I think I know why everyone’s favourite postman Pat Clifton is always wearing a big grin while driving around Greendale delivering the mail, and I don’t think it’s entirely down to his amiable black and white companion Jessie.

Having spent a great deal of the last week thinking about this, I’ve come to the conclusion that Pat is driving a Kia Soul. I know this because I’ve spent the last week driving around in one, and I’ve been wearing a big grin too.

That’s not to say that the Soul is to everyone’s tastes, its boxy design has proven devisive but it’s got a happy face that, I think, imbues it with real personality. It is certainly a car unlike anything else on the road with the exception of, perhaps, the Skoda Yeti but that’s more Popemobile than Postman Pat(mobile).

Its bluff front end, vertical tailgate, slab sides and tapered window line lend the Soul the impression that it’s sitting back on its haunches like a puppy that’s eager to please its new owner.

And please it does. There are some genuinely stylish touches on the inside, such as the stacked air vents on top of which are mounted tweeters ( not the sort who are constantly posting updates to a popular social networking site), themselves complemented by the large, round main speaker mounted in the middle of the dashboard and, well, okay that’s about it.

It does demonstrate what Kia are trying to achieve, but there’s no doubt that there’s room for a little more creativity and certainly a splash, or two, of colour, particularly relative to the exterior styling.

It is spacious though. If you’re carrying four six-footers it might be a bit of a squeeze in the back, but not enough to make longer journeys too arduous and there certainly wouldn’t be any complaints about a lack of headroom.

The quality of the interior is good, too, and the Kia wouldn’t feel out of place mixing it with the best in class and, in Mixx specification, comes well stocked with equipment that includes heated front seats – not essential at this time of year as it turns out – leather-trimmed steering wheel, automatic air conditioning, cruise control, 8in touchscreen with sat nav and Bluetooth handsfree and audio streaming and a reversing camera.

Admit it, if this was the Generation Game you’d be struggling!

The ride is generally good and, certainly on long cruises on major roads the Soul makes for an amiable companion. Over less forgiving surfaces the ride can be a little jittery as the suspension, which is on the firm side, struggles to isolate the cabin from frequent imperfections. The trade-off is flatter cornering and steering that is surprisingly responsive to changes of direction.

The 1.6-litre diesel can generate quite a lot of noise when pressed hard but with a rather more judicious right foot refinement is entirely acceptable and, once up to speed, the engine fades away to barely more than a whisper.

Peak torque, a respectable 192lbft, is available between 1,900 and 2,750rpm which can leave you frantically searching for the sweet spot if you’re looking for a swift overtake but, when you do find it, there’s plenty of punch to get the move done.

You’ll probably have reasoned by now that this not a car for performance enthusiasts so the zero to 60mph time of almost 11 seconds won’t disappoint but the fact that I struggled to get close to the quoted 56.5mpg will. A little, at least.

The boot isn’t quite on a par with the Yeti, swallowing 354 litres with the rear seats in place and 994 with them stowed away, but is still good for a car in this class.

Kia have tried to give the Soul a bit of, well, soul. The interior falls a little way short of living up to the promise of the exterior and the ride is a bit compromised over uneven surfaces but it's comfortable, spacious and quietly efficient. It's also backed up by Kia's unrivalled seven-year warranty. If that's not enough to put a smile on Pat's face, I don't know what is.

Kia Soul Mixx 1.6CRDi

£19,750 OTRPrice:

1.6-litre dieselEngine:

126bhp @ 4,000rpmPower:

192lbft @1,900rpmTorque:

6-speed manualTransmission:

112mphMaximum speed:

10.81 secAcceleration (0-60mph):

46.3mpgUrban:

64.2mpgExtra urban:

56.5mpgCombined:

132g/kmEmissions (CO2):

. hereFor more information about Kia cars click