It's not often Michael McAleer, Motoring editor, waxes lyrical, but Kia's Cee'd seems to have moved him more than most
The days of looking down your nose at Kia are over. Motoring snobs should turn away now for what follows is something of a love letter.
Time to come clean: I've always regarded Korean hatchbacks as motoring prophylactics, the cold showers for car lovers. At best, owning one was merely a viable alternative to standing in the rain waiting for a bus.
In truth, most car fans have been guilty of a little prejudice against the rather basic models emanating from the Asian peninsula over the last decade or so. It was partly warranted, for while they managed to come up with some really competitively priced people carriers and SUVs, the hatchback and mainstream models never came close to threatening their European rivals.
You paid less, but even from a distance of 50 metres you knew you got much less as well. When you sat behind the wheel it became clear where the "value" price was derived from.
Not any more. Admittedly this is the first Kia to have truly won us over, but the writing has been on the wall for some time, with the Sorrento playing a strong part and the Carens doing everything we could ask of a mid-size, seven-seater, except look smart.
The Koreans knew what they needed to do if they wanted to get a decent share of the most popular car segment in Europe: ask the Europeans. This new car was developed in Europe by Europeans for Europeans. It's even built in Slovakia and when the blueprints were being prepared, the idea was not to create a car that would outshine the previous Rio and Cerato models.
The Korean crosshairs were firmly set on Corolla, Golf, Focus and Astra buyers. No half measures here.
In design terms alone, the new car certainly has a look that's compatible with its European rivals. It's not exactly original, but the sweeping front lines, the high-set roofline and the smart light clusters mean that the Kia never looks out of place when parked next to the likes of the Golf or Focus. It actually looks like the earlier generation Toyota Corolla.
Even our fondness for the sharper lines of the new Astra loses some of its lustre when pitted against the Cee'd. It might not look as good as the Seat Leon - the smartest dressed hatchback on the market at present - or as new-age as the Honda Civic, but it's as sporty as most buyers would desire.
It's not only in exterior design that the Cee'd impresses. The interior cabin feels as spacious - if not more so - than either the Focus or Golf and the fit and finish of the soft-feel plastics would rival Volkswagen's well-earned reputation for quality, even if the Korean penchant for grim light grey colours continues.
If there is a problem, it's that the aluminium-coloured plastic of the central console - though giving the interior a modern look - has a tendency to reflect on the windscreen.
Overall, the plastics have a finish that's certainly better than those on the new Toyota Auris and the switchgear has a real quality feel. Standard specification is also surprisingly good, with well-positioned steering wheel remote audio controls as standard, along with an MP3 and USB port for downloaded music fitted to all versions.
Safety features are also on a par with competitors, with six airbags as standard, the same number as in entry-level Golfs that start at €21,205 for five-door versions compared to €19,495 for the Cee'd.
The good news doesn't end there. Mechanically, Kia has not cut corners to get the right price and the Cee'd features MacPherson struts in the front suspension and a five-link independent rear system similar to the one that made the Ford Focus the envy of all its rivals in handling terms.
Whatever about the exterior styling and interior features, our fondness for the Cee'd didn't take a sudden downturn when we took the car on the road.
Powered by a 109bhp 1.4-litre petrol engine, its driving ability was a real surprise. The engine can get a little noisy when it's pushed but its eagerness to serve won our heart and in a week when we also drove its 1.4-litre rival from Toyota, the Kia came out on top for performance and peppiness and the smooth five-speed gearbox was the perfect accompaniment.
Again, in terms of handling and ride, this Korean deserves top marks.
Bodyroll is kept to a minimum and it tucks nicely into sharp bends with only the slightest hint of understeer. The steering remains a little neutral for our tastes but in reality it won't be a noticeable feature for the vast majority of buyers.
If there was a criticism of its on-road ability it's that the eager engine leads to front wheelspin when taking off on wet roads and the failure to fit traction control is a letdown. Admittedly rivals are also remiss in leaving out this feature and perhaps a better set of tyres than those fitted would counter some of the problem.
Then there's the warranty offer. In a market where three or four years is regarded as a selling point, the decision by Kia to offer a full seven-year/150,000km warranty on the new Cee'd blows the others out of the water.
Competitors dismiss it as a marketing ploy, claiming it has no longer term benefit for the brand as owners will simply hold on to the cars for longer.
That's ignoring the attractive cost savings it offers and the potential for increasing resale values as the warranty transfers when the car is sold on.
It also expresses a level of confidence by the manufacturer in the model's long-term reliability.
The new Cee'd is impressive on all counts. Apart from the utterly silly name, the new car won us over in a way that we certainly didn't expect when we collected the keys last week.
For years the Koreans have promised to close the gap, but I never expected to see the day when I'd actually enjoy driving a Korean hatchback.
Established rivals should be really worried.
Pricing may not be as competitive as it once was and one challenger that would probably wean us off our love of the Cee'd is the recently added 1.4-litre R version of the Seat Leon that starts at €19,500 and comes with traction control.
Yet, when you consider that the top-level EX version of the Cee'd comes complete with a host of features including alloys and half-leather upholstery for less than a similar five-door Golf or Focus, it's hard to argue against it.
Factfile
Kia Cee'd 1.4 EX 1,396cc 0-100km/h 11.6 seconds
Max speed 187km/h
Bhp 109 Consumption: 6.1 L/100km (46.3mpg)
Price: €20,995
ENGINE: A 1396cc DOHC petrol engine offering 108bhp @ 6,200rpm and 137Nm or torque @ 5,000rpm. Five-speed manual transmission.
SPECIFICATION: Two trim levels on offer (LX and EX).
Standard specification LX offers: ABS with EBD; dual front/side/curtain airbags; front electric windows; tinted glass; audio controls on steering wheel; trip computer; 60/40 folding rear seats;
EX (for €1,500 more) offers: 16" alloys; half-leather upholstery; leather steering wheel and gear knob; rear electric windows;
L/100km (MPG)
URBAN: 7.6 (37.2)
EXTRA-URBAN: 5.2 (54.3)
COMBINED: 6.1 (46.3)
CO2 EMISSIONS: 145 g/km
ANNUAL ROAD TAX: €292
PRICE: €19,495 to €20,995