Used Kia Proceed (Mk3, 2019-date) buyer’s guide: stylish, sporty and spacious

Verdict

When the Proceed was launched, Kia made a big thing about the fact that it was designed, engineered and built in Europe, to ensure that it fitted in with Continental tastes and, more importantly, roads. This is certainly a car that looks the part, but the Proceed’s beauty isn’t merely skin-deep. It’s enjoyable to drive, well made, well equipped and offers decent value for money, too. As a halo model for the Ceed range, even the cheapest editions are relatively luxurious, but venture further up the range and the ambience is noticeably better. The range-topping GT feels more special than most other estate cars available for the same money.

It’s 50 years since the Volkswagen Golf was launched, and across all eight generations so far, you’ve known exactly what you’re getting. The same goes for decades of BMW 3 Series and 5 Series sales, but not every maker is so consistent. 

Take Kia, which introduced its tiresomely named pro_cee’d in 2007 as a rather underwhelming three-door hatchback. By the time the Mk2 was launched in 2013 it was sportier, but still just a three-door model. 

Then in 2019 came the all-new third-generation car with a much tidier name (Proceed), but it was now a sleek five-door estate that took the best of everything that the Ceed Mk3 had to offer, then wrapped it up in a more stylish package. But is the very different Proceed Mk3 worth a punt?

History

The Proceed went on sale in the UK in January 2019. Buyers could pick between 138bhp 1.4-litre and 201bhp 1.6-litre T-GDi turbocharged petrol engines or a 134bhp 1.6 CRDi diesel. All were available with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission (dubbed DCT by Kia), while the 1.4 T-GDI and 1.6 CRDi engines were also offered in six-speed manual form. 

A revised Proceed went on sale in October 2021, with a refreshed nose and tail design, along with an updated engine line-up. There was now no diesel; instead there was a choice of 158bhp 1.5 T-GDi or 201bhp 1.6 T-GDi petrol engines. Once again, the 1.5 T-GDi engine came in six-speed manual or seven-speed auto forms, whereas the 1.6 T-GDi powerplant was still offered only with the latter.

Which one should I buy?

Thanks to standard-fit turbochargers across the range, all engines are perky and work well with the six-speed manual or seven-speed automatic gearboxes. 

Equipment is generous too, although there were generally only two trim levels to choose from. The GT-Line came with 17-inch alloys, privacy glass, cruise control, electrically folding door mirrors, heated front seats, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, navigation with a 10.25-inch display, rear parking sensors and a rear camera. 

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The range-topping GT-Line S added an opening sunroof, LED headlights, leather and suede trim, a 10-way electrically adjustable driver’s seat, heated outer rear seats, adaptive cruise control, an eight-speaker JBL premium sound system, wireless phone charging and extra driver- assistance systems. The 1.6 T-GDi came with GT trim, which was based on GT-Line but with sportier design flourishes.

Alternatives to the Kia Proceed

The Mercedes CLA Shooting Brake is the Proceed’s closest rival in that it’s a compact estate that favours rakish looks over practicality, but your money won’t go very far compared with the Kia. Prices start at £7k for a Mk1 (from 2014), whereas the Mk2 (from 2019) costs from £20,000. 

A less obvious alternative is Kia’s own Ceed Sportswagon, which was launched in autumn 2018; this shares much with the Proceed but has a more practical estate-car body. Prices start at just £7,000. 

All of your other options are also ordinary family estates, such as the Peugeot 308, Ford Focus, Vauxhall Astra and SEAT Leon. You should also consider the Toyota Corolla as well as the VW Golf.

What to look for

Spare

Apart from the Lunar Edition (right), all Proceeds have a tyre mobility kit, but a space-saver spare wheel can be accommodated.

Special edition

At launch there was a GT-Line Lunar Edition, which had an opening sunroof, LED headlights and a space-saver spare wheel.

Power

The 1.4 and 1.5 T-GDi engines are the most popular, but they are short on low-down torque, making them easy to stall when setting off.

Servicing

Kia offers servicing packages which match the Proceed’s seven-year warranty. These can be purchased up to the car’s fifth year.

Reliability

Kia’s cars are famed for their impressive reliability, backed up by a seven-year warranty. The reputation is deserved, too; scour owners’ forums and you’ll find odd instances of glitches cropping up, but nothing in the way of fault patterns, which is very encouraging.

Interior

There’s not that much to separate the Proceed from the Ceed hatchback, which is both a good and a bad thing. That’s because the Ceed’s dashboard is easy to get on with and built to a high standard, but it lacks the wow factor that the Proceed has on the outside. 

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Passenger space is good rather than outstanding; the lowered roofline means six-footers might struggle for headroom, although there’s plenty of legroom. Boot space is also pretty good, at 594 litres with the back seats in use or 1,545 litres with them folded. While the range-topping GT-Line S has a 40:20:40 split facility, all other models have a 60:40 set-up.

Prices

Just one in 12 Proceeds is a diesel, and these are usually cheaper as petrol-engined cars have generally covered a lower mileage. Meanwhile, almost half of the Proceeds on the used market are fitted with an automatic transmission.

To check prices on a specific model head over to our valuation tool.

Running costs

All Proceeds need a service every 12 months, but while there’s a 10,000-mile limit for petrol models, the 1.6 CRDi stretches this to 20,000 miles. Services are minor or major, and the diesels are priced at £75 and £229-£379, the latter being for the fourth service. 

Things aren’t as clear for petrol Proceeds, with the first six services priced at £152, £234, £152, £268, £282 and £234. New brake fluid is needed every two years and coolant every 10 years or 100,000 miles, but the costs for these are included in the service. While the petrol engines are chain driven, the diesel has a cambelt that’s replaced every 16 years or 160,000 miles (but inspected at eight years/80,000 miles), at a cost of around £500. 

Recalls

Kia has an impressive track record when it comes to recalls, because it rarely issues them. The Proceed Mk3 is a case in point in that it has never been the subject of a safety-related recall in the UK, and neither have either of its predecessors. 

In the five years since the Proceed Mk3 was launched in the UK, Kia has issued 19 recalls across its model range, which averages out at less than four per year. Those recalls were aimed at the Soul, Stinger, Picanto and Sorento along with the Sedona, Optima and Niro. 

Most of these campaigns were launched because of electrical or electronics problems, but there was one for faulty rubber fuel hoses (which could lead to fuel leaks in the engine bay), along with another because cars could roll away due to a faulty parking brake.

Driver Power owner satisfaction

As part of the Ceed model range, the Proceed isn’t listed separately. In 2020 the Ceed Mk3 made its Driver Power New Car debut in 18th place; in 2021 it moved up to 17th, then 16th in 2022 before jumping to 10th in 2023. That was its last Driver Power appearance, with owners loving its value, design, quality, comfort, ride quality and servicing costs. But not the infotainment systems or the powertrains.