2012 Kia Cee'd Hatchback

AUTO SHOWS: The first-generation Kia Cee'd ushered in a new design language for Kia in Europe, and it looks as if history is about to repeat itself. The next-generation Cee'd, which is slated to debut at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show in March, appears to push the design envelope even further.

The latest Cee'd - which is likely to remain a European exclusive - remains a hatchback, but shares only its daylight opening shape with its forebear. The new Cee'd packs plenty of Kia's latest design DNA into a compact vehicle: the corporate "tiger nose" grille is more prominent than ever, and flanked by long, tapered headlamps and a dramatically flared hood. As usual, the car also receives LED running lamps placed along the lower edges of the headlamp housings.

Further back, the new Cee'd shares a number of cues with the smaller Rio: taillights are mounted high up the curvaceous rear end, although the bumper cut echoes the shape of the hatch stamping itself. The lower diffuser is also a little more sophisticated, with raised accents surrounding the rear reflectors, license plate, and lower diffuser.

Inside, the interior is anything but drab. Like the Optima, the Cee'd's instrument panel wraps into the center stack. Grey plastic materials used on the dashboard itself are broken up with strips of glossy piano black trim. Door panels are two-toned, and the leather seats shown here feature contrast stitching. The look is refreshingly high-end - which is welcome, considering the C-segment continues to move upmarket in around the globe.

As for the mechanicals, it's still anyone's guess: Kia has been tight-lipped about the car's selection of engines. Currently, European models feature a range of gasoline and diesel engines that make anywhere between 89 and 126 horsepower, but it's been rumored that the Procee'd, the three-door version of the Cee'd, could make use of the the same 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine used in the new Hyundai Veloster Turbo.

Also unknown at the moment is whether or not this car will make it to the United States. We wouldn't be surprised if it didn't: after all, the previous Cee'd was designed expressly for the European market, which left North America with the Forte. We may not see a Cee'd on our shores, but we can only hope the next Kia C-segment offering for North America looks this good.

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2012 Kia c’eed

Time flies, but it’s nevertheless difficult to believe that the original Kia c’eed appeared back in 2007. That car was a game changer for the Korean brand, designed and engineered in Europe by Europeans for Europeans.

Ex VW design boss, Peter Schreyer, arrived too late to have any real influence on the car, but you can see his fingerprints all over its successor, especially in the interior with soft touch materials, damped sun visors and subtle red ambient lighting. It’s not quite a match for a VW Golf, but it’s knocking on the door with an urgency that should make Wolfsburg sit up and take notice. And, in doing so it has overtaken several rivals – the French? – who should be alarmed at how this Korean upstart has forged ahead.

It’s a crisp, neat looking hatch with interior accommodation that puts it well in touch with the sectors standard bearers from Ford, VW and GM.

There’s generous choice of 1.4- and 1.6-liter gasoline engines – featuring direct injection for the first time – and 1.6 diesels; Kia has also introduced its first dual clutch transmission developed in conjunction with a German supplier. Power output ranges from 98 to 133 bhp, but the chassis is so competent that it is crying out for more horses under the hood to fully exploit its dynamic range.

The Koreans claim the body is 51 percent torsionally stiffer than its predecessor allowing the multi-link rear suspension and MacPherson strut front to do their job more efficiently. Even across the billiard table smooth roads surrounding Lake Geneva, where I am convinced that leaving a pot hole is punishable by public flogging, the cee’d displayed a level of ride comfort and dynamic fluency that should alarm Ford’s Focus team, generally acknowledged as this sector’s leaders.

But they will be pleased to know that Kia’s engineers have tried to be too clever by half and subsequently stumbled; the EPAS has three settings: ‘Comfort’, ‘Normal’ and ‘Sport’. Like so many of these options today, drivers will settle for one and keep it there, rather than continuously switching between them according to driving conditions. Personally, I’d stick to ‘Sport’ with its meaty feel when pressed hard under cornering and high speed straight line stability. For many ‘Normal’ will be their preferred choice. ‘Comfort’, on the other hand, had all the feedback of stirring a bowl of soggy pasta. There will be those that argue, and simultaneously patronize, female drivers who find low-speed in town driving and parking a physical effort, but we’re not talking about Camaro sized tyres here, it’s a family hatch.

That aside there’s little to criticize the new cee’d for; add in a seven-year, 100,000 mile warranty and there’s every good reason to drive past your average European, and some Japanese, OEMs showroom and head for that once funny little Korean brand. They’re on the radar and, boy, do they mean business.

