A BABY born on the back seat of a Kia people carrier, and named after the car, has netted her parents a new vehicle.

Staff at Kia offered Poole couple Samantha Smyth and partner Tony Richardson a car after reading the story of Kia’s fast appearance, two weeks early, as they arrived at Poole Hospital on Sunday in the back of Samantha’s mum’s seven-seat Kia Carens.

The relieved and delighted parents from Parkstone decided to ditch the original name of “Tilley” to mark the unusual birth. Mum Samantha, 23, said she was stunned but thrilled at the news of the car.

“I’m glad I did sit down. Wow! I was not expecting this. We’re over the moon.”

She said of the offer: “We could do with it. Between me and my partner we have six kids. We can’t fit them all in the car.”

And Samantha said to daughter Kia: “I don’t know if I’m more shocked about you being born in a car or being given a car.”

Kia will hand over an automatic-drive seven-seater Carens – the same model that Samantha’s mum picked them up in – worth £18,000 new.

They said the couple will receive either a new car or an approved used vehicle, whichever is quicker, with a five-year warranty.

Michael Cole, managing director of Kia Motors (UK) Ltd said: “All of us at Kia are delighted for Tony and Samantha and flattered that they have called their new baby Kia after she was born in granny’s Carens.

“We know how good the Carens is for families – especially growing ones – so we thought we should help them out by giving them a Carens of their own.

“We would like to welcome Kia to the Kia family and wish her a wonderful life.”