Kia has overhauled the cee'd and we must say it's possibly one of the most effective little nip and tuck jobs we've seen since Fern Britton's 'Ryvita diet'. All of a sudden, with minimal effort, the cee'd looks rather splendid.
The face, which now adopts Kia's new 'family look', was evidently grafted with an eye on the lovely Forte Koup concept and it works a treat. The grille and bonnet are new, as are the light clusters, making this quite a comprehensive job. It's the same inside too, with a redesigned centre console - for better looks and functionality - and an improved stereo with Bluetooth connectivity.
Kia will hand the new cee'd a debut at
Frankfurt in September, though to be honest it will probably be comprehensively overshadowed by the new Sorento and a mini-MPV based on the No3 concept car - both also confirmed for Frankfurt.
Mark Nichol - 14 Jul 2009