Last Friday evening the all new KIA Cee’d was presented to the local press and KIA esteemed clients at their showroom in Qormi.
Four cars were unveiled sporting exciting new colours and a completely new model that is projected to further improve on the outgoing model’s successes so far.
General Manager Mr Ryan Buttigieg of Cars International Limited introduced the car with the following words: “Since its global premier at the Geneva Motor Show in 2012 the all new KIA Cee’d has been the talk of the town where ever it has been launched. The new Cee’d will build upon the success of the original model, spearheading KIA further into becoming one of the leading automotive brands in Europe”.
The new KIA Cee’d is longer, lower, and has a more defined sporty profile. It also boasts one of the longest wheelbases in the C-segment car market, and although the car is 1cm narrower front and rear track have been increased.
New Cee’d will be manufactured exclusively at KIA’s Zilina facility in Slovakia in a range of 10 exterior colours and will be available with two gasoline engines – a 1.4 MPI and a 1.6 GDI producing 100 and 135ps respectively – plus two diesels – a 1.4 WGT with an output of 90ps and 1.6 VGT diesel offered in normal power 110ps and high power 128ps
A choice of manual or automatic six-speed transmissions is offered across the range. Depending on model, KIA will offer the all-new six-speed Dual Clutch Transmission, which improves fuel efficiency and delivers smooth automatic gear shifts for maximum comfort.
Ride and handling for new Cee’d was benchmarked against class-leading competitor vehicles from near-premium brands offering
The hugely increased torsional rigidity of the new Cee’d body shell which is 45 per cent stiffer than the original model, has also enabled KIA‘s engineers to introduce numerous small changes to components, springs and shock absorbers that influence ride quality, refinement and NVH.
The standard steering system employs electric power-assistance and requires 2.85 turns lock-to-lock for a 10.34-metre turning circle. New Cee’d also offers the all-new Flex Steer™ system for improved driving dynamics on the EX trim. This system introduces three operating modes – comfort, normal and sport – allowing the driver to vary the level of steering assistance and the weight of feedback, in order to best suit the current driving conditions and the driver’s personal preferences.
KIA’s engineering team was determined to achieve significant improvements over the previous model in terms of cabin refinement. Measures adopted include fitting 14 per cent thicker front door window glass, low-drag exterior mirror housings, new vibration-damping engine mounts, hollow drive shafts, stronger body shell joints between the sills and B-pillars, double-layer door seals, and increased foam-filling in the A-, B- and C-pillars. As a result of these measures, cabin noise levels have been cut to match class-best standards.
Space wise, the front seat occupants have 12 mm more headroom and 21 mm more legroom, while rear passengers gain 5 mm of shoulder room. Cargo capacity is boosted by 12 per cent to 380 litres with the rear seats.
Higher quality cabin materials and a broader range of high-tech equipment will ensure the interior of new Cee’d match the premium exterior appearance.
Primary and secondary controls are grouped in a driver-oriented layout for intuitive ease of use, while new standard equipment will include tilt and telescopic steering wheel adjustment, iPod, Aux and USB support, six speaker audio system and a multi-mode trip computer.
A choice of bright chrome, piano black and anodized metal trim accents will be offered. The seat and cabin trim will be available in a choice of two colours as standard – black one-tone and stone beige two-tone – in cloth, with a full leather interior available as an option.
An endless list of optional features will include a TFT Supervision Cluster delivering high-resolution clarity, dual-zone climate control air-conditioning, panoramic glass sunroof, LED daytime running lights, fixed cornering lamps and advanced HID headlamps.
KIA continues to make safety a top priority and the new Cee’d features advanced active and passive safety technologies to ensure maximum protection for its occupants and other road users. The all-new KIA Cee’d has been awarded a maximum 5-Star accident safety rating by Europe’s leading road safety organization, EuroNCAP.
ESP, ABS, BAS, Hill Assist Control, Vehicle Stability Management and Emergency Stop Signal are all standard features. Each new Cee’d is fitted with front, front side and full length curtain. Pedestrian safety is improved with the adoption of collapsible headlamps, a stiffer lower bumper lip, and shock-absorbing structures in the hood and its hinges.
The new Cee’d introduced on Friday was in LX spec. This is entry level but is really not short of any of the class leading specifications expected in the C-Segment. The EX and Station Wagon versions will reach Malta in a few weeks to complete the full family range.
The new Ceed is being launched with an introductory price tag of €15650 including scrap rebate, a truly an unbeatable launch offer price which is only available until the end of November. The new Cee’d is all about great value, quality and reliability through the unique KIA 7-Year warranty.