Autoblog

Frankfurt 2009: Kia c'eed spiffs up basic transportation

Jonathon Ramsey — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 17:39:00 EST

Filed under: Frankfurt Motor Show, Budget, Europe, Hatchback, Kia

2010 Kia c'eed -- Click above for high-res image gallery

The Kia c'eed has come in for a voluminous number of changes, all of which are explained in the massively massive press release after the jump. The short of it is a restyled exterior, new interior elements, new mechanical structures such as a revised subframe for better NVH performance, the addition of hill-assist, a new diesel engine among the 5-engine range... see what we mean? This is not the Kia c'eed you knew...

What you really need to know about the new c'eed is that it takes a rightful place among the lead group of entry-level hatches in Europe. Sometimes you get in a cheap car and it looks cheap and feels cheap. That isn't the Kia c'eed - a little car that gives you a 6-speed manual to make the most of what power it offers. As has been the case with Hyundai and Kia lately, this one's probably going to be another good one.

Gallery: Frankfurt 2009: Kia c'eed

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Frankfurt 2009: Kia c'eed spiffs up basic transportation originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 Sep 2009 17:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2009 Kia cee'd gets Intelligent Stop & Go

Jonathon Ramsey — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 17:33:00 EST

Filed under: Budget, Hybrid, Green, Technology, Hatchback, Kia

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Kia cee'd

Stop/start technology is like a trial membership for hybrids: it lets drivers in on the fuel savings and lower carbon emissions without forcing them to become a card-carrying member of the hybrid brigade. Kia is will be offering buyers just such an opportunity by introducing ISG, or Idle, Stop, and Go (also called Intelligent Stop & Go) on the new cee'd.

The ISG will be available on the 1.4- and 1.6-liter gasoline-engined c'eeds, and unlike other stop/start technology, this ISG shuts the engine down not only when the car is stopped, but when it's moving less than four mph. To engage the ISG while the car is moving, the driver puts the car in neutral and depresses the clutch, the engine is shut down, and he or she will be rewarded with 15% better fuel economy in the urban cycle.

The frugal-ized cee'd also benefits from a lighter five-speed gearbox and low-rolling-resistance tires as standard fitment. Later in 2009, the 1.6-liter diesel c'eed will be offered with ISG technology.

Gallery: Kia c'eed

[Source: Kia World]

2009 Kia cee'd gets Intelligent Stop & Go originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 02 Jan 2009 17:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Paris Preview: Kia cee'd Hybrid

Jonathon Ramsey — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 19:33:00 EST

Filed under: Budget, Hybrid, Green, Paris Motor Show, Hatchback, Kia

Kia's will have at least two new tricks at the Paris Motor Show, one of them being the Kia Soul. The other will be a Kia cee'd gas-electric hybrid. Already available in coupe, 5-door hatch, and sportwagon variants, a hybrid addition based on the five-door would be a perfect addition to the line. So far, the only details we have is that the c'ee hybrid isn't planned for sale until 2010, when it will join a train of new hybrids from other makers. Kia apparently decided that is when they'll be able to sell enough of them to make a profit. But we will get the complete scoop on it at next week's Paris Motor Show, so you won't have to wait that long.

[Source: Kia World]

Paris Preview: Kia cee'd Hybrid originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 23 Sep 2008 19:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kia pro_cee'd fully unveiled ahead of Frankfurt

Alex Nunez — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 11:56:00 EST

Filed under: Ask Autoblog, Frankfurt Motor Show, Europe, Hatchback, Kia

Click image for photo gallery

Kia will officially whip the cover off its jaunty Euro-only (why, God... WHY?) pro-cee'd 3-door hatchback on September 11 at the Frankfurt Motor Show. We'll be there to bring you on-scene coverage, but in the interim, Kia has provided a new set of photos showing the car in its entirety. Based on the same architecture that underpins the 5-door cee'd, the pro-cee'd is longer, lower, lighter and sportier-looking thanks to styling elements unique to the 3-door.

Despite the differences in appearance, the pro-ceed boasts interior passenger room on par with its five-door brother, thanks to its identical wheelbase length. And while on the subject of the interior, it's very appealing to the eye -- a requirement if it's to be a viable player against the likes of the VW Golf. Longer doors with 70-degree openings help make backseat ingress and egress less cumbersome (thus minimizing Britney-style exhibitions), and cargo capacity behind the rear seat is said to equal that of the more reserved and outwardly practical cee'd. The pro-cee'd will be available in a wide array of trim, engine, and color combinations when it hits the Continent next year. We'll take one of the 143-horsepower cars equipped with the Sport Pack (shown). Oh wait. That's right, we can't. Bummer.

Press release after the jump.

