Test drive Kia Ceed SW

The new Korean station wagon has the largest trunk in the class, a lot of expensive options, and finally learned to drive fast.

The golf class has a very difficult fate, especially in Russia. The problem is in the audacious B-segment: sedans and hatches like Hyundai Solaris, Skoda Rapid got close both in terms of equipment and dimensions. In addition, there are also inexpensive crossovers that appeal to all-wheel drive, a slightly higher seating position and decent trunks. In Kia with the new Ceed (by the way, AvtoTachki readers named it the best car of the year), they decided to make drastic changes: the hatch received expensive options, a turbo engine, a "robot", and it is also suspiciously similar to the Mercedes A-Class. Now is the time for the station wagon.

Yaroslav Gronsky has already compared the personal Ceed of the second generation with the new one - more elegant, faster and richly equipped. A station wagon is technically no different from a hatchback: the same platform, engines, boxes and options. Therefore, we will begin our acquaintance with the new product with its market prospects.

In general, Russians are very reluctant to buy station wagons: the share of sales of cars in such a body in 2018 accounted for only a little more than 4% (72 thousand cars). Moreover, the first place in terms of market volume was taken by Lada Vesta SW (54%), the second - by the Lada Kalina station wagon, but the previous Kia Ceed SW took the third place with a 13% market share. Ford Focus followed with a large lag (6%), and all other models shared 8%.

Kia explains that the SW is not a Stationwagon, but a Sportswagon. Indeed, the station wagon looks very fresh: there are full LED headlights, partially flowing into the front fenders, and a recognizable grille with chrome surround, and aggressive enlarged air intakes. In profile - a completely different look, but heavy, despite its impressive dimensions (it is almost the longest in the class), this station wagon does not look.

Another difference between the station wagon and the hatchback is its price. In comparable trim levels, the new product costs $ 518 –1 103 $. more expensive than a standard five-door. In the basic version with an atmospheric engine and "mechanics" SW will cost at least $ 14, while the same hatchback costs $ 097.

If we compare the Ceed station wagon with its predecessor, then the differences in dimensions by the standards of the class are significant. The length of the Ceed SW is 4600 mm, which is 95 mm more than the previous generation. In addition, it gained 20 mm in width, but became more squat, losing 10 mm in height. The maximum ground clearance remains the same - 150 mm.

All of these changes, on the one hand, have added a few millimeters of legroom in the front, as well as widen the cabin at shoulder level. But on the other hand, there is less legroom in the back, and the distance from the seat cushion to the ceiling has decreased immediately by 30 mm. There is no talk about the fact that the driver and passengers will rest their heads against the ceiling - you don't even notice it from the front. But those riding in the back will be less comfortable. The situation can be slightly improved by adjusting the backrest angle.

The car became longer primarily in order to make it possible to increase its trunk: now it is 625 liters instead of the previous 528 liters (+97 liters). Thus, the Ceed SW boasts the largest trunk in its class, surpassing even the Skoda Octavia station wagon in volume. But there is a nuance: if you expand the rear row, then the Czech car will have a slight advantage.

By the way, the Koreans seem to have spied on Skoda's “smart solutions”. Meshes, organizers, compartments for small items and convenient hooks - we have already seen all this in the Czechs, and now they are already offering similar things in Kia. By the way, during the load test of the luggage compartment, it turned out to be very useful to be able to fold the rear seats without getting into the car. To do this, simply pull the lever in the trunk. The fifth door is electrically operated, and in order for it to open automatically, you need to stand for three seconds with the key in your pocket on the back of the car.

There are three gasoline engines available for the Kia Ceed SW to choose from. These are aspirated with a volume of 1,4 liters and a capacity of 100 liters. from. paired with a six-speed "mechanics" and 1,6 liters (128 HP) in combination with "mechanics" and "automatic". The new Ceed can also be ordered with a 1,4 hp 140 T-GDI turbo engine. from. in combination with a seven-speed "robot".

During a test drive in Sochi, we first managed to try a version with a 1,6 liter engine and an automatic transmission. On long climbs in the mountains, the engine did not impress: long accelerations, a thoughtful "automatic", and we were driving an unloaded car. Ceed with a turbo engine is much more fun, but such an engine is put to a station wagon only in top-end performance.

With a choice of options, the Ceed SW is in complete order. For example, you can equip your car with adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, traffic sign reading and emergency braking. But all this is not cheap - you will have to pay $ 21 for the richest configuration.

With the release of the third generation Kia Ceed SW, the brand hopes to increase its share in the Russian market, which at the end of 2018 amounted to 12,6%. The Koreans offer a station wagon as an alternative to more expensive crossovers, but the most roomy golf class station wagon seems to compete with the same Skoda Octavia.

A type	Universal	Universal
dimensions (length / width / height), mm	4600/1800/1475	4600/1800/1475
Wheelbase, mm	2650	2650
Ground clearance, mm	150	150
Cargo space, l	1694	1694
Curb weight, kg	1269	1297
engine's type	Petrol, four-cylinder	Gasoline, four-cylinder supercharged
Working volume, cubic meters cm	1591	1353
Max. power, l. with. (at rpm)	128/6300	140/6000
Max. cool. moment, Nm (at rpm)	155/4850	242/1500
Drive type, transmission	Front, RCP6	Front, AKP7
Max. speed km / h	192	205
Acceleration from 0 to 100 km / h, s	11,8	9,2
Fuel consumption, l / 100 km (mixed cycle)	7,3	6,1
Price from, $.	15 007	16 696