In years gone by if practicality didn’t sit high on your agenda opting for a 3 door variant over a 5 door made perfect sense and would save you over £500 of the list price.
In
recent years from extensive research it has been realised that 3 door hatches appeal
more to young drivers who prefer the simpler, sportier appearance. Since then manufacturers
have tried more than ever to tailor these cars to catch the eye of this clientele.
It
all kicked off with Fiat’s C-segment entry which arrived in two distinctly
different flavours, a practical 5 door Brava and a much sleeker looking 3 door
Bravo. For the first time the difference between these two variants was more
than losing the pair of rear doors, they actually only shared body panels up to
the a-pillar – everything else was vastly different
It
was obviously a strategy that paid off as today most C-segment cars have a
sleek 3 door sibling and some are even marketed as Coupes and demand a price
premium. Kia is not only new to this increasingly popular mini-segment but has
also never produced a C-segment model ever before so the Pro_Cee’d has a rather
tough task on its hands. We hop behind the wheel to find out what it has to
offer.
What is it?
 |
| 2006 Pro_Cee'd concept (library image) |
The Pro_Cee’d was originally revealed in concept form at the
2006 Paris Motorshow and was extremely well received so went into production
the following year almost unchanged. Designed to sit alongside the 5 door and
SW Cee’d models the Pro_Cee’d is the sportiest of the three. Having been on
sale for over five years it received a facelift in late 2010 with similar
updates already seen on its siblings including revised front headlights, bumpers
and changes to the interior trim including a new steering wheel. The range starts
with the base “1” at £13,300 rising to the top of the range ‘4’ we are testing
here which costs £18,995. There are a range of engines on offer including 1.4
and 1.6 litre petrol units and a 1.6 CRDi diesel unit that is available in 89,
114 or 126 bhp outputs. Here we are testing the plush Pro_Cee’d 4 1.6 CRDi
126bhp mated to Kia’s 6-speed manual gearbox.
Rivals:
Seat Leon, Vauxhall Astra GTC, Renault
Megane Coupe
Key Features
Viewing the Pro_Cee’d from the front you could easily
mistake it for its 5-door brother as it shares the same headlights, chrome
effect grill and chiselled bonnet – the only difference is the more rakish
lower bumper treatment. This is where the similarities end as the a-pillar is
much shallower creating a sleeker look which works well with the broad, rising
waistline to create a squat, wedgy coupe-like profile.
It gets better at the rear with ultra-modern hip level light
units that combine with the sleek rear windscreen and sporty oval tailpipe.
It’s all topped of with the attractive 17” alloy wheels of our test car and a
slightly lower ride height. It’s a well-proportioned, athletic design that’s
unique when compared to its competitors.
 |
| Rear styling manages to look sporty and modern |
 |
| From the front the Pro_Cee'd shares lots with its 5-door sibling but still looks fresh enough |
Open the long front doors and inside you will find an inoffensive, neatly designed cabin that’s built to a high standard. Quality materials feature on all of the surfaces that the driver comes into contact with. Admittedly it’s not the most eye-catching design and is starting to look a little dated but it works well and feels suitable sophisticated.
The controls fall nicely to hand and operate with ease
especially the superb multimedia stereo fitted to our car which incorporates an
intuitive touchscreen interface. It also displays images from the rear mounted
camera when reversing.
The standard fit leather seats not only look great but also
offer plenty of adjustment and support in all the right places. During
cornering they are successful in keeping you in place and on longer journeys
they are perfectly comfortable.
 |
| Well built, logically laid out cabin is easy to live with if lacking in excitement |
 |
| Reversing camera is an excellent feature that's appearing in Kias more and more. |
 |
| Access to rear could be better and once inside its dark and short of space |
As you would expect of a car of this type there have been
compromises in interior space. Up front there is plenty of room to stretch out
but the rear is a difference story. To start with getting in and out easily is
the art of an acrobat, the seats do slide forward but not by enough and the low
roofline only complicates the issue. Annoyingly – as we have noticed on a
handful of recent cars – the seats fail to return to their original position so
need to be re-adjusted each time. Once in the back it’s not a particularly nice
place to spend much time, legroom is good but headroom is tight and those small
windows make for a dark, claustrophobic cabin.
Luggage space isn’t far behind the 5-door Cee’d at 340
litres and although there is a sizeable lip when loading items the boot is a
good shape. The rear seats fold for carrying larger items extending to 1,210
litres
On the road the Pro_Cee’d is a mixed bag. The engine is a
corker with 126bhp and 188lb/ft of torque from just 1900rpm making swift
progress easily feeling much quicker than the quoted 10.6 second to 60mph.
Power delivery is smooth and the generous mid-range punch makes for an
entertaining drive. The only let-down is the course engine note at higher revs
that you don’t get in rival cars.
The moment you set off the taut ride is obvious – there is
very little body movement which makes it feel very sporty. Unfortunately ride
quality as a result is very poor, even the smallest imperfections make
themselves known and motorway expansion joints are unbearable. The general
feeling is that there is a complete lack of damping and we are certain that the
17” alloy wheels fitted to our car only make things worse.
Show the Pro_Cee’d a corner and the firm suspension starts
to pay off, body-roll is well contained unless really pushed and grip is
plentiful. The steering is nicely weighted but completely lacking in feel. The
same can be said for the 6-speed gearbox which has a nice smooth action but
feels woolly.
With an asking price of £18,995 for our top spec “4” you
could hardly call it a bargain. However equipment levels are relatively
generous – heated seats, a reversing camera and touchscreen sat-nav all come as
standard on top of the usual digital air conditioning, cruise control and 17”
alloy wheels. Safety kit is also plentiful and if the worst happens the
Pro_Cee’d is backed up by a 5 start Euro NCAP crash rating. More affordable
models lower down in the range also come well equipped with the same safety
features. Running costs are pretty reasonable returning with a combined 62.8
mpg and siting in tax band C.
Words and Photos by Rob McSorley
Technical Data
Price as tested: £18,995
Engine: 1.6
16v 126bhp - 0-62mph: 10.6 secs - Maximum Speed: 122mph -
Economy: 54.3mpg
(urban) –67.3mpg (extra-urban), 62.8mpg (combined) - Emissions: 119g/km
(Band C) - VED (12 months): £30
Dimensions: Length:
4250mm - Width: 1790mm - Height: 1450mm - Wheelbase: 2650mm
*data from Kia UK
The Verdict 3/5
The Kia Pro_Cee’d is a really interesting car. It’s a very
appealing design that manages to look sporty and still very modern despite
being on the market since 2007. Inside its comfortable, well designed and has a
pleasingly high quality feel. Cabin space in the front is good and the boot is
usefully spacious. The 1.6 diesel engine we tested really was the star of the
show proving economical and punchy if a little short on refinement. Where this
car really falls down is dynamically -ultimately it’s flawed. Despite handling
well enough there is very little connection through the controls which doesn’t
inspire confidence. The ride is also poorly calibrated with a complete lack of
compliancy that’s essential when tackling the UKs poorly surfaced roads.
Despite these shortcomings it’s easy to appreciate the effort that Kia has put
into this car and it makes the second generation Pro_Cee’d which is coming soon
a very exciting prospect.
You will like
Performance
Economy
Styling
You wont like
Poor ride quality
Confined rear cabin
Lack of feel through controls
Special Thanks to; Kia Motors (UK) Limited, 2 The Heights , Brooklands, Weybridge, Surrey, KT13 0NY
No comments:
Post a Comment