Kia Proceed (08 on) - Review

With lower suspension than the standard Ceed, comfort levels suffer over poor road surfaces. However there’s still sufficient give in the suspension to maintain acceptable ride quality. Accessing the back seats isn't easy - but this is a criticism you can direct at most three door hatchbacks and at least the Kia offers decent headroom. Unfortunately the thick rear pillars and small windows make the back feel gloomy and cramped. On the plus side standard air conditioning brings the bonus of a cooled glovebox and driver comfort is assured by height and lumber seat adjustment and a steering wheel that adjusts for reach and rake.

In an effort to enhance usability in the three-door Proceed, the rear seats have been redesigned. Instead of flipping forward, the cushion is fixed to allow the 60/40 split backrest to simply fold down onto it - plus the headrests don't have to removed. The single movement increases the standard boot capacity of 340 litres to a generous 1130-litre which can cope with surprisingly large loads. To improve access for rear seat passengers the doors are longer and have a wide opening angle.

Kia is marketing the Proceed as a sporty car so it's a shame the interior isn’t as bold as the outside. Buyers expecting something a bit different will be disappointed as it's virtually identical to the five-door. Quality is good though and although not quite up to Focus standards it feels anything but a budget car with a soft-touch dash and neat switchgear. One gripe is with the stereo – it’s easy to use, yet the radio constantly needs retuning. However the driving position is good and there's plenty of adjustment in the seat and steering column.