What's this then?

It's the new Kia Ceed.

Don't you mean Cee'd with an apostrophe?

No, it's Ceed now. Kia has come over all sensible and spell-check friendly and decided to drop the apostrophe and give the Ceed Mk3 a more conventional name.

Is it all new?

Oh yes, from the ground up. It uses the K2 platform that will already be familiar from the Hyundai i30, a car which the Kia bears more than a passing resemblance to. Other familiar features include the 1.0 T-GDi 120hp petrol three-cylinder engine, although there is a new 140hp 1.4-litre turbo, and a new 115hp or 136hp 1.6-litre diesel, which Kia expects will score a CO2 emissions rating of less than 110g/km, even on the new, tougher WLTP test. You can choose from a six-speed manual or a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox.

What about the cabin?

It's new, albeit again you'll notice some similarities between this and the i30. There's a standard-fit touchscreen, in five-,seven-, or eight-inch sizes, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and an optional JBL sound system. Kia has also ramped up the quality, with a lot more soft-touch surfaces.

There's some new tech including, for the first time on any Kia, a Ford-style electrically heated windscreen, and a 'Level 2' motorway guidance system that helps to keep you in lane on main roads. That's paired with active cruise control, and other safety kit includes High Beam Assist, Driver Attention Warning, Lane Keeping Assist and Forward Collision Warning with Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist, Blind Spot Collision Warning, Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning, Smart Parking Assist and pedestrian recognition with haptic steering wheel warnings for the Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist system.

Anything else?

Yup, although it's only fractionally bigger than the outgoing Ceed (just 20mm wider overall) there's a bigger boot (now 395 litres) and there's also an optional Eco Pack which comes with improved aerodynamic performance and low-rolling resistance Michelin tyres.

Michael Cole, Chief Operating Officer for Kia Motors Europe said: "The Ceed has become a recognisable sight on European roads, and buyers understand what it represents for Kia. It is a talisman for reliability and quality in the segment, with customers appreciating its safety and comfort technologies, and the fact that it is designed, developed, engineered and built in Europe. The new model will reinforce and build upon these strengths."

Neil Briscoe - 15 Feb 2018