Well its always been my favourite of the super super mini's, and in its latest guise the sweet little Picanto has only confirmed its place firmly in my heart.
So I know your all thinking that all Kia have done is facelift the lights and tweak the styling, however, you'll be very wrong. With an all new interior, the newest Picanto is far more than just a restyle. The new all-black dash and door trim is far more up-market and has an expensive rubberized composite feel about it, new center console, which also houses the stereo, also gains a new floor console and is still full of handy little storage spaces and feels both more solid and slimmer than ever. Adding in the all new steering wheel with its chrome Kia badge and orange backlit instruments makes the Kia feel that bit sportier into the bargain.
Seating is very comfortable even on long journeys, I took my test car to London and back and after nearly 5hrs driving I still wasn't uncomfortable or in pain. The suspension is still a little on the hard side though and hit a bump in the road and you'll feel it, however round town and on the motorway it's an absolute pleasure to be in. Rear passengers still have plenty of space, but I would say that I probably wouldn't recommend to many long trips with people in back as the seating position in the back is very straight backed and can become wearing after long periods of time.
Still a 5dr and still as cute as ever, the new exterior styling, which sees the new lights front and rear, grille, front wings, bonnet and new bumpers front and rear, makes the new Picanto slightly longer than the old model. The new styling inside and out is a massive improvement on an already great car. However it isn't just the exterior and interior that gets an overhaul... Kia in line with the new cee'd and pro_cee'd's models and spec levels have introduced the same model references and standard kit levels on the Picanto. What's really interesting is that Kia has made the entry level 1L Picanto (trim level is just Picanto) a four seater, instead of 5. The standard kit on the entry level is class leading, coming as standard, with body coloured bumpers, door mirrors and handles, electric front windows, CD player with MP3 compatibility, tinted glass all round, power steering and vanity mirrors for driver and passenger (don't pretend you don't care, because you know you do!), and all this for under 6 grand!!
Move a trim level up to Picanto 2 and as well as all the kit on the entry level it comes with yet more toys... Drivers seat height adjustment, leather steering wheel and gear knob, remote central locking, tilt adjustable steering wheel and for a staggeringly low £6,795. Now I tested the mid-range 1.1L Picanto ICE, which as well as the massive list of kit above, you also get Air con with air filter, double bar chrome front grille, chrome inner door handles, center console and trims, pricing for the ICE is under £7,000 which makes it an absolute steal. If you wanted to go for the top of the range 3 model, you'll also be getting 15" wheels instead of the standard 14", two tone sports bumpers, chrome door handles, black sports grille, rear spoiler, USB docking cable and iPod compatible stereo, electric rear window, electric heated and adjustable door mirrors, black bezel headlights, front fogs and alloy pedals and all for a snip under 8K.. BARGAIN!
Handling wise the little 1.1L is a cracking engine and is loads of fun round town, nipping up and down side streets and it also doesn't struggle on the motorway either. Overall it's a great motor and well worth the money, I also happen to think it's a fun and funky supermini and one of the best on the market.
Your right, it doesn't seem that long ago that Kia caused a huge stir with its all new hatchback, the cee'd. Maybe it was the daft name with the irritating spelling and punctuation, or (which is more likely) because it was a great little motor. It didn't cost the earth, came with plenty of kit, looked great and it proved that not every car from Korea had to be made from recycled, and had all the handling finesse of, Tupperware.
So three years on and I've just returned from the UK launch of the refaced cee'd. It's got the same daft name however much has changed, new interior, restyled exterior and a whole lot of work underneath the surface. Unlike the original launch of the cee'd, this time Kia have launched both the hatchback and the SW (estate) derivatives at the same time. The only version we're kept waiting for is the brilliant pro_cee'd (with even more punctuation to wind us up) sport hatch. So do the exterior changes make the cee'd look like a totally different car… in a word…. Hmmm that would be a big fat no lol. Kia has taken the subtle route to restyling the exterior; as my mum would say 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it'. The most dramatic change made to the exterior is the all new 'Schreyer' grille, named in honour of Kia's (and Audi's ex) chief of design Peter Schreyer. Unfortunately it's the only thing about the new cee'd that I don't like. I don't get what the chrome ring around the outside of the new grille is about, it just seems a bit 'look it's got chrome, it must be sporty', its trying too hard and doesn't float my boat unfortunately. But I do think the new family face / grille looks great on Kia's bigger motors like the all new Sorento, due to launch very soon.
