The Essentials

• Price from £12,800
• What Car? says:
• Fuel economy: up to 72.4mpg
• What is it? Three-door hatch does style on a budget.

• Drive

  Punchy engines but the ride is a touch too firm

• Inside

  Nicely set out controls but visibility is terrible

• Safety

  Generally good, but cheaper models miss out on stability control

• Reliability

  Generous seven-year warranty offers peace of mind, feels solidly put together

• Space

  Just enough rear legroom but the boot isn't the biggest

• Standard and extras

  Enough gadgets to convince you that five doors is two too many

• What's it like to drive?

  The three-door Kia Procee'd is a sportier version of the five-door Cee'd. Stiffer suspension means the ride can feel harsh at low speed, and the police are not likely to accept 'but my car rides better at speed!' as an excuse for breaking the limit. The steering feels nicely direct, though, and the car is surefooted through corners.

• What's it like inside?

  The three-door model includes more trinkets than an equivalent Cee'd in all three trim levels. Sport tops the tree with attractive leather seats, stability control to keep you on the straight and narrow (road, that is), and a touch of Hollywood glamour in the shape of privacy glass. Even the basic 2 gets alloy wheels, air-conditioning and front fog lights. Unfortunately the chunky rear pillars limit rear visibility.

• How reliable is it?

  A seven-year warranty is reassuring. Six airbags and active headrests to prevent whiplash in a prang are standard across the range along with Isofix child seat mounts but only top-spec models get stability control.

• Should I buy one?

  Bags of style and equipment for the money make the Procee'd look like a good value buy. It will be cheap to run, too. However don't expect a big discount from the dealer, and beware that resale values won't be up with the best.