Kia look to have a strong package with this much improved three-door pro_cee’d coupe. It’s well built, looks great, offers strong efficiency and there’s a very good after sales package. It’s up against some serious rivals though.

At the front, this revised version retains Kia’s hallmark ‘tiger-nose’ grille, along with wraparound headlamps and integrated fog lamps. Changes include a more angular and wider bumper, with chrome trim around the fog lamps, and a smarter oval-shaped grille mesh echoing many of the shapes and design forms on the front of the car. A similar change has been made to the rear of the pro_cee’d, with reshaped bumpers, sporty-looking reflectors and LED lamps all featuring.

The pro_cee’d’s underpinnings won’t come as any great surprise. They’re basically the same as the cee’d hatchback that has established itself well. Under the bonnet, as with that car, the key news is the introduction of Kia’s latest 1.0-litre T-GDI turbo petrol direct injection engine, offered in 98bhp and 118bhp outputs. We can’t really see much point in opting for the pokier version as its pulling power - 172Nm of torque - is no better than that of the base unit. There’s also a 201bhp 1.6 T-GDI turbo petrol unit fitted to the sporty GT model at the top of the range. Many pro_cee’d buyers though, want a diesel. There’s an old-tech 89bhp 1.4-litre CRDi variant still available, but most buyers will want the more efficient, higher-tech 1.6-litre CRDi unit, offered with 134bhp. This gives buyers the option of a 7-speed DCT auto transmission, one of those clever gearboxes able to seamlessly select the next gear before you’ve even left the last one.

This improved Kia pro_cee’d seems to be the real deal. It’s reasonably priced, extremely well equipped, it looks great and it’s solidly built with an unbeatable after sales package. What more do you want? More power? More speed? Kia will even serve that up with a turbocharged 204PS pro_cee’d GT model as well, should you so desire. It’s tough to see a weak link with this model. In short, it deserves a higher profile than it gets.

  • CAR: Kia pro_cee’d
  • PRICES: £14,900 - £23,230
  • INSURANCE GROUP: 5-30
  • CO2 EMISSIONS: 90-171g/km
  • PERFORMANCE: [1.6 CRDi diesel SE] 0-60 10.5s / top speed 122mph
  • FUEL CONSUMPTION: [1.6 CRDi diesel SE ] (combined) 65.7mpg
  • STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: ESC stability control, ABS with brake assist and brakeforce distribution, six airbags
  • WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height mm 4310/1780/1425