
The Slovak-built Kia compact: an honest Golf/Octavia alternative with a seven-year warranty, a huge SW estate and, in GT form, a genuinely quick hot hatch.

The car that made Kia a credible European compact: designed in Frankfurt, built in Žilina, sold as a five-door, a roomy SW estate and the three-door pro_cee'd. Simple, durable engines (the 1.6 GDI petrol and 1.6 CRDi diesel dominate), a good ride and Kia's seven-year warranty made it a fleet and family favourite. The pro_cee'd GT and five-door GT (204 hp) are the enthusiast versions. Facelift cars gain the 136 hp diesel with a dual-clutch gearbox, which is the one drivetrain to research before buying.

Renamed 'Ceed', restyled with a lower, wider stance and a much better interior. The family grew: five-door, the enormous SW, the ProCeed shooting brake (which replaced the three-door) and the raised XCeed crossover. Engines are downsized turbos, the 1.4 T-GDI 140 and later 1.5 T-GDI 160 are the mainstream choice, with the 1.6 CRDi for high-mileage drivers, a plug-in hybrid on SW and XCeed, and the 204 hp GT. The 7-speed dry dual-clutch remains the drivetrain to inspect carefully; manuals are trouble-free.