SA Road Tests

Welcome

This is the home of automobile road tests in South Africa. We drive South African cars, SUVs and LCVs under South African conditions. It also just happens that most of the vehicles we drive are world cars as well, so what you read here possibly applies to the models you can get at home.

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* Please note that prices quoted are those in effect at the time the vehicle was tested

When Kia launched its new pro_cee’d 3-door sport saloon at Swartkops Raceway, we were there.
Pics supplied by importer

This is a launch report. In other words, it's simply a new model announcement. The driving experience was limited to a short drive over a prepared course chosen to make the product look good. We can therefore not tell you what it will be like to live with over an extended period, how economical it is, or how reliable it will be. A very brief first impression is all we can give you until such time as we get an actual test unit for trial. Thank you for your patience.


Designed to change your mind

Designed in Europe with assistance from the team in Korea and built at a new €1 billion factory in Zilina, Slovakia, the three-door Kia pro_cee’d is the sporty sibling of the five-door cee’d model that isn’t available in South Africa.

To get the nomenclature out of the way, “pro” means forward-looking and with superior handling, “ce” stands for Community of Europe and “ed” refers to European Design.

The car itself is aimed at customers “who would never consider a five-door SUV” and who have not placed Kia on their shopping lists until now. 

Its marketers are at pains to point out that the new vehicles are a quantum leap ahead of basic Korean cars of only a few years ago, with quality, styling and equipment to match the world’s best, but at Korean value-for-money prices.

“There is no doubt in my mind that the aesthetics of this car will set it apart from the previous designs from Kia Motor Corporation. The pro_cee’d will change the way potential customers perceive the Kia brand in future,” says Ray Levin, CEO of Kia Motors South Africa.

Winning eight international ‘Car of the Year’ style awards, receiving numerous other international magazine awards and ranking first in more than 30 international comparative road tests to date, the Kia cee’d model range is the most decorated Korean-brand car ever in European automotive history, according to Kia Motors Corporation.

With youthful, energetic styling, room to seat four adults in comfort and swallow their baggage, the pro_cee’d includes a full complement of safety and convenience items, while boasting NCAP 5-star crash test compliance as well.

The pro_cee’d is available in two versions, both with manual transmission: 2.0-litre CVVT and 2.0-litre CVVT Sport. The differences are in the specification levels.

Briefly, the Sport version offers the following additional kit:
17” alloy wheels with 225/45 tyres vs 16” alloys with 205/55 tyres
Cruise control
6-CD player version of the MP3 RDS radio vs single CD capability
Parking sensor system
Tyre pressure monitoring
Rain sensor and ECM inside mirror
Auto light control
Leather interior
Sports pack (leather and steel cosmetic items)

The 2,0 litre CVVT engine develops 105 kW at 6 000 rpm and 186 Nm of torque at 4 600 rpm. Acceleration from zero to 100 km/h is claimed to take 10,3 seconds, with maximum speed estimated at 206 km/h. 

Combined cycle fuel economy is stated to be 7,3 l/100 km with CO2 emissions of 174 gm/km.

At time of writing, prices had not been decided, but are expected to be in the R235 000 to R275 000 range, depending on model.

Warranty: 5 years/100 000km (transferable)
Roadside assistance: 3 years unlimited km
Maintenance Plan: 3 years/60 000km

What We Do

This is a one-man show, which means that road test cars entrusted to me are driven only by me. Some reviewers hand test cars over to their partners to use as day-to-day transport and barely experience them for themselves.

What this means to you is that every car reviewed is given my own personal evaluation and receives my own seat of the pants judgement - no second hand input here.

Every car goes through real world testing; on city streets littered with potholes, speed bumps and rumble strips, on freeways and if its profile demands, dirt roads as well.

I am based in Pietermaritzburg, KZN, South Africa. This is the hub of the KZN Midlands farming community; the place farmers go to in order to buy their supplies and equipment, truck their goods to market, send their kids to school and visit to kick back and relax. 

So occasionally a cow, a goat or a horse may add a little local colour by finding its way into the story or one of the pictures. It's all part of the ambience!

Comments?

Want to ask a question, comment or just tell me you thoroughly disagree with what I say? That's your privilege, because if everybody agreed on everything, the world would be a boring place. All I ask is that you remain calm, so please blow off a little steam before venting too vigorously. Contact me here

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