The improvement of Kias in recent years has already been marked - the interior quality much more respectable and the exterior styling much more suited to European tastes. Granted, none of the cars save perhaps Kia's Soul have had any particular flair to them, but you could imagine that Kia of ten years ago would have bitten your hand off to have a car describable as average in such competitive company.
Kia has invested a load of money in establishing a European factory base in Slovakia and bringing in experienced staff from across the industry. It really means business. The result is the Ceed, which comes in three- and five-door hatchback form here. Kia hasn't pushed the boat out with the styling, but it's quite a neat-looking car, with some good design touches.
Inside, the interior is much better finished and you can feel straight away that the company has put effort into the little things, like the way the buttons feel when you press them and the knobs when you turn them. The dashboard is covered with soft-touch plastic and the overall effect is much classier than your usual Kia effort.
Kia is keeping up with the times too, making sure that the Ceed is MP3-compatible and even has a USB connection point in models above the entry-level trim, which puts it ahead of many rivals. Standard kit is reasonable, but even spending money on choice items still leaves the Ceed costing less than basic versions of more expensive competitors.
There are 1.2-litre and 1.6-litre petrol engines available for the Ceed - they are both capable engines, but are slightly outclassed on the motorway by the 1.6-litre diesel unit, which is our favourite. It isn't the swiftest diesel, covering 0-62mph in around 13 seconds, but it does return a very impressive 60mpg, which rises to 67mph in EcoDynamics form. The diesel commands a £1000 premium over the petrol unit, but we'd say it's well worth the hit.
On the road, the Kia drives surprisingly well - the ride is a touch too harsh, and it's not quite up to the dynamic prowess of the Ford Focus but the steering is accurate and communicative, letting you push the car and even enjoy yourself. This is perhaps the first Kia where we wouldn't have to recommend on the basis of its price - it's a genuine contender on merit.