Kia made huge strides against stiff European competition years ago, and the sales numbers followed suit. Now, in the second round, it is much more difficult to shock, because the element of surprise is gone. Despite this, the pro_cee`d has many advantages, among which the attractive design, the quality of the materials, and the ratio between the price and the product obtained. Lack of motorization and advanced technology.
Kia in Europe since 2007, around the same time as Volkswagen slipped away the main one by designer Peter Schreyer, is enjoying great commercial success, and it was started by the model in question – (pro_)cee`d. During this time, more than 10,000 units of the model, nicknamed the Korean Golf, were sold on our soil, which eloquently testifies to the success of this model and brand in our country.
But recently, the time came to replace the model, and this one faced a very difficult task, stepping into the big shoes of its predecessor. Since the Koreans no longer had the element of surprise, they approached the matter much more thoughtfully, but no less ambitiously than the first time.
In terms of design, both the five-door ceed and its three-door coupe version have been given an even more modern look, where the changes are mainly focused on the appearance of the nose, which dominates LED daytime running lights, a larger amount of chrome and a distinctively shaped mask that follows the mouth of the beast. There are fewer changes on the side, but honestly, they weren't even necessary, and the rear was also refreshed, which, unlike the nose, didn't get additional chromium, but plastic inserts that have the task of making the finish more sporty.
The appearance itself is one of the cee'd's main assets, and if it already looks modern and sporty in the hatchback version, then we can write that as a coupe with 40 millimeters lower silhouette and the rear of the coupe looks almost poisonous. To make no mistake, this is not a coupe, but it goes like with e.g. renault megane for the three-door version of the model, which was given the name - coupe because of its image.
The spaciousness in the cabin is commendably the same as in the five-door model, only the access to the second row is a bit more difficult, the obstacle is the long door, which makes getting in and out of the vehicle in narrow parking lots difficult. But we have to praise the passers of the belt, who are very welcome because of the aforementioned wicket. Also trunk is with 380 liters identical, if we fold down the back bench, we get 1,225 liters of space, which is more than solid for a "coupe". Visibility to the sides and back is mostly average, but this also plagues most competitors.
We also praise the ergonomics and the quality of the materials (even the boring black plastic) amid the flood of equipment packages, as well as the stocking of the fifth in line equipment - LX vision. However, you have to be careful when buying, as dual-power air conditioning is standard only in the fourth, cruise control and rear parking sensors, and even bluetooth only in the fifth (tester's) equipment package. In the even better stocked Pro ceeds, buyers can also get a large touch screen with navigation, and a system for automatic parking vehicles, electric heated steering wheel, … , but not some of the most advanced systems that are increasingly becoming standard in the Golf class, such as radar cruise control and automatic braking.
As expected, the range of engines is shared with cee`d, which means only naturally aspirated gasoline and two diesel units. The tester was driven by a more powerful one 1.6 liter unit with 94 kilowatts of power, which is actually the best compromise between economical and dynamic driving. It can be loud on cold mornings, but on the road it is significantly more determined and responsive than gasoline engines. As with the latter, the diesel also lacks some power in the lower revs, but makes up for it with flexibility in the mid-range. According to the power on paper, it "lacks" a bit only when overtaking at high speeds on the highway, when it is necessary to reach for the (merely) sufficiently precise lever six-speed manual transmission. He convinces consumption, which scored moderate on the test 6.1 liters, part of the credit goes to that to the ISG system, which turns the engine off and on at traffic lights, and measures and displays the idle time of the vehicle to the driver.
The sporty feelings behind the very indirect steering wheel are not as convincing as the appearance. For the average driver, the dynamics are quite enough, but the chassis is adapted to comfort rather than racing through corners, it swallows bumps quite smoothly, and driving it is not at all tiring, which speaks in favor of everyday use.
Bottom line, we can conclude that the pro_cee`d is not a sportsman despite such an appearance, and considering the powerful mechanics, it is a shame that the 1.6-liter turbo gasoline unit with 150 kilowatts of power, which is reserved for the model, is not offered cee'd GT. With such a motor, it would probably cost the same as "our" diesel, only it would offer more dynamics and better driving sensations.
Price of the test vehicle: 19,380 euros (or 15,820 euros with discount)
More information at: www.Kia.si
