Ambitious Kia's attack on international car markets knows no bounds.
They've been sowing the seed of an idea to become one of the leading players and now that growth is self-evident.

Or should I say, sowing the cee'd? Because that's the quirky name chosen for Kia's European model that is taking on the might of standard giants in the mid-sized hatchback market such as Ford Focus, VW Golf and Vauxhall Astra.

The cee'd (funkily written without a capital C in contemporary style) is the smoothly styled five-door hatch that Kia admits is the most important car they have ever launched.

Replacing the Cerato model, Kia believe it is the catalyst that will push them on to a three per cent overall UK market share and 100,000 sales annually.

And Kia now believe that the car matches or surpasses anything in its clsass in terms of packaging, quality, driving dynamics, safety, style and image.



And they back up their own confidence in the product with an impressive, unique seven-year drivetrain warranty and five-year 100,000-mile paint warranty, plus 10 years paint and anti-perforation cover.

And with prices at less than £11,000 to just over £14,000, there's plenty to tempt prospective owners before they've even sat in the car.

So will it succeed? Or should I say, suc-cee'd?

Based on the experiences of my recent road test of the car, I fully expect it to. Not only is it smoothly styled and excellently equipped, but cee'd stands as one of the best handling hatchbacks around. And that name is probably off-the-wall enough to catch people's attention – just because it's weird.

Cee'd's design (see the problem with apostrophes?) is pitched somewhere between a Focus and a Golf, with VW-like looks and Ford-style detailing, such as the headlamps.

There's even a touch of the Audi A3s about the beltline, but enough differences with the sweetly rounded bonnet, raked screen that seems to grow organically into the roofline and neatly rounded rump to give Kia's offering a look of its own.



But it is the pure driving experience that is Kia's trump card here. The powerful and responsive 1.6-litre petrol model I tested is quiet, smooth and refined with surprisingly good acceleration and response.

A five-speed gearbox is one of the sweetest around, offering a slick, light and well-damped change and the car's handling is pleasantly involving.

Steering has been set tight and sharp and cee'd always feels involving and well balanced and holds a good line in the straight-ahead position.

A word of praise also for the brakes, which are subtly effective with a progressive action.

My only slight minus mark here is for the ride quality, which can be fidgety at times.

I admired the stark simplicity of the dashboard design, pared down to a minimalist stack and the stylishly modern main dials.

Kia have built in plenty of oddments space and there is an excellent boot – wide, large and with no side intrusion.

Apart from the heavy pillars and the test car's sporadically faulty CD player, I have little to criticise.

Kia has taken giant strides in recent years and quickly moved up the field from also-ran to serious major player. Don't forget – you cee'd it here first!



At a glance:
Kia cee'd designed and built in Europe as Golf/Focus rival.
Prces start at less than £11,000 on the road.
The only car in Europe with a seven-year, 100,000-mile warranty.
Air conditioning as standard - with glove box cooler.
USB port, AUX input and MP3 capability on all but entry level.
Built in state-of-the-art factory in Slovakia.
Long wheelbase, wide track and tall roofline.
Quality interiors, good fit and finish.
Five- and six-speed manual gearboxes and a four-speed automatic available, depending on model.
Powerful braking system with ABS and electronic brakeforce distribution.