Kia Cee’d first drive

Like it? Share it!

Thursday, 19 November 2009 15:16

The European designed and built C or lower-medium sector, value for money Kia Cee’d five door hatchback and the SW estate, plus the Pro-Cee’d three door hatches with their seven year warranty really saw the brand come of age just over two years ago when they were introduced.

Last year Kia sold a total of just over 11,000 of these three model ranges in the UK with the five door hatchback being the most popular followed by the SW estate which accounts for 17% of UK Cee’d sales.

Already the Cee’d hatchback and SW estates have received their mid-life updates in the form of styling changes, better interior trim and equipment, improved suspension and handling plus the addition of lower emission 118/119g/km EcoDynamics diesel models. The latter additions will appeal because of their £35 a year road tax charge and in particular to the fleet and business user chooser market sectors because of their lower Benefit-in-Kind tax levy. The fleet market is an area Kia has to strengthen its performance if it is to reach its goal of a 3% market share by 2012. They are well on their way to achieving that already with sales up by over 41% so far this year to 40,410 units.

Unimaginatively but perhaps logically the new models carry the name Cee’d 2 and prices start from £11,895 for the five door hatchback and £13,995 for the Cee’d SW five door estate. Pro_Cee’d three door hatch versions start at £11,595.

Pro_Cee’d and Cee’d model ranges have trim and equipment levels called 1, 2 and 3 plus an EcoDynamics variant based on level 2 specification. The Cee’d SW is available with levels 2 and 3 plus EcoDynamics based on option 2. The engine line-up is equally complex; three and five door hatchbacks are available with 1.4-litre, 89bhp and 1.6-litre 124bhp petrol units plus 1.6-litre CRDi 89 and 113bhp diesel units. The Cee’d 2 SW has 1.6 petrol and 1.6-litre 89 and 113bhp engine options A £1,000 added cost automatic gearbox option is available for Cee’d and SW 113bhp diesel models and the Pro_Cee’d has this option only for the 1.6-litre petrol engine.

One of the bonuses about the Scrappage Scheme for Kia has not just been their significant increase in sales, but it has brought customers into their showrooms who haven’t considered the South Korean brand before. Newcomers like the dealers, they like the price of the products and perhaps above all they like the seven year, 100,000 mile warranty. The Cee’d has always been a very good car, perhaps not in the same class for performance refinement and handling as the new Golf, Ford Focus or even the new Vauxhall Astra, but it is very close. It beats all the competition for the lengthy warranty, price and the specification and those are the three main reasons the Cee’d and its derivatives have done so well. Add to those the new £35 a year low road tax EcoDynamics diesel option for all versions and the Cee’d’s future looks very bright.

The recent 2010 model year changes with the face lift and sharper looks include a new grille and bonnet design and front and rear LED style lights for the five door and SW estate models, a classier cabin with more upmarket materials and more logical switchgear. There are also engine tweaks to improve the mpg and lower emissions and changes to the suspension to sharpen up the handling.

The interior still has lots of plastic finishes which are hardwearing but not as classy as the Golf, Astra or Focus. There is a nice use of different textures and moulded lines for the trim but the predominance of black panels still exists. There is some brightwork which lightens the interior although some of the satin finish trim on the dashboard reflects in the windscreen.

In the handling department the changes to the suspension have sharpened up the control, the bodyroll is more or less eliminated and the ride is compliant and comfortable. Some potholes will still send shockwaves through the car, more from rear than the front, there is still considerable road noise transmitted into the car but overall there is improvement. A Vehicle Stability Management is fitted as standard and the electronic power steering feels remote but predictable.

As an indication of what good value owners get for their money, the specification for the 2010 Cee’d SW 2 includes new items such as body-colour door handles, folding key with remote central locking, front foglights, low rolling resistance Michelin V-let tyres and 16-inch alloy wheels. Other main standard fit items include antilock braking, air conditioning with cooled glove box, electric and heated door mirrors, deadlocks, driver's seat height and lumbar adjustment, electric front windows, on-board computer, six-speaker audio system with fully integrated CD-player with AM/FM RDS radio and full MP3 compatibility, leather pack with trimmed steering wheel, handbrake lever, gear selector and console armrest, rake and reach adjustable steering wheel, rear wash/wipe, tinted glass all round, twin front airbags, twin front side and full-length curtain airbags and 60:40 split folding rear seats. The excellent load space with the rear seats in position is 534-litres and with them folded down this goes up to 1,664-litres. Underneath the boot floor is a segmented storage tray which gives another 35-litres of storage space.

Sorry folks more figures: private retail buyers who generally cover less mileage will opt for the 1.4-litre 89bhp or the 1.6-litre 124bhp petrol engines because of their lower purchase prices and will not mind paying the £120 or £125 road tax bill and both units are still fuel efficient officially returning 48.9 or 46.3mpg. Some buyers or business car users wishing to keep tax levels low will opt for the new 1.6-litre CRDi turbodiesel 89bhp EcoDynamics, 109g/km of CO2 version with its intelligent start and go system where road tax is only £35 a year, Benefit-in-Kind tax is only 13% and fuel economy is officially 67.3mpg in the combined cycle. Others will go for the most powerful diesel unit, still 1.6-litres but with an output of 113bhp and more importantly 255Nm of torque from 1,900rpm. The official average fuel consumption is 61.4mpg, CO2 is 122g/km, road tax is £120 and BIK tax depending on the model and price is between 13 and 18%.

My test model, the 1.6 CRDi Cee’d 2 SW, in layman’s terms the second generation Cee’d five door estate with level 2 specification with the 113bhp turbodiesel engine, returned a constant 51.4mpg and varied little no matter what type of road or at what speed I was driving, good enough but not the best in this sector. The engine is responsive and after the typical diesel engine clatter at start-up from cold, it warmed and quietened to its task. The very slick and precise six-speed manual transmission was a joy to use and the long-legged sixth gear ratio coped well on country roads in the 40 to 50mph range which some others do not these days.

If Kia management get to the stage where their brand is aspirational then this product ticks all the boxes. It looks good, it is well built and my test car costs £14,995, remarkable for what you get and there is the bonus of the seven year warranty. No wonder the Cee’d SW is the best selling C-segment estate car in the UK. Nearly 87% of these purchases are for diesel powered versions and there is a 50:50 split between retail and business customers.

MILESTONES. Kia Cee’d SW 1.6-litre CRDi 2. Price: £14,995. Engine/transmission: 1.6-litre, four cylinder turbocharged direct injection diesel, 113bhp, 255Nm of torque from 1,900rpm, 6-speed manual. Performance: 116mph, 0-62mph 11.1 seconds, 61.4mpg (51.4mpg actual), CO2 122g/km, VED Band D £120, BIK tax 18%. Insurance group: 4. Dimensions/capacities: L 4,490mm, W 1,790, H 1,525mm, Load space 534-1,664-litres, braked towing weight 1,400kg. For: Smartly styled, roomy, improved equipment, easy to drive, fuel frugal, 7-year warranty, good value. Against: Not up to Europe’s best for sharp and responsive handling or for the interior finish, considerable road noise intrusion into the car. Miles Better News Agency www.girlracer.co.uk