Next week see’s the arrival of the Ceed Sportswagon to Kia dealerships across the country. We’ve had a drive in this second generation family estate variant of the Ceed. It’s a handsome looking estate that offers practical space for all occupants, with a 15mm increase in interior headroom and a 9mm improvement in legroom over its predecessor. The boot offers 528 litres of luggage volume, this increases to 1,642 litres with the rear seats folded down.
Powering the Ceed Sportswagon are two diesel engines, no petrol models are available. Both engines benefit from the band A placement, with 117g/km of CO2 apiece. The entry-level 1.4-litre diesel offers 90hp with the 1.6-litre model producing 128hp. Both variants are available across two specifications, TX and EX. The entry-level TX specification comes suitably equipped with items including air conditioning, Bluetooth connectivity and heated door mirrors. There’s a €1,500 premium to upgrade to EX trim, whilst just €800 separates the two engine variants. Prices commence from €21,795 for the entry-level 1.4-litre TX Sportswagon. Finance is available through Kia’s new finance partner, Bank of Ireland, who is offering a 3.9 per cent rate.
The Sportswagon variant of the Ceed drives just like its five-door sibling, it’s surefooted and thanks to sufficient power and torque makes for a comfortable drive on long and short journeys. The six-speed manual transmission is light to touch and offers a positive gear change. There is a six-speed automatic transmission available in the 1.6-litre model. Kia is currently enjoying ever-increasing sales, their market share has grown from 2.9 per cent in 2011 to four per cent in 2012, and they are aiming for a five per cent share by 2014. 2013 sees the arrival of further new Kia models, most notably the all-new Sorento arrives in February, whilst the sporty Proceed is set to appear in March. This new Ceed Sportswagon adds another string to an already strong bow, and is sure to further boost Kia’s impressive sales charts
