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Article #257:

The Kia Ceed - Easy To Sell Hard To Spell

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Could estates be making a comeback? MPVs Doors shut with a convincing thud and the
and SUVs have been taking a big chunk out soft-feel upper dash and doors are
of that market in recent years. But tactile.
companies like Kia think that trend may Comfortable seats have big, wide cushions
be in reverse gear. and are handily height adjustable, with a
They point out that the lifestyle and rotating wheel for accurate rake control.
leisure vehicles are becoming expensive The dashboard is very low level and
to buy and run and have styling and simply sorted for easy identification on
design compromises. the move but the bonnet slopes away so
So Kia have plenty of confidence in their sharply that none of it can be seen when
new cee'd SW - their first ever estate manoeuvring.
car. Not only is it a practical and The speedo, flagged up at 20/40/60 marks,
stylish newcomer, it also comes with an misses the important 30mph and 70mph
industry-best seven-year or 100,000-mile numbers but main displays are clear and
warranty - an unrivalled expression of readable on the move, despite their
faith in the cars coming out of Zilina in quirky cut-off needles.
Slovakia. The 1.6 petrol model I tested does need a
The cee'd SW (I can never remember how to heavy right foot to pull the best out of
write it, although I've learned to say it but it does eventually respond well
it) has the same wheelbase as the with plenty of clout, even if it's a bit
highly-acclaimed five-door hatchback, and boomy at the top end.
an identical front end. Even the rear A positive five-speed gearbox is solid
doors are the same. But the body has been and has an predictable, easy change, but
stretched by 235mm and the SW is 10mm a clonky action.
taller and has smart roof rails to set it Handling is predictable but unremarkable
apart. and this isn't the sort of car for a
Kia have done a clever thing by extending thrash around the lanes or to take out
the tailgate into the rear roofline, so just for the hell of it.
that owners can stand closer to the car Steering, in particular, is a little
when sorting luggage - the big cutaway woolly and uninvolving.
area also gives excellent access for But the SW's sheer usefulness and solid
loading and unloading. value will win it many friends as estates
The load floor is also dead flat and at make a fresh attack on the leisure
bumper level, so that luggage can simply market.
be slid on or off and rear seats fully Factfile:
rumble to create a truly horizontal * Kia cee'd SW, prices from
platform. £12,995-£14,995.
Kia blot their copybook slightly by * Made in state-of-the-art factory at
providing a rather naff pull-down boot Zilina in Slovakia alongside acclaimed
strap - not terribly high-tech but five-door hatchback cee'd.
practical, I suppose. * Best-in-industry seven year
The end product is that the SW model can 100,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty.
hold almost 300 litres more than its * Body stretched by 235mm compared with
stablemate hatchback. hatchback and 10mm taller, excluding roof
And let's not forget the 55 litres of rails.
space in trays beneath the boot floor - a * Luggage capacity of 1,664 litres with
handy touch. seats folded flat.
Kia also point out that the SW version is * Three 1.6-litre engines; one petrol and
only £700 more than the equivalent two turbodiesel.
hatchback whereas rivals such as Ford * Five-speed gearboxes as standard but
Focus estate, Vauxhall Astra estate and four-speed automatic available with the
Renault Megane Sport Tourer are about petrol engine.
£970 more for the equivalent. * Estate model aimed predominantly as a
Apart from a dingy interior (old fleet car.
fashioned black and grey two-tone seat * Exceptionally stiff bodyshell,
fabric, black dash with grey underneath, aerodynamic shape.
dull grey roof and pillars), I liked the * Independent front and rear suspension
cee'd SW and found it a practical, solid benefits ride and handling.
and smart medium estate.






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