Kia cee'd ~ New
It seems odd to be writing a launch report about the new Kia cee'd considerably less than three years after the original came to the market, but much work has been done on the car lately and it's worth taking another look at the range. In approximate order of significance, all models have been given revised exterior styling, upgraded interiors, thoroughly worked-over suspension, a new vehicle stability programme, hill-start control and, for certain models, Kia's ISG stop/start system, all of which can be regarded as improvements.
There has been no change to the body shapes (so the wretched rear visibility will still be with us until whatever replaces the cee'd comes along, at the very earliest) but there are changes to the front end, which give the hatch in particular a notably more sporty look, along with LED-effect rear light clusters. I wasn't bowled over by the new front at first, but it's growing on me, and I suspect that the pre-facelift cee'd is quickly going to look rather old-fashioned once the new one becomes a familiar sight on our roads.
Inside, the cee'd gets the Soul's four-spoke steering wheel, complete with remote control switches for the audio and trip computer (and Bluetooth and cruise control, if applicable), the centre console has been redesigned, and the trim materials have been upgraded. It's all quite effective, though Kia's claim that the effect is of "travelling first class while paying an economy price" flirts with hyperbole - the cee'd still does not really feel like a premium product in its sector.
The suspension revisions are, we're told, the result of listening to feedback both from customers and from those scurvy knaves in the motoring press. When the first cee'd came along, much trumpeting was made about the fact that this was a Kia designed by Europeans for Europeans who would drive it on European roads. Jolly good - but European roads include everything from beautiful German highways you could calibrate a spirit level with to ungodly stretches of Belgian pavé, with average UK conditions coming somewhere in between. And the fact was that the cee'd did not ride well in this country.
Kia cee'd | Road Tests, Auto Features
There has been no change to the body shapes (so the wretched rear visibility will still be with us until whatever replaces the cee'd comes along, at the very earliest) but there are changes to the front end, which give the hatch in particular a notably more sporty look, along with LED-effect rear light clusters. I wasn't bowled over by the new front at first, but it's growing on me, and I suspect that the pre-facelift cee'd is quickly going to look rather old-fashioned once the new one becomes a familiar sight on our roads.
Inside, the cee'd gets the Soul's four-spoke steering wheel, complete with remote control switches for the audio and trip computer (and Bluetooth and cruise control, if applicable), the centre console has been redesigned, and the trim materials have been upgraded. It's all quite effective, though Kia's claim that the effect is of "travelling first class while paying an economy price" flirts with hyperbole - the cee'd still does not really feel like a premium product in its sector.
The suspension revisions are, we're told, the result of listening to feedback both from customers and from those scurvy knaves in the motoring press. When the first cee'd came along, much trumpeting was made about the fact that this was a Kia designed by Europeans for Europeans who would drive it on European roads. Jolly good - but European roads include everything from beautiful German highways you could calibrate a spirit level with to ungodly stretches of Belgian pavé, with average UK conditions coming somewhere in between. And the fact was that the cee'd did not ride well in this country.
Kia cee'd | Road Tests, Auto Features
