DON'T be put off by the Plain Jane looks.

OK, the little Skoda Kamiq may not be adorned with body armour, spoilers or diffusers, but those absences do little to lessen the appeal of a practical workhorse that drives better than many popular hatchbacks or crossovers.

The Kamiq, available with a choice of two engines, is the smallest of Skoda's SUVs with prices starting at £25,000.

Updated last year with a fresher face and some cabin tweaks, the real selling point is its relative space and practicality at an affordable price.

We opted for the larger - 1.5-litre, four cylinder turbo - engine rather than the three cylinder 1.0litre unit. Nothing wrong with the smaller unit, but the performance bonus of the larger unit will be appreciated by many long distance drivers.

In fact, the 148 bhp engine is seriously peppy with a pleasing engine note and a keenness to rev up to the red line without sounding harsh or intrusive.

The manual six speed gearbox is light and quick with a positive feel and the clutch is well-weighted and possess a light action All of which adds to the driving satisfaction.

Steering is reasonably light but there's enough sensitivity to feed messages back to the helm. Cornering is safe and sound in usual front-drive fashion with enough suspension movement to soak up the bumps but not so much to take the edge of the handling which is, happily, pin-sharp.

Turning circle is tight which is a real asset when manoeuvring around supermarket car parks.

Built on the same MQB platform as the VW T-Cross and Audi A1, the ride is supple and well able to cope with our atrocious UK road surfaces.

The cabin is solid and well made, though it lacks some of the pizzaz and style of newer rivals. Materials used are of good quality but it lacks an atmosphere of luxury or plushness.

No criticism of the comfortable seats and the generous legroom both front and back. Headroom is also better than average in the rear, frequently an issue with crossovers that favour sloping rooflines.

The boot hold 400 litres of cargo, which is as good or better than most rivals. The rear floor is reversable - carpet one side and a hard, washable surface on the otherâ¦a feature that'll appreciated by many families.

To complete the successful formula for a budget family holdall, fuel economy needs to be impressive. That box is well and truly ticked by the Kamiq that, in our hands, managed to hit the 50mpg mark on most runs, a good result considering we made full use of its vigorous acceleration.