lets celebrate the kia cee'd

[jug]

the kia rio was ok, but it still showed the cheap and cheerful side of the far east and underneath it didnt really have the spec to beat its european counterparts.

but thats all in the past now the new cee'd is here, kia's first "all european" car (its almost a vw, just ask Peter Schreyer, oh no wait he works at kia now ), and their first real attempt to show what they can do. its not officially on sale for another week yet, but some dealers have them on show already.

i'm actually more excited about this car than any other for a good while. why? well it marks the first time that a budget make from the far east has released a car that beats the budget makes from europe in this sector. trust me that is a big deal. it shows that they've done more than catch up, they've over taken, or shall i say taken over the complacent euro brands. this is the most competitive market segment in the european car industry and cars like the cee'd are the early signs of how the market players are going to change.

this review sums up it up rather well
http://www.nmg-uk.com/blog/2007/01/all-new-kia-ceed-review.html

i suggest anyone who's thinking about buying a new car goes a kia dealership. only a fool would overlook a deal like this. if i could choose between this and a new bravo, the fiat wouldn't stand a chance.

 

[Virmin]

I'm sure it's a good car, and money is a deciding factor for many people, but I personally wouldn't go near it, even for the sake of a deal.

Look at the problems the US has been having for years with 'foreign' i.e Japanese/Korean cars, they are slowly killing off US car industry.

Let's not forget the Chinese, when they arrive, they'll kill off the already struggling European motor industry... it's only a matter of time

 

[Schwenck]

Complacency is indeed a killer in the car industry; I mean where are Austin, Morris, Triumph et al now? European manufacturers would do well to take note of the quality and specification allied to that seven year warranty, if it isn’t too late already.

But while this KIA may be a perfectly good car, it still has a huge hurdle to overcome, namely the badge. It will take a Skoda-esque shift in image to make it a success in the UK (and the rest of Europe I'd imagine). If you were to ask people in the street, how many would even have heard of KIA? And of those people who have, how many would consider them just cheapo Japanese knock-offs? Rightly or wrongly, image is a strong influence when people buy a car and KIA’s at the moment can only knock sales and residuals. It will be interesting however to see how the prospect of picking-up the balance of a seven year warranty affects used prices.

I hope it does shake-up the Europeans and makes them raise their game because personally I’m afraid at first glance nothing about the cee’d "floats my boat", seven year warranty or not. But I'm not a snob, I may just wander down to their showroom, you never know...

 

[Liam]

Did I log into the wrong forum?

Kia's are crap, I suggest you lay off the drugs jug, they're affecting your brain!

Liam

 

[jug]

Kia's are crap

kia's were crap. you'll see

 

[AppleSei]

kia's were crap. you'll see

Totally agree, stupid name for a car, but this will be a popular car the 1.6 diesel is meant to be an excellent all rounder

However introducing a 7 year warranty on all new kias except the c'eed is a bit of a bold move

 

[jug]

introducing a 7 year warranty on all new kias except the c'eed is a bit of a bold move

the saleman told me i'd get 7 years or 100,000 mile warranty on the cee'd

 

[AppleSei]

the saleman told me i'd get 7 years or 100,000 mile warranty on the cee'd

Just basing that on their adverts on the radio which does say it isnt included in the 7 year warranty thing

In the dealers it may be different, and the advert is probably out of date

 

[Virmin]

the saleman told me i'd get 7 years or 100,000 mile warranty on the cee'd

Would you want to keep it for 7 years

 

[Skate2create]

it looks very mazda 3-ish

Dan

 

[jug]

apparently they started off trying to 'copy' the 307 but changed their minds when 307 sales werent as strong as expected. so they focused on the mazda 3 and corolla instead. good choice! the biggest shock for me is the interior, its so european, even the seat patterns are good.

 

[ChrisUK]

IT will be like Skoda they won't be able to shift there bad name even if the cee'd is a great car. We'll just have to see how it goes, Fiat claimed similar things with the GP 1,000,000 miles of testing blah blah it still has annoying faults / niggles that could easily of been stopped!.

 

[jug]

kias have already proven to be very reliable. but i agree the badge is going to be the biggest issue. i think they know that to. when they say a kia is a thinking person's car they are referring directly to this issue. if you buy with your heart you'll buy any junk that has the badge you prefer (fiat depend on this more that they like to admit). if you buy with your head and consider all the options without rose tinted glasses the kia looks very good. in reality most people buy with their hearts, which is why a kia is only a thinking persons car. but if they can build up a reputation and some brand loyalty they'll succeed. if they cant do that then there is something sadly wrong with the car market.

 

[ChrisUK]

Different cars suit different people as you say. I love all italian cars as they all tend to have a personality of some kind. Where as when I had a German P.O.S Skoda it was Just a machine not a very good one either . I think that the kia will appeal more to the 'older' market who have less disposable income and actually care about the long warranty etc. I won't see myself buying one until they either 1.) Put some effort into styling, 2.) I retire and get myself an anorak and some golf clubs.

 

[kev1]

doesn't matter how good it is as Kia is seen as a budget brand and most people do think what image a car gives them. Also after 7 years (when the warrantee has fun out) it will be worth precisely 14p

 

[beau]

what ever, if i was offered a kia or a fiat, the fiat would be the one i choose... im happy to say i own a fiat punto, some people laugh at that, but they dont even own a car... id be pretty damn embarrised if i said i owned a kia cee'd!

 

[Chas Uno]

I think that the kia will appeal more to the 'older' market who have less disposable income and actually care about the long warranty etc.

That is very true. If the warranty lasts from retirement to the grave then the pensioners are going to love it!

But one problem the cheaper far eastern cars have always had is that they tend to be characterless and somewhat bland. Very efficient and reliable, but dull to drive.

Saying that, when I'm scrabbling around on the freezing ground fixing something on my Fiat there are times I could do without 'character'. I almost wish I could have something that just got me from A - B and never needed work, dull or not!

I live virtually next door to a Kia garage so I'll have a peek when they get one in. Even if I like it, there's no way I could afford one (as cheap as they are) and I'd have to wait at least five years before they came down into my price range.

And there's still all those cheap Fiats out there with built in 'fun' and 'character'. I think for the moment I'll be sticking with Fiat, warts and all

 

[Steven]

Jug, don't be fooled by the blurb. It'll still be a cheap, nasty, bland, characterless car from a company that uses fridge freezers and dishwasher in their design studies. It's a domestic appliance, not a car.

 

[poggy]

It is a European car though, it's designed and made in Europe. Just becuase the finance and some of the management come form Korea doesn't mean it is Korean.

Good thing is it brings money into European manufacturing rather than it all disappearing overseas.

 

[Helz]

As one of few things that matters to a girl, it's butt ugly. I couldn't drive an ugly car like that :yuck: