In terms of driveability, there’s not a single area where the Kia falls down. The 114hp 1.7-litre engine provides decent acceleration, and the steering, too, while not being class-leading, is satisfactory.
The ride is good, making the car comfortable to drive for long distances, and there’s a nice balance between that and the handling. Body roll, meanwhile, isn’t excessive. And, putting aside the problem with the noisy sunroof seal, refinement also earns a thumbs up.
Costs, meanwhile, are somewhat surprising. While I was expecting a Kia to have a P11D and RVs that indicated a brand pitched below volume rivals, KwikCarcost reveals that our model’s headline 48.6ppm costs figure is a tad below the equivalent Nissan Qashqai’s 48.8ppm and about 2ppm cheaper than Ford‘s Kuga, and that factors such as P11D and RVs are comparable with both the Qashqai and Peugeot‘s 3008 (£20,425 vs £19,525 and £20,190 plus 35.7% vs 36.6% and 31.3%).
Perhaps the Kia, with costs and quality (if the car’s driveability is anything to go by) to rival the volume players really is the “breakthrough” model the company is hoping it will be.
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