FirstDrive/Kia cee'd: But the interior lacks the finesse and quality finish of its more established European counterparts like the Golf.
With the launch of its latest cee'd hatchback, Kia is aiming to attract new buyers to this increasingly popular Korean marque. To help it succeed in its battle against the most popular cars on the market, Kia has launched the car with a record seven-year warranty.
This 150,000km fully transferable warranty is the longest offered by any manufacturer and applies to the drivetrain - engine, gearbox and transmission - while the rest of the car has an equally impressive five-year warranty, which is up to three years longer than most of the competition is confident enough to offer.
This is a brave move by the Korean manufacturer as the cee'd is the first of Kia's cars to be built at its new €1 billion European manufacturing plant in Slovakia.
But teething problems aside, the company is confident its new plant has the engineering ability to put the competition to shame with such a long warranty.
As the company's senior vice president in Europe, the enigmatic Jean-Charles Lievens, said:
"This warranty is a corporate statement in the confidence of our products." Despite his comment though, the record warranty will not be offered on any other Kia models.
Pricing will also be key and to keep the cost under the significant €20k threshold - the base LX model costs €19,495 - Kia Ireland has removed some features, not least the car's electronic stability programme, although Irish motorists will still get multiple airbags, including full side curtain bags as standard.
While the rest of Europe benefits from a choice of petrol and diesel units, Irish buyers must initially settle for just one engine - Kia's new 1.4-litre 109bhp petrol.
This is a shame, as on test the company's new four-cylinder common-rail 1.6-litre 115bhp diesel (a 90bhp version of the same unit will eventually be offered in Ireland) proved to be the most able to hustle this car through tight graduated bends, while the petrol found the going much more demanding.
With the new cee'd, Kia set itself a high standard by naming the Focus as its benchmark for handling. And it wasn't all talk: the cee'd, which sits on an all-new chassis and suspension system, is surprsingly capable and confident through the bends and, while slightly too much body roll and poor feedback through the light, electric power-assisted steering will soon dampen driver eagerness, the cee'd can still be driven with enthusiasm.
Far Eastern cars have traditionally been lacking on style: however, this new Kia which is designed in Germany has adopted European tastes. Cross an Astra, Corolla and Golf and the outcome would not be dissimilar to this new five-door hatch.
The acres of plastics don't help and neither does the lack of adequate soundproofing, which means it is even more noticeable when that petrol engine is under pressure.
However, equipment levels are high and thankfully Kia has adopted European-style steering column stalks with the control for the windscreen wipers on the right and indicators on the left.
Initially only available here in the most popular five-door, five-seat, 1.4-litre hatchback guise with a standard five-speed manual box, the cee'd family will grow through the year to include an estate and a three-door hatch, which, while christened a sporthatch, will be powered by the same 90bhp engine.
Factfile
MODEL: Kia cee'd LX
VARIANTS: five-door hatchback
ENGINE: 1.4-litre four-cylinder CVVT petrol.
Power: 109bhp and 137Nm. Transmission: five-speed manual
PERFORMANCE: 11.6 secs to 100km/h.
Top speed: 187km/h. Consumption: 6.1l/100km (combined).
Emissions: 145g/km CO2
PRICE: €19,495
Competition: Astra, Focus, 307, Golf