Model tested: Kia Cee’d LS 1.6-litre diesel
Price as tested: £14,295
Range price: £10,995-14,295
Insurance group as tested: 6E
Insurance group range:  4E-6E
Date tested: November 2007
Road tester: Adrian Higgins

Auto Trader Ten Point Test rating: 83%

Kia says the Kia Cee’d (pronounced seed) is the most important car it has ever built.

Designed, built and sold exclusively in Europe, Kia’s five-door hatchback is billed as competing with the top-selling rival hatchbacks – Ford Focus, Vauxhall Astra, Peugeot 308 – not just in terms of price, but quality as well.

We drove a Kia Cee’d for a week to find out whether it’s ready for the big league.

Looks | Looks Inside | Practicality | Ride and Handling | Performance
Running Costs | Reliability | Safety | Equipment | X-Factor

1. Looks

The Kia Cee’d is the first car the Korean manufacturer has actually made in Europe and it shows. The high waistline, subtle, appealing wheel arches and dynamic front end look like they belong to a European car and that alone should enable motorists tempted by Kia’s still appealing prices to ask whether it’s really worth paying the premium for the traditional big-sellers.

8/10

2. Looks inside

The warm orange displays – large central speedo, flanked by the rev counter on one side and fuel/temperature gauge on the other - are easy on the eye. The steering wheel-mounted audio controls usefully include a mute button to immediately block out the air-vent flanked CD/radio when concentration is needed. The two-tone dash and interior works well and the headroom is impressive. Two cupholders and storage area sit between the driver and front seat passenger.

8/10

3. Practicality

All the practicality you would expect from a five-door hatch. Good storage solutions, bags of interior space and a flexible 340-litre boot tick all the right boxes. Flatten the rear seats and you can increase the boot space to 1,300 litres. If you need even more practicality take a look at the Kia Cee’d SW. (Link to review!)

8/10

4. Ride and Handling

This is a comfortable car and no slouch when it comes to handling. Class leaders such as the all-conquering Ford Focus are still ahead when it comes to driving experience but Kia has certainly closed the gap with the Cee’d.

7/10

5. Performance

There are two petrol options with buyers able to choose between a 1.4-litre 105bhp petrol engine and a 1.6-litre 122bhp version. The 1.6-litre diesel engine is available with 90bhp or 115bhp outputs while a 2-litre diesel is expected soon. Go for the petrol models and you’ll be looking at 0-62mph times of 10.8 seconds for the manual, with a top speed of 120 mph and 11.4 seconds for the automatic with a top speed of 116mph. The 90bhp diesel covers 0-62mph in 13.8 seconds with a top speed of 106mph while the 115bhp model covers 0-62mph in 11.5 seconds and has a top speed of 116mph.

7/10

6. Running Costs

The Kia Cee’d scores very well here, with the 1.6-litre diesel model returning an average 60.1mpg. The petrol models are more thirsty but still return in excess of 40mpg. Tax for the petrol models falls into band D and will cost £140 a year or band C for £115 a year. That whopping seven-year/100,000 mile warranty (most cars come with a three year warranty), along with the quality of this car should ensure, when you come to part with your Kia Cee’d, resale values are improved over previous models.

9/10

7. Reliability

The Kia Cee’d is a new car so while reliability issues are yet to surface the presence of that seven year warranty is a big statement of confidence from the manufacturer – and a big source of security for the driver. That said, the car appears to justify its makers’ faith, with quality build in evidence all the way round.

9/10

8. Safety

Six airbags come as standard, as do active headrests, which help reduce whiplash injuries. Anti-lock brakes and electronic brake force distribution are also standard. LS buyers can add other features including electric stability control as an option. The car earned a five star rating following EuroNCAP crash testing.

9/10

9. Equipment

There are three trim levels: S, GS and LS and all are well-specified. All models feature tinted glass all round, trip computer, air-conditioning with glove box cooler, active head rests and electronic stability control plus six airbags. The GS adds leather trim, 16-inch alloy wheels, remote central locking, USB port, auxiliary input and MP3 capability plus full iPod capability. The LS trim adds rear electric windows, front foglamps and half-leather upholstery. The Kia Cee’d is not only cheaper than many of its rivals it features more kit than most of them too.

9/10

10. X-Factor

The Kia Cee’d is a good car, sold at a good price with a good level of specification. But when it comes to an X-factor that seven-year warranty takes some beating. Come to sell your car in four years and the remainder you’ll be offering potential buyers will be the same as they’d get with the vast majority of new cars.