ICE CREAM slopped on the upholstery, crisps in the seat grooves, ‘chewy' in the door pockets, spilt fizzy drinks - all part of everyday life with kids.

And just when you think the car has survived the latest onslaught from the little angels and their grubby mates, you find a half eaten buttie in a back seat flap and a smear of congealed chocolate.

But then Ford is confident its new B-MAX people carrier can cope with the worst - and that includes a cracked yoghurt carton that no one noticed until the stench kicked in.

What the car maker has done is "child-proof" the B-MAX, courtesy of laboratory tests that simulate the toughest treatment that children and pets can dish out.

It included soaking materials in milk and fizzy drinks, testing fabrics with a spiky mace and pounding plastics with a heavy rubber ball.

Samples of all leathers and fabrics used in the car's interior were tested for stain resistance and ease of cleaning after being soaked for 24 hours in the liquids and also being covered with soil and grease.

Engineers also tested resistance to damage that can be caused by abrasive zips and fasteners found on kids' clothing and bags.

In fact the mace test used a metal ball with needle-sharp spikes to brush fabrics 600 times and replicate the effect of snagging zips and studs.

Fabrics were also rubbed 60,000 times in a 17-hour non-stop wear test, metal spikes were scraped across plastic parts to test scratch resistance.

Nasty stuff indeed. But did it work when subjected to the constant abuse experienced over a period of weeks? I was fully expecting the answer to be a resounding No!

These kids certainly know how to disrespect the cabin of a car. They couldn't win this contest though, in the process underlining one of the reasons why the B-MAX is such a good, if quite compact, family car.

Prime feature of the B-MAX though is what Ford calls its Easy Access Door System, different to anything else around in that it doesn't have a centre door pillar.

You've probably seen the TV ad, accompanied by Hawkwind's Masters of the Universe soundtrack, during which the swimmer dives straight through the suspended car.

The front doors open in the traditional way but the rear ones slide back into a groove, leaving a vast side opening - around twice the width offered by competitors with alternative door concepts.

It's clever and practical. Those days of awkward manoeuvring for a mum trying to secure a child seat are well and truly over.

The model I'm trying is powered by Ford's 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol engine, which comes in two power outputs - 100 and 120ps - the smaller not only offering plenty of punch, but also the capability to return an average 55mpg.

Prices start at £12,995 for the 1.4-litre petrol engined Studio version, which precedes Zetec and Titanium in the three trim grades and the powerplants also include the new 1.5-litre TDCi diesel.