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New Kia Cee’d Hatchback from £14,395 in The UK

After having its global launching held at the Geneva Saloon, the second generation Cee’d is now getting ready to be displayed at the UK showrooms. In the first of June, the Cee’d that comes in the form of five- door model will have arrived in the UK with the OTR price starting from £14,395 to £23,795.

The company has completed the new Cee’d with ample of equipment, including standard heated door mirrors, air conditioning, steering wheel-mounted controls, front electric windows, daytime running lights, cooled glovebox, flat-folding 60:40 split rear seat, iPod-compatible audio system with radio and CD player, USB port and Bluetooth connectivity, ESP and VSM, HAC (Hill-start Assist Control), six airbags and speed-sensitive auto door locking.

The five- door model that is offered in four trim levels such as ‘1’, ‘2’, ‘3’, ‘4’ and ‘4 Tech’ is available with a choice of four engines, including a 1.4 liter petrol that is able to produce 98 hp, a 1.6 liter petrol that is good for 133 hp, a 1.4 liter turbo diesel churning out 89 hoses and a 1.6 liter turbo diesel delivering output of 126 ponies.

A six- speed manual gearbox is offered as standard in all units, while a new dual- clutch automated transmission built in house by Kia is available exclusively as optional for the 1.6 liter petrol engine.

The second trim level is completed with some extras, including 16-inch alloy wheels, cornering lights, LED daytime running lights and rear combination lamps, electrically folding and heated door mirrors, leather trim on the steering wheel, gearshifter and handbrake, and all-round electric windows and cruise control.

The next trim grade brings the all of the standard equipment added with automatic headlights, rain-sensing front wipers, a height-adjustable front passenger’s seat, electric lumbar support on both front seats, dual-zone automatic air conditioning and a seven-inch touch screen satellite navigation with a built-in color reversing camera system.

The higher trim level adds 17-inch alloys, exterior illumination on the front door handles, black leather front seats with contrasting grey inserts and three-stage heating, a heated steering wheel, electronic parking brake, a stop/start button, rear air ventilation system, and a TFT LCD multi-function high-definition color display.

On the highest trim level, the ‘4 Tech’ you will get brings a panoramic sunroof, 10-way power-adjustable driver’s seat with memory, Parallel Parking Assist System, Lane Departure Warning System and Xenon front lights.

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The KIA 2013 Sportage

Kia has been one of my favorite companies for 2012 as their offering competitively priced vehicles with strong warranties and some vehicles even being built here in the states putting Americans to work. I also prefer Kia’s designs over Hyundai’s. The company is continually growing and receiving accolades and with the technology they are utilizing is able to offer efficient and affordable vehicles. For Kia’s 2013 crossovers we see that Kia Sportage and Sorrento. The 2013 Kia Sorrento is an all new design for this year and as for this Sportage we will see that redesign coming for the 2014 model year. For the 2013 Sportage see the continuation of the 2.4 L normally aspirated engine with variable valve timing producing 176 hp and 168 foot-pounds of torque. This engine is shared amongst the Sportage Base, LX, and EX.

But for the 2013 Sportage SX we see the turbocharged 2 L producing 260 hp and 269 foot-pounds of torque making for quite the peppy crossover. All-wheel-drive systems are available on all models except for the base model. The Sportage EX and LX both come standard with the 6-speed automatic transmission which allows the vehicle to get an EPA rating of 32 miles per gallon on the highway and 22 miles per gallon in the city. The Sportage SX gets a little less at 29 miles per gallon on the highway and 22 miles per gallon in the city.

With the 2013 Sportage EX and SX you get the Microsoft information and entertainment system called the UVO. This allows connections to satellite radio as well as Bluetooth connectivity to your cell phone and a built-in rearview backup camera and backup warning system. This lets you stream music that you have saved on your phone straight to your stereo which works out pretty good. The SX Sportage also offers remote start as well as a smart key that recognizes whenever you are in or around the vehicle. There is also the option for an air cooled driver’s seat which makes things which works great during the summertime whenever you’re trying wear corporate attire and don’t really feel like showing up with a big ring of sweat on your back.

The Sportage 2013 will start out at $18,500 and depending on options can get all the way up to $28,500. But it looks to be a solid all-around vehicle and great for getting around urban areas. But what’s impressive is that the 2013 Sorrento also gets up to 32 miles per gallon on the highway. So if you have a little extra money to spare and want a bigger crossover then I would recommend the 2013 Kia Sorrento otherwise should get a lot of usage out of the 2013 Sportage especially in an all-wheel-drive version as you will be able to go most places that a full-size SUV could. And top it off still get the 100,000 mile warranty on the powertrain.

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