Item: Kia ProCeed
Rating: 3
Author: What Car? Team

This 158bhp 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol strikes a good balance between price, running costs and performance, rarely feeling underpowered – provided you’re prepared to rev it out.

1.5T GDi ISG

Estate

Buyers seeking value for money should have Kia towards the top of their shopping list.

Although once a niche brand in the UK, today Kia outsells many more established brands, helped by its market-leading seven-year warranty and a strong reputation for reliability; in fact, Kia regularly finishes towards the top of our reliability surveys.

There are plenty of models to choose from, too, ranging from the small Picanto city car to the Ceed family hatchback and the Sorento large SUV. The Picanto was the first Kia to win its class at the What Car? Car of the Year awards.

PRO CEED

The one and only trim level is well equipped. Alongside the infotainment system and parking aids, you get heated front seats and a heated steering wheel along with cruise control, dual-zone climate and 17in alloy wheels. The only optional extra is metallic paint.

GT-Line

1.5T GDi ISG GT-Line 5dr

15t-gdi-isg-gt-line-5dr

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Introduction

Performance & drive

Interior

Passenger & boot space

Accessibility & Motability

Costs & verdict

The Kia ProCeed is pricier than the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/kia/ceed/hatchback/review/n17863">Kia Ceed</a> hatchback and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/kia/ceed/estate/review/n18166">Kia Sportswagon</a> estate, and there's little incentive to choose it over either of those body shapes unless you’ve fallen for its looks.&nbsp;Perhaps its main selling point is that it’s considerably cheaper than the similarly-sized<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/mercedes-benz/cla-class/estate/review/n17249"> Mercedes CLA Shooting Brake</a>.

<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/kia">Kia</a> is competitive with its finance deals and offers very reasonable monthly payments if you lease or take out a PCP. The ProCeed will still work out more costly than the more versatile Ceed Sportswagon though. Don't forget to look for the best prices on our&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/new-car-deals">What Car? New Car Deals pages</a>.

Better news is that residual values are a little better than the equivalent Ceed Sportswagon and Ceed hatchback, although they can’t match those of the CLA Shooting Brake, let alone regular estates such as the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/golf/estate/review/n22">Volkswagen Golf</a>.

With reasonable claimed fuel economy, the 1.5-litre petrol strikes a good compromise between performance and is more frugal than a similarly powerful CLA Shooting Brake.

The one and only trim level – GT-Line – is well equipped. Alongside the infotainment system and parking aids, you get heated front seats and a heated steering wheel, cruise control, dual-zone climate control and 17in alloy wheels.

Kia has a strong reliability record, finishing ninth out of the 30 manufacturers in our 2021 <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/2021-what-car-reliability-survey-brands/n23418">What Car? Reliability Survey</a>. That's behind Hyundai and Toyota, but better than Skoda and a long way ahead of Ford and Volkswagen. The Ceed (which the ProCeed is based on)&nbsp;did well in the family car section of the survey, bagging seventh out of 24 models.

Even if you do have a problem, Kia’s seven-year, 100,000-mile warranty is the longest currently available on a new car.

Safety organisation&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/the-safest-cars-on-sale-today/n19724">Euro NCAP</a> has given the latest Ceed a four-star rating in standard form, while higher-spec versions get the full five.

For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the What Car? newsletter&nbsp;<a href="https://pages.haymarket.com/whatcar/wcar-form.html">here</a>

The only choice of engine in the Kia ProCeed line-up is a turbocharged 1.5-litre petrol with 158bhp, and you get it with a six-speed manual gearbox.

The engine can suffer with some initial hesitation at low revs, and despite being more potent on paper than the equivalent 1.5 found in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/golf/estate/review/n22">Volkswagen Golf Estate</a>&nbsp;(0-60mph takes 8.3sec), you need to thrash the ProCeed for a quick burst of pace. It's reasonably flexible once you’ve wound it up, though.

The gearbox feels slightly notchy and is not as slick as the one in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ford/focus/estate/review/n8">Ford Focus Estate</a>.

