NEWS ARTICLE
Kia Cee'd SW - Test Drive
Korean maker Kia has had such a runaway success with the Cee'd five door that it has added an SW to the range.
STYLING
The Cee'd SW the most practical member of the Cee'd range but this doesn't mean it's dull – no the SW estate has got a distinctive look – in fact it has a similar rear end to the good-looking Peugeot 407 SW with its sloped C-pillar.
INTERIOR
Kia has turned its fortunes around with the Cee'd family and the SW is no different. The build quality and reliability is as impressive as it was on the five-door hatch.
On the inside the cabin is fitted out well and the Korean maker has used quality plastics on the dash and surrounding areas – in fact the inside is much the same as the five-door hatch. Finish is of a high standard as all the lines fit neatly together and the doors shut with a quality-sounding thud.
The SW is an extended version of the hatch, which means the car is just as well made. The cabin is first rate and the maker has again used quality materials on the dash and the seats. All the shut lines fit neatly together and the doors shut with a quality-sounding thud. With a seven year bumper-to-bumper warranty on this car reliability is not going to worry any potential buyer.
When it comes to storage and practicality the Cee'd SW gets full marks. With the rear seats in place there's 534-litres of space. You can position them into a 60:40 split, so that you can load awkward items but if you need more space then just fold the entire rear row flat and you'll have an enormous 1,664 litres of space to play with. That's more load space than the Vauxhall Astra and Ford Focus estates. There's plenty of stowage bins to keep keys and nik-naks safe while there are other cubby-holes located around the car to keep all the passengers happy.
PERFORMANCE
Our test car was powered by 1.6 CRDi diesel engine, which has a power output of 113bhp. Out and out performance is not bad considering it's an estate car – the Cee'd SW can get from zero to 62mph in 11.7 seconds while it has a top speed of 116mph. Getting past slower traffic is child's play as the SW has 255Nm of torque giving the car a good range of power right through the gears.
On road the Cee'd SW behaves well, it is a pleasant motorway cruiser and thanks to its well weighted steering – the driver can enjoy the experience. The SW is just as good on B-roads as the handling is pretty good. The power plant is responsive but it is also quite quiet when on the road.
The rear of the SW is noticeably stiffer than the hatch due to car's load-lugging duties, this means the driver feels more bumps than in the hatch. As with all estate cars the rear amplifies the tyre noise but this is one of the shortfalls of buying an estate car.
PRICE
Our test car was the 1.6-litre which has an output of 113bhp in GS trim and starts from £14,995 while the Cee'd SW range starts from £12,995.
OWNERSHIP
The Cee'd SW is a very good alternative to the Focus estate or the Astra estate. It has great load room and comes well equipped. The SW is £700 more than the hatch but if you need the extra load room then there this car is worth the money.
Our 1.6 diesel with 113bhp returned 39.1mpg – that's pretty close to the official figure as the maker claims the car will return 43.5mpg on the combined cycle. The car emits 154g/km of CO2 emission with the seven-year warranty, the Kia Cee'd SW is definitely worth a second look.
At a glance
| Name/Price: | Kia Cee'd SW GS/£14,995 |
| Engine/power: | 1.6-litre D/113PS |
| Co2 emissions: | 154g/km |
| Official Combined fuel economy: | 43.5mpg |
IMN Verdict
With a seven year-warranty and class-leading luggage space the Kia Cee'd SW is certainly worth looking at. The car comes well kitted out and fuel economy is decent too – believe the marketing hype the Cee'd SW is a cracking car.
Simon McBride