'08 Pontiac G5 [30.3k] | '02 Toyota Echo [119k]

Not bad as a package, though.

We as in the world. Both Ceed and i30 are Mazda3 wannabes.

Why does it bother you so much? More choices for the consumer.

Imitation is the sincerest form...

http://killwithfire.blogspot.com/

It's like those fake Rolex watches. They offer more choices to the consumer too.

I am not talking about the segment, I am talking about the styling. It's very derivative.

EDIT: I'm really never one to cry foul on companies copying each other, but look at this:

Modified by faricazy at 2:54 PM 2-21-2007

yep. and that's no differnt than any of hyundai's cars. they all look handsome and sporty and even, dare I say, desireable. but they all have ZERO originality or individuality. ....I have opinions, but I'll refrain from saying their cars are bad or good. I guess it depends on what a person wants out of their car.

Clean 1997 Jetta GLX for sale: [url=http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=4322953[/url]

Quote, originally posted by Autocar »

Kia Cee'd 1.6 crdi 115hp Test Date 24 January 2007 Price When New TBA For Packaging, diesel punch, seven-year warranty Against Ride refinement, pricing, poor front seats Intro Kia wants to be more than just a bit-part player in the European car market. To achieve this aim, it has invested in a new factory at Zilina in Slovakia. It’s an audacious move, but one rooted in common sense. One of the great barriers of acceptance to the European market is the notion that cars built in distant, eastern lands are in some way inferior. The first offering from this new production facility is the Cee’d family hatchback. Its intended market penetration in the UK isn’t huge (around 10,000 units, or a two per cent market share) but the ramifications of this European-designed and built Korean hatch will be felt for years. Because this is a car that comes with a seven-year, 93,000-mile warranty. Other than the abject irritation of those intending to use its name in print on a regular basis and a poorly constructed pun, there is no real meaning to the name Cee’d. In fact ignore both the model designation and the company’s name and simply look at this car as a nameless machine. Not a bad looker, is it? The proportions are right, the styling attractive. Kia has never achieved these two goals before. Design It is the 1.6-litre CDRi under the spotlight in this test, using the same turbodiesel motor as found in the Carens. Its 1582cc allow it to produce 114bhp and 190lb ft of torque, all the while being Euro4 compatible. There is nothing extraordinary about this engine, apart from one small endorsement. Kia is so confident of its longevity that it is willing to underwrite any potential failure from inlet manifold to driveshaft for the first seven years of the car’s life. Even for hardened enthusiasts, there comes a point when such mind-boggling support becomes as impressive as the spec sheet of the latest V12 Ferrari. Right now, rival manufacturers are wondering how it can be achieved economically. Otherwise, the Cee’d is a conventional Euro-hatch: a two-box shape with lifting tailgate, MacPherson struts at the front and clumsily titled rear suspension aimed to dupe people into thinking that it’s fully independent, when in fact it is just a posh torsion beam. Still, when you could buy one in 2007, cover 12,000 miles a year and still make a legitimate warranty claim for a new engine or gearbox come late 2013, perhaps one shouldn’t bicker about rear axle sophistication. On the road Smoother, quieter and punchier engines exist in this class, but the Cee’d’s engine is game. It gives its best below 4000rpm and peak torque appears from a handy 1900rpm. Performance is perfectly adequate, though not quite up with the very high standard set by the class leaders. Rest to 60mph requires one gear change and 10.3sec, 0-100mph is a 37.9sec affair and the 30-70mph time is a reasonable 10.6sec. But as usual, the cold, empirical surroundings of the proving ground don’t give an accurate reflection of the real-world performance of this car. Using between 2000rpm and 4000rpm, it covers ground at an impressive rate. The fourth gear 40-60mph time of 6.5sec and the 10.0sec 50-70mph run in fifth are indicative of this accessible performance. Furthermore, it’s a powertrain that builds a pleasing rhythm over A-roads. The gear shift is relatively long, but the action is pleasant, even if the metal gear lever is an odd shape. The clutch is light and the pedals well positioned. Noise levels are fairly well contained. Broadly speaking, the Cee'd's chassis offers a very similar level of competence to the engine and transmission. Ask of it reasonable questions, and it will respond well enough. The good work begins with a very accurate electrically assisted steering rack. It’s not too fast off the straight ahead, and even though there is little feel to speak of, the Cee’d is one of those cars that immediately feels agile and easy to place. That’s a key attribute on UK roads. Try to extract too much from the Cee’d and it doesn’t work quite so well. Push hard and you’ll discover that the car is over-sprung and under-damped, causing it to be deflected by shorter wave imperfections. It doesn’t enjoy being grabbed by the scruff of the neck, but then again its market positioning would suggest that driving in such a manner is rather irrelevant. More importantly, though, ride comfort is slightly below the class average. Forget chassis composure and jewel-effect headlights: the surest sign that Kia has joined the Euro-hatch ranks is the appearance of soft-touch interior plastics. There are some very appealing aspects to this cabin. The heater controls, for example, are a fine blend of usability and style. The instruments are clear and attractive and there’s a socket for your iPod. The seats offer little support, but weren’t uncomfortable over long distances. In short, forget all notions of Korean crumminess; the Cee’d consigns most of that to the history books. One other notable and laudable inclusion is the indicator function remaining on the right-hand column stalk. It takes a while to become accustomed to this set-up, but the facility to change gear and indicate at the same time becomes invaluable and exposes the usual placement of this function on the left-hand side in right-hand vehicles as an ergonomic disaster. Rear-seat passengers are well catered for. The bench is comfortable, though like every other in the class lacking in under-thigh support. Boot space, at 340 litres, is good. With a claimed 60.1mpg over the combined cycle and 125g/km CO2 emissions placing it in band C, the Cee’d won’t be expensive to run. Naturally we couldn’t match that, but we did average 37.9mpg, which included a 23.3mpg stint at the track. All Cee’ds come with six airbags and rear ISOFIX points, and top-spec trim adds ESP. And then there’s the small matter of cost. The Cee’d isn’t the giveaway people familiar with Kia's other offerings might have expected. Then again, its credentials dictate that it deserves to be priced more in line with the competition. This car has a list price of £14,245, and a similarly specified Ford Focus would cost £17,390, although a large discount could be scored on the Ford. So rather than trade on crude engineering and cheap pricing, Kia’s strategy is now based around competitive dynamics, attractive pricing and the allure of that seven-year warranty. Verdict 8 stars out of 10 If the major European manufacturers were worried when they discovered the exceptional warranty package Kia would be offering with this car, then the Cee’d’s overall appeal should compound those fears. It’s not a class-leader in any category, but it does just about everything more than competently. It also looks good and is attractively priced, if not quite the absolute bargain we might have expected. [URL]http://www.autocarmagazine.com/CarReviews/RoadTestsHistory/Kia-Cee'd-1.6D-113-LS/223894[/URL]

