Sean O'Grady
Kia Cee'd specifications
Price:
From £10 495 to £14 245 (R148 000-R199 000).
Engine:
1.4-litre and 1.6-litre petrol, two versions of a 1.6 diesel; two-litre diesel later.
Transmission:
Five-speed manual (six on two-litre diesel; auto option (petrol).
Performance:
(192km/h and 0-100km/h in 10.8sec (1.6 petrol).
Fuel consumption:
6.43 litres/100km (4.72 litres/100km for the diesel).
Does the Kia Cee'd deserve to succeed? Yes, although this plucky little hatch will have to contend with quite a few obstacles, not least of which is its name, in Europe and when it reaches South Africa in the next few weeks.
Given that Kia isn't exactly a glittering marque, you think the company would have given this new model - described as the most important in its history - an especially appealing name.
It has to compete with some very homely-sounding rivals. Golf. Focus. Astra. Civic. All real words that mean something. But Cee'd?
The Korean company's PR people say the name works on several levels. The car was designed in Europe and will be assembled in Slovakia. Much effort has been expended on making it conform to European tastes - deeper exhaust note, better trim materials, more conventional styling, more NCAP safety stars, that sort of thing
Cee'd is partly a play on the French abbreviation for European Community (CE), even though that particular appellation is defunct. Partly it's derived from its project name, ED, and partly it punningly reflects Kia's hopes that this hatchback will sow the "ceeds" of success in Europe.
(By the way, "Kia" derives from the Korean "ki", meaning arise, and the "a" stands for Asia. Nothing to do with Kia-Ora.)
So now you know and you can be fully prepared when people ask you "who?" and "what?". If you can bear that nomenclature, the Cee'd has a great deal to recommend it.
It's fine value. The basic model costs only £10 495. It is, in short, a Ford Focus-sized car for Ford Fiesta money. Admittedly, for that modest outlay, you'll have to put up with steel wheels and a less powerful 1.4-litre petrol engine but you'll still get all that room, plus rake and reach adjustable steering column, driver and passenger seats with height and lumbar adjustment, front power windows and central locking.
The whole range has independent rear suspension, which gives them tidy handling, and a seven-year or 160 000km. However, you need to know that the main "bumper to bumper" warranty only runs to five years (like sister company Hyundai's guarantee) with the extra cover restricted to engine and gearbox.
The company sometimes does well in reliability surveys but I'd still wonder whether it will prove quite as trouble free as a Civic.
Lower residuals
Kia says most sales will come from the 1.6-litre petrol version GS trim. For that you'll get alloy rims, remote-controlled central locking, a six-speaker sound system and power external mirrors. All for £12 245, which is quite a discount on the equivalent models from, say, VW or Ford, although there's a catch: you may not see so much of your money back come trade-in time.
Kia cars have traditionally endured lower residual values, in the UK at least, than their more mainstream rivals and you have to take a view as to whether that seven-year warranty and the improved appeal of this new car will mean it will be as easy to sell on in 2010 than an equivalent Golf.
Kia says it expects the residuals to be on a par with the Astra. Maybe, but I'd be inclined to scepticism. I'd also look at the Skoda Octavia and Seat Leon as strong Golf-based good-value competitors and, if you can wait a couple of months, a similar new model from Hyundai will be launched.
Where the Cee'd succeeds best is out on the road. We tried the 1.6 petrol and 1.6 diesel and they were great fun. It really is a very competently engineered chassis. Surprisingly, too, the Cee'd is quiet at rest with engine noise suppressed very well indeed. The car feels light but well planted and after a few miles you become very confident of its abilities.
The electric steering system is well suited the character of the car.
Two failings...
You also begin to appreciate the thought Kia has put into the interior. Forget all those nasty grey plastics, shiny switchgear and nylon seats. Kia sources its components from the same people who supply Peugeot and VW. It's all quite tastefully done inside: the mock aluminium trim around the centre console lifts the interior without seeming cheap or tacky. The glow from the salmon pink dials, however, takes some getting used to.
Two failings let our test cars down. The air-conditioning system - or "fully-automatic climate control" as Kia calls it - didn't seem capable of keeping us cool (yes, cool) during our drive in the South of France. Check this out before you sign on the dotted line you readers in South Africa take particular note!
We were also a little disappointed that this new design didn't have a proper satnav system, even as an expensive option. The Cee'd could also do with a little more "bling", bigger alloys and more chrome as on a Seat Leon.
Even so, I enjoyed the car. I'll remember the name for all the right reasons. - The Independent, London