Kia Pro_Cee'd

Think of a Kia and it’s unlikely that the word desirable will be the first to spring to mind. Instead, the Korean firm has gained a reputation for making sensible, well built cars for buyers who really appreciate good value.

However, with the rakish Pro_cee’d hatchback, bosses want to attract a more style-conscious customer. So, has this Kia managed to rule our hearts rather than our heads during its time on our long-term fleet?

There’s no doubt that the car scores well for its looks – the classy shape is the best effort yet by the manufacturer. With its sweeping roofline and steeply raked rear, the Pro_cee’d has more than a hint of Audi A3, which is no bad thing. But to earn its keep during its year with us, the Kia needed to be much more than just a pretty face. So, the three-door was immediately put to work by our road testers, spending its first two weeks in their care (Issues 1,002 and 1,004). It was borrowed again for a winning encounter against the Toyota Auris (Issue 1,037).

On each occasion, the Pro_cee’d impressed with its practicality. Open one of the long front doors and you will find a spacious and solid cabin. We made plenty of use of the various cubbies, while the air-conditioned glovebox kept our drinks cool in hot weather. Lift the tailgate and you reveal a generous 340-litre boot. Drop the rear bench and the carrying capacity stretches to 1,300 litres – that’s enough for stowing a mountain bike without having to remove its front wheel.

The Kia is fully kitted-out, too. Our range-topping Sport model came with black leather trim, climate control and a handy built-in USB socket
for connecting to an iPod. But all this would be for nothing if the Pro_cee’d hadn’t been good to drive. Happily, everyone who got behind the wheel came away impressed.

There was plenty of praise for the punchy 138bhp 2.0-litre turbodiesel powerplant. All who drove the car remarked on the common-rail unit’s refinement and small appetite for fuel – it returned an average of 45.1mpg over more than 8,000 miles.

The Pro_cee’d proved incredibly reliable, too. A loose handbrake was the only real cause for concern, while a punctured tyre was quickly and easily replaced. There was also some minor damage to the front bumper – it cracked when our stranded hatch was pulled out of a muddy car park by a tractor!

However, our biggest disappointment came when we discovered the Kia’s trade-in value. We were told that it was worth only £10,900 – a drop of nearly £5,000.

Still, our loss would be the second-hand buyer’s gain, as this price also includes the balance of Kia’s generous seven-year warranty. More importantly, they’ll be getting a good-looking, well equipped and versatile hatchback that can easily cut it with much more expensive machinery.