Test drive: Kia Pro Ceed 2.0 CRDi Sport - go Korea, go!!!
Koreans are no longer exotic, and Kia, the oldest Korean car manufacturer, is no longer just a production line for licensed obsolete models. Kia is making huge strides with every new model and getting closer to European buyers in terms of design, and the Pro Cee'd is another model that confirms Kia's lofty ambitions. Before us is a car with a Coupe silhouette, equipped with an economical turbodiesel engine and has a seven-year warranty ...
After the five-door and caravan version, the most attractive version of the Kia Cee'd model, called the Pro Cee'd, came to our market. This is a car that could seriously ruin the accounts of much higher profile brands from Europe. Attractive looks, wide range of engines, excellent equipment, reasonable price and long-term warranty, Pro Cee'd seriously attacked the part of the market pie that selfishly holds the Golf, A3, Astra, Focus ... Longer, lower and lighter than a five-speed version. doors, the Pro Cee'd comes to us with a lot of style and a sporty impression in the C segment. Kia's goal is to satisfy the Pro Cee'd with numerous, primarily European customers looking for a vehicle with many European characteristics. The third member of the Cee'd family is 4.250 mm long, which is 15 mm longer than the 5-door version. The vehicle's agility is also reflected in the roofline 30mm lower than the Cee'd. Most importantly, buyers of the Pro Cee'd model will not be "deprived" of trunk space, as in the 5-door version: 340 liters. An interesting fact is that the door in the Pro Cee'd is 27,6 centimeters longer than in the Cee'd, and that it opens at an angle of 70 degrees.
The eye-catching "more sheet metal, less glass" design formula results in an aggressive, sporty coupe silhouette that is one of the test car's strongest points. Kia's head of design Peter Schreyer was formerly of Audi and signed on to the TT model as well as several earlier hits. The front of the car looks very late, because we had the opportunity to hang it on the Cee'd model. The only obvious difference from the five-door version is a slightly different bumper design. Just a few lines, a new lower vent and more pronounced fog lights make the three-door version much more aggressive. As we head towards the rear of the car, the Pro Cee'd seems more dynamic and muscular. The deep side profile and raised side lines of the small rear windows, along with 17-inch wheels, a roof spoiler and a chrome oval exhaust trim complete the final impression. “The Kia Pro Cee'd looks much sportier than the five-door model. It is clearly different from the five-door model and affects a younger target group of buyers. Thanks to the sporty attributes, the appearance of the car commands more respect, so the drivers of the left lane took cover even when it was not necessary. The overall impression is extremely positive because the Pro Cee'd gives the illusion of a race coupe, which will especially appeal to more temperamental buyers.” – Impressions of Vladan Petrovich are welcome.
Although the exterior of the Pro Cee'd looks European, elements of Korean thinking can still be found inside, especially on the dashboard. But when we get behind the wheel, the feel is much better than you might expect, partly because of the attractive Sport package that came with "our" car. The passenger compartment layout is the same as the Cee'd model, which means that most of the cabin is made of quality soft plastic, while the steering wheel rim and gear lever are wrapped in leather. Only the instrument panel and center console with radio and air conditioning controls do not impress with quality, as they are made of hard plastic. “Once again I have to praise the seat in the new Kia. Ergonomics exceed all expectations because all switches are easily accessible and located exactly where we expect them to be. Comfortable seats with a strong profile reveal the sporting ambitions of this car. It seems that the designers did not invent "hot water" in the interior. They stuck to a tried and tested recipe, so it might feel a bit chilly at first. However, with each new kilometer, a sense of respect for interior design and quality finishes grew. I like that everything down to the smallest detail is made with surgical precision. The sporty look of the car at night is emphasized by the red illumination of the instruments and the air conditioning display. I noticed that the Pro Cee'd sits relatively low, so the sporty impression is even more pronounced. The distance between the steering wheel, shifter and seat is accurately measured, so we rate the ergonomics a clean five.” Petrovich noted.
