IF the Kia Sportage is not exactly the ugly duckling that turned into the swan, then it's at least a goose with good prospects.

The old model was surely designed by a six-year-old with a ruler and a distinct lack of imagination, but the current version, like Lorraine Kelly or Nigella Lawson, is fulsome, with curves in all the right places.

It is pleasing on the eye from whichever angle it is viewed. Purposeful at the front, graceful at the sides and possessing a distinctly cheeky rear end.

It is everything the outgoing car was not.

But catching the attention is one thing, holding it is another entirely. Beauty and brains are a rare commodity and the new Sportage needs both if it is to successfully take on the likes of the Nissan Qashqai.

It certainly gets off to a good start and the impressive showing continues on the inside. The cabin is intelligently laid out, the materials used are of a good quality and it's all been put together by someone who clearly knows their onions. Wear and tear is not something, I imagine, that will worry any potential owners.

Sitting in the driver's seat, there's a good feel to the steering wheel and gearstick. The seat itself is comfortable and, while the large A-pillars do restrict an element of view, in the main it affords a good vantage point.

Families are obviously the main target for this car and there's more than enough room for two kids in the back with all their related paraphernalia.

If your children are in their teen years or if you are transporting friends you will be glad to know that head and legroom are plentiful also.

The boot is large and the lip is low enough to make loading an easy process. However, while lowering the seats increases the volume it must be noted that they do not fold entirely flat.

Where the Sportage scores less well is in the way it drives.

It's not that it's bad, it's just that it's not quite as good as in other key areas and certainly not as good as some of its rivals.

Steering is light and becomes more uncertain with speed and hit a pothole without prior warning at your peril. On well maintained roads, the Sportage handles well enough, but how many of our highways and byways are like that?

My time with the car coincided with the heavy snow and while I didnt have too many scares, the fact this was a two-wheel drive version was very apparent.

The 1.6 litre petrol engine had enough about it to cope with all situations. As you might expect, it's not exactly fast, but overtaking was no problem and it had more than enough grunt to get up the hills of North Yorkshire.

While the Sportage is certainly not the finished product, it is further evidence of Kia's march towards becoming a highly respected manufacturer.

The more established marques are starting to look over their shoulders and the Sportage can only serve to further bolster the company's position.