Test drive Kia Ced 2007 - 2009 hatchback

All photos Kia Ced 2007 - 2009

Counter argument

Kia has long ceased to consider themselves a manufacturer of cheap cars. But the European motorist is so used to it that specially for him the Koreans brought a special argument.

SEED
This is how its name is written: with the apostrof and with the lowercase s. Why? To surprise!

After all, the concept of Kia the Power to Surprise (the power to surprise)! According to the vice president of Kia Motors Europe, Jean-Sharl Levan, SEED is nothing more than a short, outstanding and dynamic new name that consumers will like and will be perplexed by competitors.

And it is deciphered, according to our assumption, as the merger of European Community (European Union) and European Design (European design).

CEED is produced at a factory in Zhilina, in Slovakia, 150,000 copies annually. For Russian needs, it is collected in Kaliningrad. Four engines with a capacity of 109 to 143 liters are available for us. These are gasoline 1.4, 1.6 and 2.0-liter engines, a 1.6-liter 115-horsepower turbodiesel, which are equipped with a five-speed mechanics or a four-band automatic machine.

And in order to come to the conclusion that ended with a lead-abzat, it was necessary to take a hatchback test with a 2.0-liter 143-horsepower engine and mechanics

And yet it is too early to rejoice at almost one and a half hundred Korean horses. There are other reasons for optimistic conclusions. For example, design. Born CEED with wool, say, Toyota, no one would have noticed a catch. Because it is not KIA designers look at things with the same European eyes as their competitors.

That is why CEED does not cause visual rejection of the layman at our latitude. I like the car with transparent anterior optics, smooth relief stamping, interesting rear vortex lanterns

Its design not only does not feed the stereotype of peculiar stereotype (there is no negativity in this word only specifics) of Korean quality, but, on the contrary, disposes to the brand, forces to perceive individual elements as part of the corporate identity. In a good way!

Kia has a small problem of Japanese and European competitors have long chosen the market, and on their example the former Korean models looked even successful, but still parodies for a modern car. Especially given the identical prices of European prices. But with the arrival of CEED everything can change.

The CEED salon is visible for the better, but this is not the level of the submissor of Europe. However, for the Koreans this is a sample and a standard. Moreover, both in ergonomics and in terms of design.

Let's start with the first. At the helm, duplicate buttons for controlling the audio system, the steering column is adjusted in height and departure, and a convenient seat does not promise back pain and hospitably accepts even our 190-centimeter photographer.

There are enough places in the shoulders and knees of the driver, and the rear passengers are more spacious; Perhaps, according to this indicator, CEED is one of the leaders in the class! But at the back it is better to sit together, they could not surprise in Kia.

The designers who worked on the CEED honestly earned their will: in their work they took into account all the complaints that can be addressed to the salons of inexpensive compacts. Torpedo is finished with black and light gray plastic, and the upper layer is soft and pleasant to the touch. The devices are well read, and the halo of red-orange backlighting, which harmonizes with the screen on the on-board computer on the central console, noticeably revive the atmosphere of dials.

The central console in Hyundai and Kia was often interrupted by a failure on the way to the central tunnel, this was also taken into account by the creators of CEED and filled the gap with an extension with a socket and an ashtray. So care for smokers helped Kia designers, although Europe is actively fighting smoking

Let's make the dynamics. KIA infected the two -liter hatch virus engineers with a fast riding and the shortest gear in all Korea. For delight, only a juicy metal clap is missing! Fist boxes

Prices
The basic CEED costs from 441,664 rubles. Such a hatchback will be equipped with a 1.4-liter engine, a five-speed mechanics, front and side pillows and curtains of safety, ABS, air conditioning, an electric power steering, immobilizer and a route computer. A car with a machine gun costs from 506,788 rubles.

So, in my hands there are two liters, 143 forces and five clearly and quickly sticking gears. And what to do with them? The question would sound silly 10 years ago. The hatchbacks were then hot, or something two liters and under 150 liters. with. Then they set up under those who cared little about fuel saving, acoustic comfort and well -being of their fifth point.

Kia Ced can ride quickly, but does it calmly. Without nerves. In addition, it must be forced. Acceleration confident, but without impulses and sharp accelerations. And a little more than 10 s to the first hundred. It's good that it comes to the second

The gearbox left me the most pleasant memories of Kia dynamics. For a long time, cars (especially Koreans) have not come across with such a short and at the same time quite a clear course of the gearbox lever.

And the motor is very quiet. Not only by the nature of the idle is not heard, and even if the arrow of the tachometer is constantly not kept by the cut -off, then the sound will not bother.

However, if the engine is well muffled by sound insulation, then there are claims to the wheeled arches. Through them, the noise of the tires and the appearance of asphalt of low quality are clearly audition. And the steering wheel is empty in zero, with minimal feedback, however, filled with informativeness as rotated.

The suspension is dense, even a little harsh on pits and potholes. But the CEED is all right with stability in vihi, let the body allow small rolls.

Of course, the CEED is not an athlete in terms of acceleration, but with a slowdown in a two -liter hatchback, everything is in order. You can rely on CEED even when it comes to safety: in addition to excellent brakes, in the database of six pillows plus a safety curtain, ABS and EBD.

The car is provided by PLT, the official dealer of Kia Motors.

Text: Alexander Korobchenko
Photo: Roman Zubko