Passengers seated in the back will be provided with a convenient entry system. However, despite this system, it takes a little "gymnastics" to get into the rear seats, because the roof is low and the sills are wide. We also have to object to the not-so-well-developed Easy Entry system. Namely, the front seats “do not remember” the position in which they were before moving. Given the changes to the bodywork and the fact that the amount of space has remained unchanged from the five-door model, the Pro Cee'd offers ample room in the rear seats for two adults or even three shorter people. When driving in the back seat, we notice a decrease in comfort on bad roads. Stiffer suspension with low-profile tires 225/45 R17 provides increased sensitivity to lateral irregularities. This is why the Pro Cee'd shakes on bad roads, which more temperamental drivers might like.
Under the hood of the tested Kie Pro Cee'd breathed a modern 1991 cm3 turbo-diesel unit, developing 140 horsepower at 3.800 rpm and 305 Nm of torque in the range from 1.800 to 2.500 rpm. The Pro Cee'd 2.0 CRDi has a top speed of 205 km/h and accelerates from zero to 10,1 km/h in just 5,5 seconds, according to the factory. The average fuel consumption is about 100 liters of "black gold" per 1.700 kilometers of travel. This is factory data. In practice, the Common-Rail unit proved to be very advanced and we easily reached factory average consumption figures. Impressions from Vladan Petrovich and the Pro Cee'd engine are as follows: “The engine is excellent, a real representative of diesel power and high torque. Regardless of the gear, the engine pulls impressively, and overtaking is unusually easy. Strong intermediate accelerations are achieved in both fifth and sixth gear. The only important condition is not to reduce the speed below XNUMX rpm, because, like all modern turbodiesels, this engine is "clinically dead". But here I would like to point out one detail that I did not really like. When driving aggressively, each change in speed was accompanied by some delay in throttle acceptance, which looks like a turbo hole. And when you do the speed change process very quickly, and the number of revolutions drops a little, the engine starts only after a short break. As for the six-speed, it's soft, quiet and sporty short, but it doesn't mind more precision."
The Kia Pro Cee'd weighs 84 kg less than the Cee'd, and thanks to the use of 67% special steel, lighter weight and greater strength have been achieved. 87% of the case is made of stainless steel. All this provides increased torsional resistance, which, together with the multi-link rear axle and Michelin tires, makes driving a lot of fun. Even when you really play with the laws of physics (thanks to Vladan Petrovich), Pro Cee'd tirelessly enters turns, and the rear end is simply motionless. Of course, in order to study the performance of the suspension, Petrovich first turned off the electronic "guardian angel" (ESP), and the show could begin: "Pro Cee'd is very agile, and I noticed that the car is equally safe both with and without ESP him. But let's not forget that the Pro Cee'd is 15mm longer than the Cee'd and the wheelbase remains the same. In addition, the heavy turbodiesel “in the nose” slightly expands the given trajectory for more aggressive driving. However, it should be understood that this is not a true racing sports car, and that the suspension provides a combination of comfort and convenience on the one hand and sporting power on the other. My impression is that there is not much difference in suspension settings between Pro Cee'd and Cee'd. I also have to point out the excellent brakes that do their job without any complaints.” concludes Petrovich.
And finally, we come to the discounted price of the Pro Cee'd 2.0 CRDi SPORT LEATHER is 19.645 XNUMX euros. First, Kije has ceased to be cheap for a completely justified reason: a product of a certain level of quality and equipment also has a certain price, which cannot differ significantly from competing products on the market. And the test model was equipped with a richest package of equipment, which includes: dual-zone air conditioning, ABS, EBD, BAS, TSC, ESP, airbags, curtain airbags and knee airbags, dual-zone air conditioning, cruise control, half-leather, full electrification. ISOFIX. , tinted windows, AUX, USB port ... The Pro-cee'd will delight Kia fans, but a large number of interested people are expected, which Kia has not thought about yet.
Video test drive: Kia Pro Ceed 2.0 CRDi Sport
