inferior, but it needn't be that way.

Take the Kia Cee'd SW, for example.

It costs a lot less than its more lofty rivals, but this does not mean you are selling yourself short.

For its stacked high with kit, is well put together and should anything go wrong, there's a whopping seven-year warranty pinned to every one.

The Cee'd SW, the estate version of the car from Korea that's designed and built in Europe, was launched two years ago and has just received a modest facelift.

It's a case of 'if it ain't broken, don't fix it', with minor tweaks here and there, all of which have the aim of increasing its appeal in a crowded market place.

On the outside, the grille has been updated slightly, the bonnet has sharper lines and at the back there's a new set of light clusters.

There's some alterations to the interior too.

Kia has set itself the target of being in the world's top three manufacturers in terms of quality and, while it's not exactly luxurious inside, the standard is pretty high.

The doors close with a reassuring solidity, the instruments are all sturdy in nature and the cloth trim appears hard-wearing, something that's a must when you have two young children with a penchant for mud like I have.

There's a new four-spoke steering wheel with controls for the stereo and so forth incorporated, the centre console has also been redesigned, as have the radio controls and the air conditioning has been moved to a more user-friendly location.

There's also a smattering of silver trim, which some people might find a little tacky, but I found easy on the eye.

The one thing I wasn't too keen on in our test car was the manual windows in the rear which enabled the children to open them at will, something that was both annoying and potentially dangerous.

In terms of room, the Cee'd SW has plenty of it, which is what is demanded of a mid-size estate.

With the seats up there's 534 litres to fill, bigger than almost everything else in its class. With the seats down that increases to a not insubstantial 1,664.

One of the criticisms levelled at the Cee'd when it was launched was that its ride was rather harsh.

In an effort to address this, Kia has redesigned the car's suspension and tuned it for travel on our less than perfect road system. The result is a car which absorbs more of the bumps and undulations thrown at it and one which is at home around town or on the open road.

A new six-speed gearbox, which is pleasant to use and has a nice chunky feel to it, has been introduced to make motorway cruising both quieter and more economic.

The diesel engine in our test car was somewhat noisy at start-up, but once underway there was little intrusion to note. It pulls well and while I didn't push it to its limit, I can imagine it still had power enough to spare when fully laden.

Other cars may offer a more engaging drive, but they come with a far higher price tag and far fewer toys as standard. Coupled with its outstanding warranty, there aren't many hat can touch the Cee'd for value for money and in these austere times that has to be a rare piece of good news.

SPECIFICATIONS

PRICE, AS TESTED: £14,995
ENGINE: 1.6 litre diesel
MAX POWER: 113bhp
MAX TORQUE: 188lb/ft
MAX SPEED: 117mph
0-60MPH: 11.1 secs
AVG FUEL CONSUMPTION: 61.4mpg
EQUIPMENT (includes): ABS with electronic brakeforce distribution; active headrests (front); air conditioning with cooled glovebox; body coloured bumpers; electric front windows; six-speaker CD audio system with iPod compatibility; leather-trimmed steering wheel and handbrake lever; power steering; airbags; steering wheel mounted audio controls; Thatcham immobiliser; tinted glass; trip computer; 60:40 split-folding rear seats.