<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/kia">Kia</a> puts a lot of effort into ride and handling, and the ProCeed strikes a good balance between the two. The ride is composed, proving firm but not uncomfortable, while the handling is secure thanks to an impressive amount of grip. There’s not much body lean, even when cornering hard, putting it up there with the Focus for satisfaction when driven enthusiastically.

It’s worth pointing out that road noise in all versions is very noticeable at all times, plus the engine can be a bit raucous when revved compared with the more refined alternatives found in the Focus and Golf.

OUR PICK

Fuel 

Gearbox

0-62 MPH

http://example.com

15t-gdi-isg

1.6T GDi ISG

16t-gdi-isg

The first Kia ProCeed, you might recall, had two fewer doors and more punctuation in its name than the car you can see here.

With this latest version,&nbsp;Kia replaced the 'Procee'd' with a&nbsp;sleek five-door wagon designed to show that an&nbsp;SUV or crossover isn't the only option for stylish, practical family motoring. It joins the five-door Ceed hatchback and Ceed Sportswagon&nbsp;estate in the South Korean manufacturer's line-up.

To achieve its svelte look, the ProCeed is 5mm longer than the Sportswagon and its roofline is 43mm lower, while its belly sits 5mm closer to the ground for extra sporty poise.&nbsp;In the family car arena, only Mercedes does anything similar, with the A-Class-based CLA Shooting Brake, but Kia’s offering is an awful lot cheaper.

Mainstream <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/make/kia">Kia</a> is aiming to pull off the same trick as premium Mercedes when it comes to pricing, too. The CLA Shooting Brake is more expensive than other CLA and A-Class models, and, likewise, the Proceed is pitched upmarket of the rest of the Ceed line-up.

There’s just one trim level and one engine offered for the ProCeed, and it costs more than the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/kia/ceed/hatchback/review/n17863">Kia Ceed</a> hatchback and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/kia/ceed/estate/review/n18166">Kia Ceed Sportswagon</a> estate. So the question is, does it offer more than just added visual allure to justify the extra expense?

Also, how does it compare with the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/best/best-estate-cars-2022/n16998">best estate&nbsp;cars</a>&nbsp;you might be looking at, including the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/ford/focus/estate/review/n8">Ford Focus Estate</a>, <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/skoda/superb/estate/review/n17344">Skoda Superb Estate</a>&nbsp;and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/golf/estate/review/n22">Volkswagen Golf Estate</a>?&nbsp;We'll answer all your questions in this comprehensive Kia ProCeed review, which covers performance, interior quality, running costs and more.

Remember, if you decided you want&nbsp;to buy a ProCeed, a Ceed, a Ceed Sportswagon – or any other make and model –&nbsp;we can help you find the cheapest price with our free&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/new-car-deals">What Car? New Car Buying service</a>. It's a good place to find the best&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/new-car-deals/make/kia">new Kia deals</a>.

The interior of the Kia ProCeed looks much like that of any other <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/kia/ceed/hatchback/review/n17863">Kia Ceed</a> model, with sound ergonomics and a decent enough feel for the price.

There’s plenty of adjustment in the driver’s seat and steering wheel, and the pedals line up nicely so you’re not forced to sit crookedly.

There’s no faulting the view out of the front, but over-the-shoulder visibility is quite restricted. That strikingly sloping roofline dictates a rather shallow rear windscreen with a limited view out. It’s just as well, then, that a reversing camera and rear parking sensors and are standard.

At a time when more and more manufacturers are moving key functions on to touchscreens, the ProCeed retains separate buttons and knobs for its air-con, which makes it much easier to tweak things on the move.

The standard 10.25in touchscreen infotainment system includes sat-nav and DAB radio as well as <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/advice/owning/what-is-apple-carplay/n1193">Apple CarPlay</a> and <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/advice/owning/what-is-android-auto/n1194">Android Auto</a> smartphone mirroring. The screen is more responsive than the somewhat buggy systems we’ve encountered in the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/skoda/octavia/estate/review/n40">Skoda Octavia Estate</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/golf/estate/review/n22">Volkswagen&nbsp;Golf&nbsp;Estate</a>.

