Kia ProCeed review

Inside the Kia ProCeed

Any front-seat occupant who has sat in the Ceed will recognise very familiar surroundings in the ProCeed. The major difference is in the rear, where the distinctly lower roofline is compensated by placing the seats lower. Your reviewer found it comfortable enough but then he’s not that tall…

One major area where function is sacrificed for form is in the rear visibility. Viewed in the mirror the rear screen is a narrow letterbox, and when driving one sub-consciously makes more use of the door mirrors than is typical.

Seats vary depending on model. GT-Line buyers get cloth and faux-leather items while those in the GT and GT-Line S have larger side bolsters finished in black leather and faux suede, plus red stitching on the GT.

The driver’s controls are lifted straight from the Ceed, which was, in turn, evolved from the Stinger saloon. We liked the general quality and layout in the Ceed and we still do, particularly the soft-touch surfaces.

The traditional instrument layout remains, which basically means rather more buttons than is becoming the norm, Kia resisting the move towards touchscreen menus controlling everything.

The ‘floating’ infotainment touchscreen still looks a bit stuck on the top of the centre console but it is a big eight-inch screen close to the driver’s eye-line and effective in operation.

As mentioned there is a lot of boot space – it’s wide rather than tall, but with lots of neat touches, such as an underfloor compartment for hiding smaller valuables away and a hook to hang grocery bags on.

The rear seats fold simply using a lever located just inside the tailgate, and if you are going to make extensive use of the boot it’s worth choosing the GT-Line S model. On this the 60:40 folding seats become 40:20:40 versions and the load space includes floor rails.

Driving the Kia ProCeed

The Car Expert was able to drive ProCeeds fitted will all three engine options on the launch event and, for the vast majority of users, the 1.4 petrol will be all that is needed. It is smooth, accelerates crisply and is very quiet until one gets close to the red line – extra sound insulation in the latest Ceed generation making a big difference here.

The diesel is almost as impressive, matching the petrol unit for refinement and lack of noise over most of its rev range. It’s the slowest option, taking 10 seconds to 60mph compared to 8.8 for the 1.4 petrol, but plus 50mpg fuel economy and 21 fewer grams of CO₂ make it a viable fleet proposition.

The 1.6 petrol unit of the GT offers more purpose both in its performance, passing 60mph from rest in 7.2 seconds, and its audio note. Mind you there is a degree of cheating, exhaust flaps and an electronic sound generator helping to send a more evocative sound into the cabin.

Trouble is, the GT comes only with the seven-speed double-clutch auto transmission. This is fine when left to itself, as might be typical on the top-spec GT-Line S model. But GT owners tend to want to shift their own cogs when faced with a challenging series of twisty bits, and in manual mode the transmission is frustratingly slow to react, whether going up or down the ‘box.

When we tested the Ceed in August 2018 we found it more than adequate on the road, soaking up uneven surfaces, but just a degree behind rivals in the bends (though when those rivals include road holding masters such as the Ford Focus matching them is a major ask).

In keeping with its mildly more aggressive image, the ProCeed boasts bespoke chassis settings to suit its long and distinctive proportions. The front spring and damper settings are stiffer, the anti-roll bars softer to avoid inside wheels lifting under the harder cornering that Kia’s engineers state is more possible with the car.

Kia says that the ProCeed enjoyed an extra six months of development testing on European roads and this seems to have been a good thing as the chassis works very well. This is an excellently balanced car that is easy to place in corners and with consistent grip levels throughout.

Overall it’s a pleasing car to drive, so long as you don’t try manual shifts with the auto…

Summary

The Kia ProCeed manages to be different enough from its hatchback sibling and suitably visually stylish to attract those looking to stand out from the mainstream herd. But it achieves all this while maintaining virtually all the qualities of the mainstream Ceed, and substantially beating it for boot space.

It’s now accepted that Kia is a major player in the mainstream car market with a very effective family car line. Whether one is a retail or fleet buyer the ProCeed adds an extra choice, to that line, that provides distinction without sacrificing practicality.

Good points
Stylish exterior, especially from rear three-quarter
Effective diesel option
Seven-year warranty 

Bad points
Poor rear visibility
Slow manual mode in auto gearbox
Lots of buttons on the dash

Key specifications