MOTORS
Edited by Mike Torpey
by MIKE TORPEY
T
HE seeds have sprouted and bloomed on the car that launched the motor industry’s first fully transferable seven-year warranty. Now, five years down the line, it’s ‘tricky second album’ time as a completely new Kia cee’d five-door hits the streets. It’s worth reminding ourselves just how important this model has proved to the Korean manufacturer – the original was a game changer, a car that transformed public perception of a company until then more associated with the bargain basement than the loftier reputation it enjoys today. Designed, engineered and built in (and for) Europe, the cee’d proved a hit, especially in Britain where 55,000 cars were sold. Kia says the new version will propel the marque into a different league again, and has an ace in the pack to ensure that happens. In 2006, design guru Peter Schreyer – a major player in the styling of the original Audi TT – came on board at Kia just in time to see the first cee’d unveiled at the Paris Motor Show. The timing of his arrival meant he was able to influence only the smallest design details, but the new model has been created entirely under his jurisdiction. And it certainly doesn’t disappoint with a sleek profile, cab-forward design, tiger nose grille and coupe-like roofline which gives the car a more planted and sporty stance on the road. At the same time the outgoing car’s deceptively brilliant passenger space isn’t compromised. In fact, front passengers get 9mm more legroom, 15mm extra headroom and there’s better shoulder room too. But it is in the cabin that buyers will really notice the difference. Ambience is way better, so too is the quality of the switches and plastics, and there are plenty of places for squirrelling away odds and ends. A cockpit-like design with aircraft-themed fascia sees the main control panel wrap around the steering wheel for easy access. No doubt, the overall feel is a classy one. Kia says the new car, which offers the choice of 1.4 and 1.6-litre petrol and a pair of turbodiesel engines of similar capacity, sees average fuel consumption reduced by four per cent and heralds CO2 emissions of as low as 97g/km for the 1.6-litre diesel model. Most powerful is the
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NEW LOOK: Ex-Audi design guru Peter Schreyer has played a big part in styling the improved second-generation Kia cee'd
Kia’s new cee’d has power to succeed
1.6 petrol unit already used in the Sportage SUV. It boasts 133bhp, 164Nm of pulling power and is the only cee’d available with Kia’s new dual-clutch gearbox offering fully auto operation or manual changes via steering wheel-mounted paddles. This was the model, with six-speed manual transmission and Kia’s ISG stop/start system, that impressed me most over the course of a 250-mile test route that included urban roads, motorways and hill country amid the stunning backdrop of Lake Geneva. While the 1.6 petrol felt stronger
and more lively than its 126bhp oil-burning counterpart, the latter was so refined you had to double check to make sure it was a diesel. But then neither of these family-friendly cars are about outright performance, though something with more wallop may join the party at a later date. Prices are from £14,395 for an entry level 1.4 petrol version developing 98bhp and capable of an average 47mpg with CO2 emissions from 139g/km while diesels start at £15,695 for the 1.4 CRDi with 89bhp, almost 69mpg and CO2 emissions of 109g/km.
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Five trim levels – named ‘1’, ‘2’, ‘3’ and ‘4’ with the option of a ‘4 Tech’ version of cee’d ‘4’ - all feature standard kit like electrically adjustable heated door mirrors, tilt and telescopic steering wheel adjustment and a height-adjustable driver’s seat, air-con, steering wheel-mounted controls, front electric windows, daytime running lights, remote central locking, cooled glovebox, a flat-folding 60:40 split rear seat and ambient front lighting. You also get an iPod-compatible audio system with radio and CD player, USB port, Bluetooth,
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Hill-start Assist Control, six airbags and speed-sensitive auto door locking. Moving up the grades adds a lot more, to the point that the ‘4 Tech’ 1.6 GDI six-speed automatic DCT model is kitted to the hilt and tops the line-up at £23,795. Those preferring three to five-doors will have to wait until next spring for the new generation pro_cee’d model, while an SW estate version is due this autumn. The name may still be among the most quirky on the automotive scene, but there’s no doubt the latest cee’d is destined to succeed.