The menu layout in the ProCeed could have larger icons, but we found it more intuitive to use than Octavia and Golf set-ups, which feature&nbsp;images of the interior or exterior of the car for&nbsp;controlling&nbsp;various functions.

<h2 dir="ltr">Access</h2>

The Kia Proceed’s doors open to 66 degrees, so they’re well out of the way when you need them to be.

The driver’s seat is more than 540mm from the ground in its lowest setting, so you won’t be tumbling down onto it. Of course, you can always raise the seat to its maximum setting – 610mm from the ground – which reduces the need to lower yourself in and haul yourself up again at journey's end – you simply just slide in and out.&nbsp;

You’ll probably have to bend your neck to get in under the heavily raked roofline when the seat is fully raised, though, so it’s rather fortunate that the door aperture is wide.

The Kia is a comparatively low-slung machine, and the benefit of that is door sills that are just 345mm from the ground – helpful as you lift your feet inside. There’s a mere 86mm from the top of the sill to the floor of the car, too, which makes getting out easier.

<h2 dir="ltr">Storage</h2>

The Proceed may be a pseudo-<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/news/best-estate-cars-2021/n16998">estate</a>, but those sleek coupé lines do take a bit of a toll on overall luggage-carrying ability.

While the boot floor is more than a metre long with the rear seats raised and almost 1.8m long when they’re down, the height of the boot opening is only 640mm. That makes getting large items in and out rather tricky. The boot floor is also 100mm below the level of the boot lip, so you really need to hoik stuff upwards to get it out.

That said, the boot floor is completely flat, even when the rear seats are folded down. If you have to take a wheelchair on your travels, you’ll be able to get it into the boot as long as you fold it down first. Unfortunately, the Proceed isn’t capable of carrying a chair unfolded, even with the back seats lowered.

The seats split 60/40 in most models, so you can carry luggage while there’s a back-seat passenger. Top-spec models have a 40/20/40 split seat, which enhances flexibility.

<h2 dir="ltr">Ease of use and options</h2>

There are a few engines available with an automatic gearbox for the Proceed, but the best by far is the 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol. It develops a reasonable 138bhp, which is enough for driving with a full load as long as you’re not in too much of a hurry.

The 1.6 diesel will be decently economical if you do longer journeys, but again you won’t be getting anywhere in a rush, and it sounds pretty wheezy when you ask it to put in a shift.

Inside the Proceed, you get a decent amount of space around in the front, and lots of adjustment for the steering wheel and seat. You should be able to get comfortable fairly easily.

That swoopy profile does compromise your over-the-shoulder view, though, which makes parking tricky, so you’ll be glad of the standard reversing camera and rear parking sensors. Lane-keep assist and automatic full beam headlights are standard too, and the 8.0in central infotainment touchscreen has smartphone mirroring. We also like that the screen is mounted high on the dash as it is easy to read on the move.

With rakish looks, the ProCeed offers a touch more glamour than its Ceed hatchback and Sportswagon estate stablemates

There’s no problem with the generous space on offer up front in the Kia ProCeed. The car’s steeply raked rear window and sloping roofline don’t inhibit rear accommodation or boot space severely. The rear seats are spacious enough for near six-footers to sit comfortably behind someone similarly tall in the front

At 594 litres, the ProCeed’s boot is only 11 litres shy of the one in the <a href="https://www.whatcar.com/volkswagen/golf/estate/review/n22">Volkwagen Golf Estate</a>&nbsp;and 16 short of that of the giant<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/skoda/octavia/estate/review/n40"> Skoda Octavia Estate</a>. It’s also only marginally smaller than the 625-litre<a href="https://www.whatcar.com/kia/ceed/estate/review/n18166"> Kia Ceed Sportswagon</a> boot, but has a narrower opening, a high loading lip and its lower roofline is less compatible with bulky loads. Still, it’s well up to most family car&nbsp;tasks.

