This is how the Kia Proceed comes out of the 100,000 kilometer test of AutoBild

But let’s start at the beginning. On Wednesday, February 19, 2020, this Kia will start working as editorial transport for our German colleagues from AutoBild. This example is equipped with a 1.6-litre turbo petrol engine with 204 hp, which is mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and delivers its power to the front wheels. This Proceed comes standard with its accessories. As options, he only received metallic paint and the Comfort Pack with electrically adjustable driver’s seat. And with the term ‘good in its accessories’ we have not exaggerated. It has a navigation system with live services, which has been updated over time. Towards the end of the endurance test period, the system was even equipped with a speed camera warning function.

Also on board are automatic air conditioning, digital instrumentation and an electrically operated tailgate. The car is also on 18-inch wheels, but larger wheels (which would look very good on this Kia) are unfortunately not an option. Also part of the standard equipment are comfortable sports seats with velor upholstery, which unfortunately do not have a variable legrest. Tall drivers would certainly appreciate it. As it is, tall people do not sit very pleasantly behind the sports steering wheel with its flattened underside. “Even when the seat is in the lowest position, I still have my hair against the headliner,” wrote a 1.97-meter-tall editor. Older drivers are not always fond of the dynamic Proceed. “On my way to a classics meeting I parked the car 200 meters away. That adolescent sound and the heavily tuned chassis are not my thing,” we read. Another colleague who considers classics to be of paramount importance was also not amused. “I have nothing against a nice exhaust note, but this is really the most fake synthetic sound I’ve ever heard.”

Uncluttered

The driving dynamics were also not to everyone’s taste. “The driving comfort is very poor and in Sport mode the steering reacts dangerously immediately,” the logbook says.

So is this a worthless car? No, certainly not, because many aspects are actually very good for each other. Take the Korean’s dashboard, for example, which is produced in Žilina, Slovakia. It looks clear and functional. The touchscreen has real rotary knobs for the volume and quick select buttons for the navigation map and the radio or the multimedia content. And under the control panel for the air conditioning we see buttons for the seat heating and ventilation and knobs for the temperature. It’s all easy to understand, so you don’t need a computer science degree for that. How nice that there are still manufacturers that allow the operation of relevant functions to take place with buttons and not let them disappear in unclear submenus for design reasons.

And while we’re in the car, we also have to talk about the design. “The view to the rear through the small rear window is a bad joke,” said a colleague. Another editor noted that the combination of a high seating position and a sloping roofline seriously interferes with all-round visibility.

Okay, so much for the criticism. Now it’s time for praise. He has deserved this beautiful looking car with its sporty sound. For a design masterpiece with more than 200 horsepower, the Kia is simply a bargain, especially considering the driving pleasure it offers, despite all the criticism. “The combination of engine and gearbox is really great. The engine picks up really nicely. You immediately forget that the Proceed has a displacement of only 1.6 liters; it also had could be a two liter.”

Solid impression

The Kia makes a solid impression. Over a distance of 100,000 kilometers the AutoBild editors topped up 0.4 liters of engine oil. The oil in the dual clutch transmission looked as if it had just been freshly filled after disassembly. That suits the transmission, which still feels new after 100,000 kilometers: no jerks and bumps when you drive away, it shifts smoothly and never reacts waveringly. We know from experience that this can be very different with a double clutch gearbox.

So if you are looking for a sporty station wagon-like, because you think a conventional station wagon looks boring and if you want to feel the road and not let the fun filter out, then you will be very happy with this car. However, love also means making concessions. Take the fuel tank. It should have a volume of 42 liters, but the moment the on-board computer indicates that refueling is required, no more than 34 liters can be added. Or the maintenance intervals. Yes, Kia offers a seven-year warranty with a maximum of 150,000 kilometers, but you must have it serviced every 15,000 kilometers, and at least once a year. For fresh oil and a simple check you will then lose about €200.

And what does the technical expert say about the Kia? After all, with such a professional, love does not play a role, it is only about quality. The report states that rust is visible after less than two years. It can be found on the longitudinal beams on the left and right on the inside, as it turns out after a check with the endoscope. The expert also discovers the first traces of rust on the thirteen welding points and one edge under the heat shield at the rear near the luggage compartment. It’s not serious yet, but after less than two years it shouldn’t be there. The rust formation has a cause. “The protective wax was not applied evenly,” the statement reads. So that is another point for improvement for Kia, just like the quality of the plastics in the interior.

Wear marks are visible in the upper bearing shell on one of the connecting rod bearings. The expert has a different explanation for this. “That must have happened in the run-in phase,” he says. However, the engine can handle it for a while, as evidenced by the barely measurable oil consumption.

All in all, it still hurts to see the Kia disassembled in the workshop. Rarely did such an affordable car make the heart of the editors beat faster than this Kia.

Curious about the experiences of AutoWeek readers with the Kia Proceed? Be sure to read the user reviews!

Curious about our experiences with a Kia Ceed 1.0 T-GDI? Then watch this video.