Kia cee'd

Kia has taken another big step en route to the heart of the mainstream market. With a family of desirable, well built cars, the Cee’d banishes memories of the firm’s mediocre Cerato. What’s more, an industry-leading seven-year warranty looks set to secure solid residual values for years to come. It’s just a shame that some of the cabin detailing shows evidence of cost-cutting. We are really looking forward to getting behind the wheel to see if the Kia has the dynamic abilities necessary to challenge established class leaders.

It’s a bold plan, and one Auto Express has been given world exclusive access to, to see which model is the pick of the bunch.

Launched at the Paris Motor Show in September, the cee’d five-door is the first of the new line-up to be ready for forecourts. And while the SW-badged load-lugging variant is still officially in pre-production form, it is said to be 99 per cent finished. All that’s left to do is select the interior materials.

Also revealed at the French exhibition was the most eye-catching of the cee’d trio – the hot hatch three-door. Called the Pro_cee’d, the sporty variant is currently still a concept but is intended to add extra desirability to the line-up. Bosses are promising that the production-ready model will not stray far from the Audi A3-style looks of the show star pictured here.

Seeing all three variants side-by-side away from the busy show stand gives a unique perspective. The Pro_cee’d is without doubt the best-looking model of the bunch; chrome detailing and huge wheels provide it with great presence. In comparison, the five-door version is less striking, featuring a conservative appearance at both the front and rear.

Designers have been a little more daring with the estate, which gets a Peugeot 407 SW-style reverse-angle C-pillar and tail-lights similar to the Skoda Octavia’s. It is hardly original, but the team behind the cee’d has had British involvement from day one to help the car appeal to UK buyers.

By the time the family goes on sale, all three bodystyles will share the same dashboard. Kia bosses are con-fident that they have come up with a winning formula. How can they be so sure? Because they have looked at what the very best class rivals have to offer and aimed to match it.

There is no doubt that the dashboard is well designed and solidly built. With vertical air vents and a tall, Toyota-style centre console, the cee’d’s cabin is a far cry from the bland and basic ones in Kias of old.

However, it is still the details which remind you that this is not a Ford or VW. Elements such as the cheap plastic gearknob and low-rent fonts used for the dials might not seem important, but they take the shine off what is otherwise an impressive design.

For a glimpse of what Kia is capable of, look inside the Pro_cee’d. With beautifully machined chrome trim and exotic materials throughout, its interior could get away with wearing virtually any badge on the steering wheel.

The new cee’d claims to offer class-leading space, and there is plenty of room for adults to sit comfortably in the back of the five-door variant. In order to maximise luggage capacity, the rear seat squabs fold up against the front chairs, then the backrest tumbles to leave a flat floor. The only drawback is that the headrests have to be removed first.

The SW promises even more versatility, with a tailgate which extends up into the roof (again as with the 407 SW) to give easy access to the boot.

No matter which of the variants you choose, you will be given five engine options. Go for petrol and you can have 1.4 or 1.6-litre units. Diesel buyers will initially be offered a low or high-power version of a 1.6-litre oil-burner, while a 2.0 flagship is set to join the range next summer.

It is this largest diesel which will star in the hot hatch variant of the three-door, producing around 190bhp. The cee’d’s sister car – Hyundai’s forthcoming Arnejs – is to get a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol unit, too, and this could appear in the Kia later. Four trim levels will be offered, but bosses are promising generous kit as standard across the range, with even base models getting air-con and six airbags.

However, the most impressive no-cost extra available with the cee’d is its warranty. The Kia will be the only car on sale in the UK to come with a manufacturer-backed seven-year warranty as standard. With a mileage limit expected to be set at around 100,000, it is clear that confidence in the new car’s durability is sky high.

Prices have yet to be confirmed, but they are tipped to be similar to those of the cee’d’s top-selling competitors – in the shape of Ford’s Focus and Vauxhall’s Astra. Established European brands which believe that their Korean rivals are still way off the pace had better think again.