Don't they know Infiniti had access to that name before?

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The new naming scheme is Europe-only.

If this comes to NA, just name it Elantra XXXX (i.e. 5 door, wagon) and call it a day

Modified by joe97 at 9:48 PM 2-21-2007

Hyundai please dont start with the numerical bull like acura did.

Another one for the Yaris/Fit pile.

Mods: Votex Kit | BSH CAI | 18x8 BBS Reps | Smoked Side Markers | Badgeless Grille | Eurojet Exhaust |

Future Mods: Euro Springs - Torque Arm Insert - Foglights - - GIAC Chip

Quote, originally posted by @==GTI=@ »

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZ Another one for the Yaris/Fit pile.

This is a C-segment car, it competes with the Golf, Focus, Megane, Civic.

For some reason, everyone in TCL thinks that all of Europe is whipping around in 170 hp gas and diesel hot hatches on the Autobahn, on their way to tracking their cars on the Nurburgring every other weekend.

That's not the case.

They forget that the bulk of cars sold in this segment are fuel-sipping, 100 hp diesel models, and that owners are most interested in the same things that tempt Camry buyers here: comfort, mileage, features, and durability.

The i30 may not raise the pulse, but for 90% of buyers in the C-segment, it also doesn't have to, either.

Either that, or they just assume anything Korean or Japanese smaller than an F150 with a 2-box profile is another supercheap subcompact. This is a mainstream, midsize car in Europe, like you said.

Hyundai does have the hardware in their arsenal to make this a 'bahn-stormer. Isn't this car on a shortened version of the Kia Optima/Magentis platform? I wonder if the 2.7 V6 would fit...

Like just about everything at Hyundai/Kia these days, from the Rondo to the Veracruz, from the C'eed/i30/Elantra to the Santa Fe, it's all derived from the NF platform that debuted in the Sonata.

Hyundai actually has a turbo 2.0-L theta kicking around their engineering labs that matches the GTI's engine for output. So yes, an "i30 GTi" is possible, though I'd expect to see a Kia C'eed with that engine first, if it were to come to pass at all.

The 4 Horsemen of the Apocalypse are cresting the hill as I type this.