The cee’d certainly looks nice! It has clean, modern lines with just the right modest amount of frills. The interior, unexpectedly for a car of this marque, was very refined, the leather seat trims giving that unmistakable new car smell, with some plush carpeting to-boot. Speaking of boot, there’s a very very generous, if not verging, in an oxymoronic way, on slightly cavernous, with some really handy side pockets for those annoying little round things (or slidy things for that matter) that tend to wear furrows in the boot liner on their endless quest for somewhere to sit while on the way home each day.
The rear seats are very comfy, with ample space for even the tallest and most gangly of teenage sons and, being split-fold, are very versatile when it comes to lugging around awkward-shaped loads. The front seats are firm, but cradle you in a reassuring comfy way, although due to the depth of the front panel trim, the passenger side access did create a few bumped knees on occasions. However, once seated they were both supportive and comfortable.
Initial impressions when driving were..... blimey! The car flies! It is very lively, getting you up to the legal thresholds in next-to-no-time. Beaming smiles spread across the boys’ faces when pedal was pushed gently but decisively to metal. Despite this, there was hardly a murmur from the exceptionally quiet 1.6L turbo-diesel. It is a refreshingly responsive 115-horse power-plant which, when pushed, is tremendously impressive, occasionally making you completely oblivious to the fact that it’s still a diesel!
Push me harder...
The cee’d LOVES open, windy roads – In fact it absolutely relishes them! It seems to whisper into your ear.. “come on, push me harder – c’mon – please!” It seems the more you ask of it the better it delivers its promise. It handles superbly and even when nudging it towards its limits it gives you a friendly and gentle warning before any hint of understeer. It is all delivered almost in a “well done” form by the little man behind the dash who keeps winking at you and saying “that was good, wasn’t it!.... Want to do it again?”.
On virtually every occasion the little man in my alter-ego tapped the inside of my head and said “Oh, yes pleeeaaassseee!”. The fun of throwing the cee’d around is positively addictive! I found myself so frustrated on one occasion when I saw a convoy of “Sunday Motorists” ahead of me that I almost turned around to go back and do it all again. My love of driving was well and truly rekindled, almost back to my first years of driving, before my sense of responsibility achieved equilibrium with youthful excitement, adventure and adrenaline. Irrespective of age, everyone is entitled to some fun and the cee’d offers this by the kilo!
So, what did the passengers think? Well, I have a confession to make here….. they didn’t share the pleasure of my ‘fun runs’ as I think such antics would probably have jeopardised a week’s worth of domestic and romantic harmony. However, if there were any comments worth noting it was that, even thought the seats were comfortable, and the car exuded an uncharacteristic opulence for its meagre price tag, it was a little ‘bumpy’, ‘bouncy’, ‘firm’…. In other words, maybe a bit more of a driver’s car than a passenger’s. Notwithstanding the slightly negative comments about the ride, it was very competent and beautifully put together. The lads were more impressed than the girls and, who knows, when they’re older, more affluent and less media-guided, they might even consider buying one themselves! They had a lot of fun being out in it with their suddenly rejeuvenated Dad! They even had somewhere to plug in their MP3 players to listen to something other than Radio2 and the obligatory ‘Floyd.
Serious contender
All-in-all the cee’d is a moderately priced, serious contender to some of the other market-leading hatchback cars out there. In fact, in my opinion, it exceeds some of them in many ways. It has put the ‘fun and excitement’ option back into the small family car, delivering it in a smart, attractive and cost-effective way. It also has one of the most comprehensive warranties available in Europe today.
The cee’d has been sown. Let’s see what the harvest brings!
Nigel Crawford,
13 March 2007
Specification and pricing:
Standard specification Trim level – ‘S’
Exterior
15-inch steel wheels
Full wheel trims
Space saver spare wheel
Body coloured bumpers
Interior and comfort
Air conditioning with air quality filter and cooled glove box
Electric front windows
60:40 split folding rear seats
Rake and reach adjustable steering wheel
Fully integrated CD-player with AM/FM RDS radio and full MP3 compatibility
Steering wheel mounted audio controls
Four-speaker audio system
Tinted glass all round
Motor driven power steering
Trip computer
External temperature gauge
Two front cupholders
12V power outlet in centre console
Variable speed windscreen wipers
Rear wash/wipe
Vanity mirrors for driver and passenger
Headlamp levelling adjustment
Driver and passenger seat lumbar adjustment
Drivers seat height adjustment
Safety and security
Twin front airbags
Passenger airbag deactivation switch
Twin front side and full-length curtain airbags
Front driver and passenger seatbelt height adjustment
Front seatbelt pre-tensioners and load-limiters
ISOFIX top tethers and lower anchor points
ABS with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD)
Thatcham approved engine immobiliser
Central locking with deadlocks
Rear seatbelt reminder (not on 1.4-litre models)
Five height adjustable head rests
Driver and front passenger seat active headrests
Speed sensitive auto door locking
Auto-unlock on impact detection
Servicing and warranty
Recommended service interval of 10,000-miles
Seven-year 100,000-mile manufacturer warranty made up of five-years bumper-to-bumper plus two-years powertrain
Five-year manufacturer paint warranty
Ten-year anti-perforation warranty
Three-years roadside assistance
Standard specification Trim level – ‘GS’
As ‘S’ trim specification plus;
16-inch alloy wheels with 205/55 R16V tyres
Locking wheel nuts
Body coloured electric and heated door mirrors
Electric front windows with anti-trap safety mechanisms
Twin USB & AUX input ports (with full iPod compatibility from mid-2007)
Six-speaker audio system
Remote central door locking
Leather Pack (leather trimmed steering wheel, handbrake lever, gear selector and console arm rest; metallic finish to handbrake button; floor-mounted console)
Standard specification Trim level – ‘LS’
As ‘GS’ trim specification plus;
Full climate control with Air Quality Control System
Half-leather upholstery with seatback pockets
Illuminated vanity mirrors for driver and passenger
Electric rear windows with anti-trap safety mechanisms
Front fog lamps
Body coloured door handles
Roof mounted front map lamp with sunglasses case
Illuminated ignition barrel
Adjustable dash light control
Metal ‘soft paint’ centre fascia
Metallic finish to interior door handles
Two-DIN armrest storage box
Two rear cupholders
Four boot mounted luggage net hooks
Dual-tone warning horn
Low-level washer fluid warning
16-inch alloy wheels with unique design
Pricing
| Power
train |
Trim
| Power
- bhp |
Torque
– Nm |
CO2
| mpg
| O-T-R
| | 1.4-litre
| S
| 105
@ 6200 rpm | 137
@ 5000 rpm | 145
| 46.3
| £10,995
| | 1.6-litre
| S
| 122
@ 6200 rpm | 154
@ 4200 rpm | 152
| 44.1
| £11,495
| | 1.6-litre
CRDi | S
| 90
@ 4000 rpm | 235
@ 1750-2500 rpm |
125
| 60.1
| £12,245
| | 1.4-litre
| GS
| 105
@ 6200 rpm | 137
@ 5000 rpm | 145
| 46.3
| £11,745
| | 1.6-litre
| GS
| 122
@ 6200 rpm | 154
@ 4200 rpm | 152
| 44.1
| £12,245
| | 1.6-litre
auto | GS
| 122
@ 6200 rpm | 154
@ 4200 rpm | 165
| 40.9
| £13,245
| | 1.6-litre
CRDi | GS
| 90
@ 4000 rpm | 235
@ 1750-2500 rpm |
125
| 60.1
| £12,995
| | 1.6-litre
| LS
| 122
@ 6200 rpm | 154
@ 4200 rpm | 152
| 44.1
| £13,245
| | 1.6-litre
auto | LS
| 122
@ 6200 rpm | 154
@ 4200 rpm | 165
| 40.9
| £14,245
| | 1.6-iltre
CRDi | LS
| 115
@ 4000 rpm | 255
@ 1900-2750 rpm |
125
| 60.1
| £14,245
|
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