[Source: Kia]

Gallery: Kia pro_cee'd (EU)

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Kia pro_cee'd fully unveiled ahead of Frankfurt originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 21 Aug 2007 11:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Paris Motor Show: Kia cee'd

Stuart Waterman — Fri, 29 Sep 2006 09:57:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Wagon, Paris Motor Show, Hatchback, Kia

Kia unveiled the production version of its new cee'd C-segment competitor in Paris on Thursday, and our Autoblog Spanish colleague Alberto provided us with these great shots.

Launching in December with a mind-boggling 20 models, Kia aims to offer Europe's C-segment buyers with an unprecedented range of choices to tailor their cee'd to meet their needs and desires. When all three cee'd body styles - five-door hatchback, five-door wagon and three-door hatchback - are available in December 2007, customers will be able to choose from more than 50 (!) different models, all in their choice of right- or left-hand drive.

Lots of pictures and the official press release after the jump!

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Paris Motor Show: Kia cee'd originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 29 Sep 2006 09:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kia cee'd to receive Europe's best warranty

Alex Nunez — Wed, 27 Sep 2006 17:56:00 EST

Filed under: Wagon, Europe, Marketing/Advertising, Hatchback, Kia

Click to enlarge

Americans no longer bat an eyelash at the astounding warranty coverage Hyundai and Kia offer on their new vehicles. To us, it's just another selling point for the brands, whose cars continue to improve, offering good style and excellent equipment levels at value prices. Sadly, we aren't getting Kia's new European-designed and built VW Golf-fighter, the c'eed -- a car, by the way, that 'd draw us into a Kia showroom a lot more readily than the Rio5 or Optima. Just saying.

Kia's leaving nothing to chance with the cee'd, and in a page torn from their American playbook, is introducing the car with the best new-vehicle warranty ever offered in Europe and the UK. The 7 year/150,000 kilometer warranty offers bumper-to-bumper coverage for 5 years, with an additional two years covering the powertrain. The warranty doesn't cost anything extra and is fully transferable.

European-market competitors should take note: Kia is playing for keeps.

(Press release after the jump)

[Source: Kia UK]

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Kia cee'd to receive Europe's best warranty originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 27 Sep 2006 17:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Paris Preview: Kia cee'd sport wagon

Alex Nunez — Fri, 22 Sep 2006 09:09:00 EST

Filed under: Wagon, Europe, Paris Motor Show, Kia

Click to enlarge

The third and final Kia cee'd variant has been revealed ahead of next week's Paris auto show. The cee'd sport wagon has the same front end appearance and the same length wheelbase as the cee'd 5-door hatchback, head to the rear of the car, and you'll see some differences.

Unlike the cee'd 5-door with its traditional-looking taillamps, the wagon apes the European estates that it'll be competing directly against and implements tall taillight assemblies that extend up the rear pillars. On top of that, the cee'd wagon is also fitted with an "Inverted L" shaped tailgate whose hinges are set into the roof further than normal to provide better access to the storage area. If you have a hard time visualizing this, think of the way the Dodge Magnum's hatch is configured and you'll get the gist of it. The cee'd wagon sounds like it has a similar configuration. Finally, the wagon gets a set of roof rails that's absent on the hatchbacks.

The cee'd wagon will join the cee'd 5-door and the 3-door pro cee'd concept on the Paris show floor. All three cars will go into production and be built in the new Kia plant in Zilina, Slovakia. The 5-door leads the way, going on sale in December 2006. The wagon we just described is next up, hitting showrooms a year from now in September 2007. Finally, the c'eed 3-door hatch will arrive in December '07.

Unfortunately, all three cee'ds are Europe-only vehicles, so we'll just have to appreciate them from a distance.

(Press release after the jump)

[Source; Kia]

Continue reading Paris Preview: Kia cee'd sport wagon

Paris Preview: Kia cee'd sport wagon originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 22 Sep 2006 09:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Update: Kia's new C-segment car: the Cee'd

Stuart Waterman — Mon, 14 Aug 2006 16:02:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Paris Motor Show, Hatchback, Kia

[Updated with new photo] Called only the 'ED' when it was announced in July, Kia Motors' new model for Europe's all-important C-segment of small family cars will retain the unconventional name of its concept car predecessor - the Cee'd (pronounced "seed"). Apparently, the unwieldy moniker combines 'CE' - symbolizing the European Community - and 'ED' - standing for European Design. The role of the apostrophe remains unexplained...

The production version will debut at the Paris Motor Show in September, and go on sale before the end of the year. The Europe-only four-door hatchback will go head-to-head with Ford's European-model Focus, the Peugeot 307 and the Toyota Corolla.

[Source: What Car?]

Update: Kia's new C-segment car: the Cee'd originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 14 Aug 2006 16:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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