So what else has changed other than the grille? Well there's the new redesigned bonnet and revised / restyled 'black bezel' front headlights and the all new LED "effect" rear lights. Also new bumpers featuring a redesigned and sporty air-intake for the lower front bumper also help the new cee'd stand out from the out-going model. Where the redesign really gets interesting is when you open the door and get inside…
The interior is just superb, quality of finish and materials was always good, hell that's what made it stand out when it first launched, however this new cee'd is just in a totally different class of quality. Pretty much everything inside the cee'd is new, the dash and centre console have such a high quality feel, buttons and dials feel upmarket and way more premium that on the previous model. When it comes to audio I can't fault Kia, coming as standard with iPod docking kit from the mid range cee'd 2 upwards (cee'd 1 still gets an AUX USB port which is brilliant for the price) along with an amazing stereo system, is outstanding. Another big change inside the cabin is the new steering wheel, much nicer to grip and with a huge array of buttons, giving you the ability to control everything from the stereo to the trip computer (including the cruise control on the cee'd 3 model), it's a nice touch of class. There's still no integrated Sat-Nav to be found on any model, but you can't have everything for such a great price. The overall feel, build and materials in the new cee'd are off the chart compared with other budget brand manufacturers.
So the outsides nice and the insides great, but where you feel the huge change is with the revisions and changes with what's under the skin. The new suspension means that the little Kia has much better ride quality than before, to say the old cee'd has a hard ride would be an understatement. The new softer suspension ensures a very comfortable journey for all aboard, and gives the Kia a nicer friendly handling. Changes to the power steering to an independence electric motor system mean it's sharper than Danni Minogue's cheekbones (how much surgery can one woman have done between seasons of the X-Factor!). The places where the old cee'd slightly disappointed have been rectified and no it's just a great fun hatch.
We tested both the 1.6CRDI diesel (high power) and the same engine with the EcoDynamics tuning coupled with the ISG technology. The high power diesel engine, doesn't disappoint, although it's the same engine we had in the recent Kia Soul be tested, thankfully in the cee'd it's a lot more refined and doesn't sound like a tractor. Due to the weight difference between the Soul and the cee'd in the cee'd the engine is pokey and performance is very good. It's a sporty little engine and it really gives the cee'd the power to impress and still returns a brilliant 62mpg. Now de-tuning the 113bhp engine down to 89bhp gives Kia its new Eco engine, coupled with the ISG system the little cee'd will do an amazing 67mpg, it's CO2 is also only 110g/km meaning that its dirt cheap on road tax.
Now as we all know the current economy is spurring all motoring manufacturers to face up to both the car-buying markets desire for economical motoring and also environmentally friendly motoring. So Kia has come up with its ISG (Intelligent Stop and Go) solution. The basic non-tech version is that when you're heading up to traffic lights that are on red, you put the car into neutral and the engine turns itself off, the second you put the clutch down to put the car into 1st and pull away, the engine restarts automatically. So this clever little system is designed to give you significant fuel and emissions savings. One of the journalists on the launch took a stopwatch with him on the city route, he timed both his journey and also the amount of time the engine had turned itself off during his 45min route round Liverpool city centre. Out of his 45min journey the engine was stopped for an amazing third of that time. Sat in traffic and at lights the engine didn't waste a drop of fuel or emit a single emission. Now although it's un-quantifiable just how much the ISG system would increase your fuel economy, or how much money is saved by not wasting all that fuel, you don't have to be a genius to work out that it's saving you money and helping to cut emissions at the same time.
Well even though I don't like the new grille that much, I have to say I love the new cee'd even more than I loved the original. Its spacious cabin seats 5 in comfort, there's more than adequate boot for luggage and shopping. It's fresh, fun, and great to drive, with ISG it's economical and it's second to none in the level of equipment you get for your money.
The new Kia cee'd is on sale now prices start from £11,895 OTR for the entry level cee'd 1 1.4L Petrol. Both models we tested (1.6CRDI high power and the EcoDynamics with ISG) cost £14,195 OTR.
