|
|
 |
|
The New, the Fast and the Luxurious... The Motoring Guide! |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Something Out of
the Ordinary
 There’s something immediately distinctive about the cee’d as you settle down into the figure-hugging driver’s seat and grip the sporty steering wheel.
This size of car is routinely used for practical, everyday purposes by all types of drivers throughout the UK, but the cee’d immediately comes across as something out of the ordinary.
Fast Frive
When you start the engine, there’s the sound of muffled power, whether it’s the economical 1.4 litre unit, the refined 1.6 litre, or even the sporty 1.6 diesel. Slip the gear lever into first and move off and the noise stays suppressed and refined no matter how fast you go. A raucous car, no matter how exciting that sounds, will pretty soon grate; Kia’s engineers decided early on they were going to tackle NVH - car industry shorthand for noise, vibration and harshness - to make the cee’d a class leader in refinement. They used computer analysis to isolate areas of the car’s body that might give rise to vibrations or booming, inserting sound isolation pads and, where necessary, injecting hollow cavities with specialist sound-deadening foam.
However, the car was already very good in this area, a bi-product of its immensely stiff structure; the body has over 25% more torsional stiffness than a Ford Focus, for example. Bolted-on pods called sub-frames at the front, cradling the engine, gearbox and suspension, and another one at the back holding the rear suspension, help keep mechanical noise and shake separate from the passenger compartment.
|
Comfort Ride
In fact, Kia engineers had the unusual luxury of being able to create an all-new chassis platform for this car and an all-new, entirely independent suspension system, meaning there was little need to compromise. This kind of engineering design makes for a car that’s taut and fun to drive, has a supple ride, and yet never seems tiring. Matched to the peppy 105ps performance of the 1.4 litre petrol engine, the cee’d begs to be driven, with a confident feeling even on tight corners, surefooted road holding, and well-weighted electrically-assisted power steering. It may not be the most powerful cee’d you’ll be able to buy but it’s certainly agile. For many, the 1.6 litre engine, an all-new unit that’s designed and manufactured in Slovakia, will no doubt offer the best of both worlds. It feels like the kind of car that would be able to cope with relaxed motorway cruising all day. A sister engine is the 1.6 litre, four cylinder 16 valve diesel, exclusively made by Kia in Slovakia, fitted with an advanced turbocharger to ensure it can really perform as well as offer superb fuel economy. It’s this choice that’s expected to power most of the cee’ds that will find their way on to the roads of Europe, and a drive in a pre-production car reveals it to be both amazingly quiet and impressively eager. A 2 litre turbodiesel will be introduced later in 2007.
Safety First
Performance is one thing, but stopping power is just as important on today’s crowded roads. All cee’ds come with power-assisted disc brakes all round, ventilated at the front, and backed up with ABS assisted by an advanced electronic brake-force distribution system. The anchors on the cee’d pull the car up swiftly when it matters, and you’ll be reassured to know that Kia’s braking engineers conducted over 14,000km of tests in the mountains of Spain and Austria evaluating a braking system in which they were already confident. The cee’d, with its quick response and short brake pedal movement, can come to a halt from 62mph in 40m. Talking of testing, cee’d prototypes covered over one million kilometres in testing - not simulated stuff in labs but out on the most demanding roads of Europe where the car will be used in real life. One single prototype car covered 200,000km alone in durability testing, while other cars were used for fine-tuning the suspension to suit the huge contrast in the European roadscape.
A Great All-rounder
Overall, the cee’d is an astounding first for Kia. The European styling shines through and its instantly obvious verve matches its utter practicality. It is remarkable that such a car has been developed by a Korean manufacturer, but this fact is altogether a pleasant surprise. The ambitious design alloyed with its impressive specifications makes the cee’d a bold addition to the Kia stable. With prices starting at £10,995, it’s a very attractive proposition and is sure to make its competitors sit up and take notice.
Ward Green Garage - telephone 01226 288187
Published Spring 2007. All information correct at time of prin
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
