Hot on the heels of the cee’d hatchback, comes the cee’d SW. It is Kia’s first ever estate car and one, which the company hopes, will build on the success of the 5-door. The Kia cee’d SW packs a big value punch. It's attractive, filled with little luxuries and comes with an unrivalled seven-year warranty as standard. More than 80 per cent of C-segment car sales are to fleet buyers but Kia believes that the cee’d SW will provide a good alternative to private customers, who are looking towards SUV’s. The engine line up is pretty good, it comes with a 120bhp 1.6 petrol engine and a 1.6 diesel (89bhp or 113bhp), and two trim levels, GS and LS. Kia tells us that a 2.0-litre diesel could be added to the line-up should there be enough demand. In the meantime, these three, 1.6 engines, come with the standard 5 speed manual gearbox but the petrol and higher output diesel units are also available with an optional, 4-speed automatic transmission.The interior looks smart, feels modern and is user-friendly. The driver’s seat adjusts for height and the steering wheel adjusts for reach and height, making it easy to find a comfortable driving position. All-round visibility is pretty good, though the view out of the back can often be slightly restricted. cee’d SW offers a comfortable and relaxing drive. There's plenty of grip and it corners well and feels comfortable when driven quickly on B-roads and country lanes. All cars have power steering, which makes it a breeze to drive around town, carry out three-point turns and parking.
Plenty of room all round with ample room in the back for two adults or two children. Leg and headroom is good for all on board and it’s pretty quiet on the move. The interior is bright and pleasant to be in. All cars have MP3 compatibility through an Ipod and USB connection and the CD player can play MP3 CDs. The cee’d SW is significantly roomy offering 534 litres of load space, including 55-litres under the load platform. Taking full advantage of the 60:40-split, rear seats increases the load-lugging to a maximum of 1664-litre. With the tailgate hinges being further forward, the load aperture gapes larger than normal making it easy to load bulky items. The Kia cee’d SW is a good solid car for people on the move, whether it be a company car or simply for transporting family and friends. It has a certain amount of elegance along with the inherent flexibility of an estate car.