Kia has been battling hard to get rid of the image of the 'cheap budget brand' its been tagged with for so long. Well driving the new pro-cee'd will leave you in no doubt that they have accomplished that along with something very special in the new model. The styling for one, it's a really fantastic looking car, especially in white and in the range-topping 2.0 turbo diesel 'Sport' form. All trim levels look sporty with rooftop rear spoilers and alloys wheels. Inside its much the same story, put a blindfold on me I'd have though I was in a far more expensive motor than a sub 16k hatchback. The list of standard spec on all models is outstanding with the even the entry level '2' getting electric windows, power steering, iPod connectivity, USB port, MP3 stereo, steering wheel controls for the audio, air conditioning with chilled glove box, tinted glass. Move up to the '3' model and you get 17" alloys, sportier headlights and half leather. Up another level to the 'Sport' and its full leather, ESP and electric folding wing mirrors as well to name but some of the kit you get thrown in for the £15,495 on-the-road price, in fact the standard spec means that nothing else in the marketplace even comes close for the money, couple that with the 7yr 100,000 mile warranty and the new pro_cee'd is unbeatable for toys and value for money.
So what's it like to drive, honestly, I thought the 1.6L petrol I drove struggled a little up the Turkish mountain hills, but it felt great around town and on the motorway, the 1.6L slightly 'tuned up' 113bhp Diesel is a great little power plant and is fun to drive, my favourite though has to be the superb 2.0L turbo diesel, which just powers through anything you throw at it and fly's down the motorway and down the cobbled back streets quietly and with no fuss at all. Pretty much all the engines are quiet and smooth, the 6sp gearbox in the 2L diesel is great and very precise. The ride quality on all models was comfortable over the less than perfect roads and handles well coping equally as well with the sharp bends and unless your driving like a complete muppet really nothing phases it.
Without doubt I really like the new Kia, I have a certain amount of respect for any manufacturer that actually produces quality well built and tested motors for a reasonable price. For its outstanding standard spec, price, great drive and just general all round fun factor, the new pro_cee'd is currently my new favourite 3dr hatch, well worth a drive, I guarantee you'll be amazed.
Venga
Overview
Kia's first attempt at a crossover/mvp/4x4 is without doubt a great
looking motor. At a time when other manufacturers are losing money and
sales, Kia has increased and with the looks of the new Soul SAMBA 1.6
turbo diesel I tested, it's no surprise.
Prices start at the entry level Soul 1 at just under £10,500, but all
you're really getting for your money is a cross over SUV look alike
with lots of safety features but none of the fun gadgets and add on
styling that I found made the SAMBA have Soul. The mid-range diesel
model I tested with all the added extras costs £13,500. This is due to
the fact that to have a diesel engine you have to add an extra grand
onto the entry price. Then it's a grand per trim upgrade, so entry
level petrol = £10,500 (or just under) grand for the Diesel = £11,500,
another grand to upgrade the trim from Soul 1 to Soul 2, which is where
the decent stuff like 16" alloys replace the 15" steel wheels and
useful gadgets like iPod connection leads start kicking in. So we're
up to £12,500 for a lower range model, the Soul is suddenly not looking
like such a bargain. Add another grand to upgrade to the SAMBA special
edition we tested, or the other special edition model the Shaker, and
we're at £13,500 with no optional extras other than trim upgrades! It
is worth pointing out though that the special edition models all come
with 18" alloys and the sound systems at this point start getting into
'louder than a nightclub' territory. The top of the range 'Burner'
model is another £1,500 upgrade, now £16,000 might not sound like a
lot, but for what you get for the money, I'm not so sure it's the
bargain it's being painted out to be. So on my test SAMBA, I got huge
18 inch alloy's (which lets be honest every inch counts guys), privacy
glass, useless parking sensors, and heated door mirrors. My test car
was the 1.6 turbo diesel packing 126bhp with only a 5-speed gearbox
(desperately needed a 6sp!) and front wheel drive, huge wheel arch's
and curvy body.
Style and looks
Does the Soul have soul? YES, this mini MVP crossover looks great and
its ex-Audi designer 'Peter Schreyer' who is to thank for that.
