Autumn 2013
Lasting impression
There are some cars you just love at first sight.
Kia's second-generation pro_cee'd was one of
those cars for me.
We saw it in Paris last year and briefly drove
the production model in Monte Carlo at the
New Carens launch in March of this year. On
both occasions it made a lasting impression. We just liked it, immensely. Another hit
for Kia's style guru Peter Schreyer, the President and Chief Design Officer with Kia
Motors Europe. This guy just can't do wrong.
This is the third member of the cee'd family, designed in Germany for European
tastes, and manufactured in the company's high-tech production plant in Slovakia.
Pro_cee'd has all the improvements of its 5-door hatchback and wagon siblings
but seems more sophisticated and sportier looking. It's also competitively priced
and very well equipped with features that you'll actually want to use.
While the overall length, width and wheelbase are exactly the same as the 5-door
model, styling changes transform it into the sportier, three-door body. There's also
a lower roofline, B-pillar being moved back by 220mm, as well as new side panels,
new C-pillar, tailgate, rear light clusters and a new rear bumper. It also gets a range
of six new special colours.
The cabin is totally user-friendly. Premium features include really smart leather
seats and steering wheel, piano black dashboard and centre console, alloy pedals,
and a big foot rest.
Cubbies include a luggage under-floor box and side tray, good front door bins (just
a bottle holder one behind), a cooling glovebox, cupholders and another storage
area on the lower central stack as well as an overhead glasses case.
For those who like to hang on to them, the pro_cee'd has overhead handgrips.
Comforters, of sorts, for some passengers!
Unlike some sporty cars, the very streamlined coupe style of this 3-door actually
provided good access for me into the rear and out again. Visibility from the front
and sides is good especially with those very long side windows, but your view
over your right shoulder is somewhat restricted because of the car's shape. The
luggage capacity in the boot is a decent 380 litres, expandible to 1,225L with rear
seats folded. There's another area below for extra storage, and below again you'll
find a skinny spare.
Other standard features are 16-inch alloy wheels, Emergency stop signalling and
hill-start assist, rear spoiler, privacy glass on rear windows and tailgate, cornering
lights, front fogs, LED Daytime Running Lights and LED rear combination lights, air
conditioning, remote audio controls, cruise control and speed limiter, Bluetooth with
voice recognition and music streaming, as well as reversing sensors.
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Standard safety features include
dual front, side and curtain airbags as
well as Isofix child seat anchors and
3-point seatbelts.
Buyers have the same range of
engines and running gear as the
cee'd 5-door Sportswagon. They are
a 1.4 90hp, 1.6 110hp and 128hp
diesels, as well as petrols of 1.4
100hp and 1.6 135hp. The review car
is the 1.6 diesel mated to a very slick
6-speed gearbox.
While the official fuel return for the
combined cycle is 4.3 L/100kms, it's
seldom my test cars come anywhere
close to an official figure; this time for
me it was 5.6 L/100kms.
A very composed drive is a feature
of all Kia cars these days. On the
road, the 1.6 engine proved smooth
and quiet with good pick-up when
needed. You also have the same
nicely direct steering as in the other
cee'ds.
Kia's 7 year/150,000km warranty is
a full manufacturer's warranty. It also
offers three years European roadside
assistance and a 12-year antiperforation warranty. Service intervals
are 30,000km/2 years.
The 1.4 EX is priced from €22,900,
while the 1.6 EX is from €23,950.
The affair continues ...
Trish Whelan.