First drive: Kia Cee'd

Kia

Kia's popular Cee'd hatchback has been given a facelift, along with an EcoBoost-rivalling 1.0-litre petrol engine, and Kia's first ever dual-clutch gearbox. Can they help the Cee'd claw back some ground from the latest rivals? AOL Cars heads to Slovakia to find out.

What is it?

A facelift of Kia's popular Cee'd hatchback and estate models, freshening up the exterior and adding some new niceties inside too. It may not look all that different, but it's under the Ceed's inoffensive but well-proportioned body where things have really changed.

The big news is the introduction of a brand new downsized three-cylinder engine, similar to Ford's 1.0-litre EcoBoost, but there's also a new dual-clutch automatic gearbox to get (sort of) excited about. Meanwhile, a selection of tweaks to the suspension and drivetrain mean this should be the most enjoyable Cee'd to drive so far too.