Although he obviously wasn't present when Kia installed the two-tone
colour glove box (in the Samba model I tested) which looks like nothing
more than a 'transvestite's hand bag', leaving you pondering to what
exactly is going on with who Kia are targeting this car at.
The Interior finish didn't live up to that of the Cee'd and pro_Cee'd models that Kia are selling hand over fist. Overall it lacked a quality feel and had far too much cheapish looking plastic filling the interior. The Soul just does not deliver on standard of quality that the exterior so easily provides. The Soul's exterior with its huge 'dodge' like front end, bold creases and huge wheel arches really gives this new model a look unmatched currently in the market. With the standard rear privacy glass on my test car giving a look of importance (it also makes it look really evil, in a good way). The size of Kia's crossover brings a 'Freelander 2' feel, as it sits high, overlooking normal hatches from what seems like some great height, and with the sheer size brings a certain dominancy to the road.
Performance
The 1.6 CRDI I tested was loud, very loud, sounding like a tractor as it chugged away, pull away isn't exactly the slow but its not quick either, but the 5sp box is very smooth. With 126bhp giving enough power to tug along comfortable, but not to a level which would give you confidence, that the Soul was able participate in any real type of 'drag race off the lights performance'. Apparently the turbo diesel gives you 47.9mpg, but sadly I saw around 35mpg, which although not bad, isn't great for a 1.6 diesel.
Comfort and Equipment
The Soul's suspension (personally) I found 'lacking', bouncing up and down over the smallest of speed bumps then left rocking side-side. This was not what I had been expecting when sat in such a large sturdy Crossover, saying this on long journeys the Soul can not be faulted for comfort on motorways, the huge interior space leaves you with a comfortable drive and four comfortable passengers, thanks to all that terrific head and leg room. Handling is great without a shadow of a doubt, the Soul handles corners and sweeping bends in its stride, remaining comfortable at all times.
The area that the Soul, not only excels, but can not be beaten on is its sound system. The SAMBA model I tested came as standard with the 315 watt power amplifier and eight speakers. This included a dash-top centre speaker and the wicked PowerBass subwoofer in the boot. This audio system abSOULutly (did ya see what I did there lol) ROCKS. But with this fantastic urban system begs the question: what was KIA thinking when it installed the 'boy-racers-cruising-sound-off-in-a-B&Q-car-park' neon red lights in the speakers! This 'light' show, that flashes away to the bass in any music you play, can also be set to '70's-B-movie-take-on-eerie-invasion-from-Mars' low pulsating / glowing 'Mood Light' (which I personally may subliminally be able to evoke road rage) or you can set them to permanently on. The permanently on setting engulfs the Soul's interior in a deep red light which is more than reminiscent of a happy ending in a knocking shop in old Amsterdam.
So back to standard equipment, air-con as standard in all models, a wicked little bonus, but sadly falls down with no sat nav (not even as an optional extra). In fact bar the Sat-Nav (or lack of) there's not much KIA have missed out, which in my opinion makes it well worth its money.
Summary
The Soul SAMBA is a comfortable, funky, stylish and surprisingly fun Crossover. I personally enjoyed the Soul, it made me feel like was driving a much larger vehicle than I was, it didn't fail to turn heads, whether that was due the 'tractor-like' sounding engine, the raging sound system or the oddly sleek style, passers by looked on in amusement as I cruised on by. On long motorways or even in traffic it was easy to relax and go with the flow, as the Soul doesn't feel as quick as it actually is (0-62mph taking 11.3 seconds) I believe it was mainly designed to be a cruising, comfortable car. My first impression of the 'Samba' model I tested was of bewilderment, as I could only describe it as a 'Russell brand' look-a-like, unusual and different with flashing lights, Yes the Soul had a very unique personality and didn't fail to win me over.
Capable of destroying villages in the alps with its off road abilities and still remaining comfortable and practical on the road make the Kia Sorento the perfect choice if your looking for a big SUV on a budget. It looks great (not outstanding though) on the outside and inside it's much the same story, however it's robust and will take just about anything you throw at it, so if you're an outdoorsy homo again it's the perfect choice. With the average disco bunny in the club not knowing much about cars it's not going to kill a night of passion when you pull out outside the club in one, so the Kia Sorento is well worth considering as an option when it comes to trading up next time round.