Kia Soul 1.6 CRDi ‘Connect Plus’

If you’ve never been to a Formula 1 race but have been tempted, get yourself along to Silverstone this year, for a couple of reasons. First, depending on what happens with Bernie Ecclestone and his ongoing court case in Germany, who knows if there’ll ever be a grand prix again after September. But more importantly, this year’s British Grand Prix weekend (well a bit of it at least) will sound like it’s supposed to, despite the strangulated 2014 engines that are threatening to put F1 back ten years… instead of forwards as per the FIA’s original intention. There will be guaranteed piston screams once more from days of yore thanks to the efforts of pundit Tony Jardine and a pre-race F1 parade. This will consist of a supreme cast of at least 15 past BGP-winning cars, to celebrate 50 years of the race being run.

I heard about all of this via a phone call, the like of which I never thought I’d receive. ‘Hi Chris, Jardine here. Would you like to drive James Hunt’s McLaren M26 at the Silverstone 50th anniversary celebration wearing his helmet and race overalls?’

How long exactly do you imagine it took me to say yes? What a total hoot, and made even hootier thanks to Jody Scheckter agreeing to take me under his wing for few days’ tuition beforehand to give me a fighting chance of not stuffing it up at the first corner.

I couldn’t be more honoured. Actually, I still think I may have dreamt the whole thing. Or perhaps it’s the motoring god’s yin to the same week’s yang when they heard I’d been sent the Kia Soul for a week of testing.

Mmm, the Kia Soul, one of the boxiest, most basic cars imaginable and in postbox red to boot. Lovely. No chance of sneaking around unnoticed then.

On the face of it, this car really does have very little going for her but I have learnt to be extremely wary of such obvious and often mistaken judgements. Patience Christopher, patience. Take a moment, step back and open your heart to what beauty may lie within, you never know. And so it came to pass – my anti-Soul resolve began to melt with the passing of each day.

Actually, in my case it would be more precise to say it was melted away for me via a full-on Evans family assault of reviewing starring Eli (one but very, very nearly two), Noah (five), Beth (our eight-yearold German Shepherd) and mum to all, Natasha (age N/A of course). I don’t know why more car reviewers don’t get their families involved to flesh out their week’s testing instead of trying to be all things in all cars: owner, driver, passenger, dog and in some cases even the luggage (believe me I’ve seen them crouching deep within).

The family take in a nutshell then? Eli didn’t stop smiling the whole time he was either in or even near the Soul.