YOU don't need to read the Financial Times or the specialist motoring press to realise that the car industry is encountering a period of intense flux, writes William Scholes.
The shift from internal combustion engines to battery power is well and truly underway, upending the established order and creating new possibilities. Tesla has been the disrupter-in-chief, leaving heavyweights like Mercedes-Benz and BMW trailing in its zero-emission wake.
Then there's the difficulty in even getting hold of a brand-new car. Lead times for some models can be up to 12 months long, the well publicised shortages of microchips and supply chains still tangled from Covid creating frustrating delays for dealers and would-be customers alike.
Given this difficult background, it isn't surprising that manufacturers are feverishly looking at ways of saving money. Size and reputation are no shield in this new era. Ford's upcoming Focus-sized electric car will, for example, be built on underpinnings bought from Volkswagen, where they already see action in a dizzying array of models from the VW ID3 and ID4 to various Skoda, Seat and Audi models. Peugeot, Citroen and Vauxhall already develop cars together, with Fiat joining in as part of the 'Stellantis' group. And so it goes on.
All of which, I think, makes the achievements of Kia - as well as its Hyundai parent - all the more remarkable.
Kia landed in the UK market in 1991 - John Major was prime minister, which doesn't feel like that long ago... - with the boldly named Pride, which was basically an old Mazda.
The South Korean marque's offerings were so humdrum and off-the-pace that they only attracted attention because they were so cheap. They certainly weren't cheerful, though that at least meant they dodged the sort of jokes aimed at Skoda and Lada around the same time.
How things change. I'll spare you a potted history of Kia in the intervening 30 years, but today the company is synonymous with credible, stylish, quality family cars and as its EV6 model - the 2022 Car of the Year, no less - vividly demonstrates, is a step ahead of any European rival when it comes to electric cars.
Kia's core family car is the Ceed which, as if to demonstrate its manufacturing might and confidence, is available in four distinct versions - there's the five-door hatch, a crossover/pseudo SUV called the XCeed (which we at Drive rather like) and not one but two estate models. You can imagine the Ford Focus and Volkswagen Golf accusing the Ceed of being a show off... There's also the Ceed Sportswagon, which is essentially a 'normal' estate, and the sleeker, 'shooting brake'-style Proceed.
To put Kia's largesse in some sort of context, these days there are more Ceed variants on sale than there are Alfa Romeo models...
Here we are looking at the Proceed, a low-slung and stylish take on the classic long-roof estate car template.
You don't have to look too hard to see what they've done to the Ceed recipe - in profile, the roof appears lower, the rear window raked, the large wheels and neat spoilers granting the Proceed a sportier demeanour than the more prosaic Sportswagon is permitted.
The net effect is that the svelte Proceed looks a lot like a Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo that's been shrunk to 70 per cent size.
It is a really good looking car - one that looks even better in the metal than in photos, in fact - and has genuine presence. On several occasions during my time with the car, strangers made the effort to ask me what it was and if it was any good (it is). They all agreed that 'Kia make cars you'd want to buy' and were also aware of the company's seven-year warranty.
These admiring encounters might help to make some sense of why Kia went to the bother of designing, manufacturing and marketing a second estate car. A model like the Proceed casts a halo effect; it helps to build the image and profile of the brand.
In that sense it punches above its weight compared to the sales volumes it will yield. Because even a car as handsome and accomplished as the Proceed won't be able to swim against the tide of punters demanding an SUV, and nothing else. It so happens that Kia have a bunch of those too, most notably the all-new Sportage.
But if you do find yourself wanting a family car that's not-an-SUV, what does the Proceed offer? Styling aside, there's nothing here that's not already familiar from the Ceed. That, it must be stressed, is not a bad thing, for the Ceed is a highly competent car.
A stand-out feature for me is how simple and straightforward the infotainment system is to operate. It's a cinch to pair a phone, tune the radio and so on. There's proper buttons and knobs to work the heating system, too. Volkswagen, take note...
Everything feels solid and well put together - though there's perhaps a bit too much shiny 'piano black' trim going on for my tastes - and the feeling you're in an upmarket product is bolstered by the fact that the Proceed is offered only in Kia's posher GT-Line trim (GT-Line S and GT were also available until recently).
One could also argue that the cabin feels a bit too dark - there is a lot of black and grey - but it is certainly spacious enough.
Despite the sloping rear window, this is still a capacious car, with a boot volume of just under 600 litres (the straitlaced Ceed Sportswagon is 625 litres). Drop the back seats, and this can grow to 1,545 litres (the Sportswagon has 1,694 litres). It's a useful space, too, with a large cubby under the floor.
For now, a 1.5-litre petrol unit paired with a six-speed manual gearbox is your only choice. It generates 158bhp and 187lb ft of torque, which translates into performance that's more relaxed than thrilling. The 0-62mph time, for what it's worth, is a decent 8.6 seconds.
So despite the sporty styling, the Proceed is not going to particularly raise the pulse of an enthusiast driver. It's a comfy cruiser rather than a back-road burner; and that's just fine for a car like this, I'd hazard.
The lone GT-Line Proceed model on offer today costs from £25,480. For comparison, the Ceed Sportswagon with the same 1.5-litre engine is offered in '3' trim from £24,495. Unless you really need that slightly larger boot, the premium for the Proceed feels well worth it, given the extra lashings of style and presence that come with it.
The fact there's not really anything else like it is the real clincher, though. Who could have looked at its first efforts in 1991 and guessed that by 2022 Kia would be the keeper of the flame for individuality in the family car market?
Kia Ceed Sportswagon: Practical approach
BY way of comparison to the Kia Proceed, I also had the opportunity to spend some time with the Ceed Sportswagon, a more traditional take on the estate car theme, writes William Scholes.
Styling aside, there's really nothing substantial to separate the two. The boot is a hefty 625 litres and usefully shaped - flat-sided, with seats that fold flat (yielding 1,694 litres) and a usefully deep cubby under the boot floor. It's an estate car that hasn't forgotten that the point of the brief is to be practical, in other words.
Where the Proceed is offered in Kia's flashier trim, the Sportwagon comes with the choice of the more prosaic '2' and '3' grades.
My '2' test car didn't feel as plush as the Proceed, but at the same time it wasn't lacking anything obvious. Heated seats would have been appreciated on a chilly morning (a sign of getting old...?), I suppose, but there was Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, a reversing camera and such like. There was even a proper no-nonsense handbrake, rather than an electronic button.
The inherent rightness of the Ceed's simple and intuitive controls shines through. And while it's no ball of fire, this is a comfortable, easy-to-drive car.
A 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol was under the bonnet; smooth and quick to rev, it produces 118bhp and would be a joy to live with - though I dare something brawnier would make more sense if you were to fill that jumbo boot up on a regular basis.
The base car I drove costs from just under £21k, which feels like tremendous value for the space and quality on offer. To get a more powerful 1.5-litre engine and smarter '3' trim lifts the price to £24,495 - still strong value, though too close to the far more appealing £25,480 Proceed.
