Kia Pro_cee’d

A key aim for bosses is to change the way people think of Kia and its cars. So it’s no surprise that styling is a top priority – Audi TT man Peter Schreyer was hired as head of design, and he’s been busy ensuring the new Pro_cee’d has a character all of its own.

This meant distancing the new three-door from its five-door brother – a trick that rival Vauxhall proved can work with the Astra. So, although the Pro_cee’d was designed in Europe like the Cee’d, its looks more athletic. It certainly stands out better than the five-door, and we think Kia will succeed in attracting younger buyers.

Sitting 30mm lower than the five-door, the new car has an elongated, coupé-like stance – an impression reinforced by the long doors. These can be a problem in tight car parks, although it’s the same for many other three-door models.

The sporty theme continues with a deep front bumper and prominent foglamps. But the rear is the real talking point, thanks to the high-set lights, raked screen and narrow tailgate. Add in the strong shoulder line and it’s clear that Kia has created a stylish and distinctive car which rivals the Astra for visual impact.

It’s a shame the interior isn’t as bold. It’s virtually identical to the five-door’s – and we had expected something a bit different for the sportier version. But there’s no arguing with the quality: although not quite up to Focus and Civic standards, it’s not far behind, with a soft-touch dash and neat air-conditioning controls. One gripe is with the stereo – it’s easy to use, yet constantly needs retuning.

Accessing the back seats isn’t easy, but this is a criticism you can level at all three cars, and it’s worth noting that the Kia has good knee room. The boot is big, too; at 340 litres, it’s larger than the Astra’s, and also more user-friendly than the C30’s. Folding the seats is quick and simple as the headrests don’t have to be removed.

The 2.0-litre common-rail diesel features in Kia’s larger models such as the Magentis, and this is its debut in a Cee’d range. It’s quiet enough on the move, but a little noisy on start-up and can clatter when pulling from low revs. What’s more, while it is gutsy, it never feels particularly quick. In our tests, the Kia recorded the slowest 0-60mph time, at 9.7 seconds, although it was the most frugal car and has by far the lowest emissions.

The six-speed manual transmission is a little disappointing. It feels spongy and second gear is too long – engineers could have spent more time perfecting this. What doesn’t help is the turbo lag between changes; when you shift up a ratio, it takes a second to restore boost.

But this doesn’t detract from the decent handling – the steering is nicely weighted, offers reasonable feedback and turns in precisely, with strong grip. Although the Kia is not quite as sure-footed and confidence-inspiring as the Vauxhall, body control is good. The ride suffers a little, but it’s preferable to the overly firm Astra.
The Pro_cee’d is great value at £15,495 – you can’t get a diesel Astra Sport Hatch for that money – and prices start from £12,295 for the 1.6 petrol. Our Sport is the flagship model. It’s well equipped, with climate and stability control, leather seats and an iPod link – kit the Vauxhall misses out on, even though it costs £2,800 more. Plus, you get Kia’s 100,000-mile, seven-year warranty. We just wish that Kia’s designers had been let loose inside as well as out.