You get 60/40 split-folding rear seats as standard. The ProCeed can’t match the Sportswagon estate’s flat load lip (blame the location of the number plate), but there are loads of hidden storage areas under the floor.

gt-line

There are some sensible extras with the GT-Line S to help justify its position in the ProCeed range, including a more advanced emergency brake aid that recognises pedestrians, additional seating flexibility with a 40/20/40 split rear bench, brighter LED headlights, front parking sensors and adaptive cruise control. You also get electric driver’s seat adjustment with memory settings, an upgraded stereo and a 12.3in digital instrument cluster. However, you’ll have to fork out a sizeable amount for it over the already well-specified GT-Line model.

GT-Line S

gt-line-s

This version comes exclusively with the more potent 201bhp 1.6 petrol paired with a seven-speed automatic gearbox. While it's not as well equipped as the lesser-engined GT-Line S, you get sportier interior and exterior styling befitting this spicier model. It wouldn’t be our choice of ProCeed, though.

The Kia ProCeed may place its emphasis on looks, but is otherwise very similar to the commendable Ceed and Ceed Sportswagon. Looks aside, it offers little extra incentive to opt for it over its cheaper sibling models or more practical estate car rivals.

<h2>What we're looking for:</h2><ul><li>Huge boot and excellent practicality</li> <li>Plenty of interior space so you can carry passengers as well as luggage </li> <li>Strong engines to pull a heavily laden car</li> <li>Comfortable ride, especially on the motorway</li> <li>Low running costs for company car drivers</li></ul>

If you’re after bags of space but you don’t want to commit to the van-like dimensions and styling of an MPV, there are some great estate cars on offer that should do the job.

Tricks to look out for include an electric tailgate&nbsp;that opens automatically when you wave your foot under the rear bumper; this is&nbsp;particularly handy if you’re trying to load in a heavy or&nbsp;bulky item. You should also look for handles in the side of the boot itself that can drop down the rear seats; these are much more convenient than having to walk around the side of the car to do it.

There are some terrific estates at most price ranges. The humble Skoda Fabia Estate offers cavernous space for not much cash at all, for example.

Further up the price range, another of our perennial favourites is the Skoda Superb Estate;&nbsp;it’s great to drive and as practical as most people should ever need. Meanwhile, for serious mile-munching ability and a premium, well-finished interior, it’s hard to look beyond the BMW 5 Series Touring.

Kia ProCeed review

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Buying advice for the Kia ProCeed covering running costs, MPG, Fuel Economy, Reliability and Safety, from the expert What Car? review team.

The Kia ProCeed is pricier than the Kia Ceed hatchback and Kia Sportswagon estate, and there's little incentive to choose it over either of those body shapes unless you’ve fallen for its looks. Perhaps its main selling point is that it’s considerably cheaper than the similarly-sized Mercedes CLA Shooting Brake.,Kia is competitive with its finance deals and offers very reasonable monthly payments if you lease or take out a PCP. The ProCeed will still work out more costly than the more versatile Ceed Sportswagon though. Don't forget to look for the best prices on our What Car? New Car Deals pages.,Better news is that residual values are a little better than the equivalent Ceed Sportswagon and Ceed hatchback, although they can’t match those of the CLA Shooting Brake, let alone regular estates such as the Volkswagen Golf.With reasonable claimed fuel economy, the 1.5-litre petrol strikes a good compromise between performance and is more frugal than a similarly powerful CLA Shooting Brake.,The one and only trim level – GT-Line – is well equipped. Alongside the infotainment system and parking aids, you get heated front seats and a heated steering wheel, cruise control, dual-zone climate control and 17in alloy wheels.Kia has a strong reliability record, finishing ninth out of the 30 manufacturers in our 2021 What Car? Reliability Survey. That's behind Hyundai and Toyota, but better than Skoda and a long way ahead of Ford and Volkswagen. The Ceed (which the ProCeed is based on) did well in the family car section of the survey, bagging seventh out of 24 models.,Even if you do have a problem, Kia’s seven-year, 100,000-mile warranty is the longest currently available on a new car.Safety organisation Euro NCAP has given the latest Ceed a four-star rating in standard form, while higher-spec versions get the full five.For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the What Car? newsletter here

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