The Cee’d is one of Kia’s safest ever models, receiving a five star Euro NCAP crash test rating. Six airbags (twin front, side and curtain airbags) are standard across the range. The front passenger airbag can be deactivated so a rear-facing child seat can be carried and there are two Isofix child seat mounting points in the rear. Active head restraints, which respond in a crash to help support the heads of front seat occupants and reduce the risk of whiplash injuries are also fitted.

Electronic stability control was available as an option on LS models but became standard on Cee’d 3 models when the model was facelifted.

A boot capacity of 340 litres (under the parcel shelf and behind the back seats) is competitive with other family cars like the Renault Megane and Volkswagen Golf, while the maximum space with the rear seats folded is 1,300 litres – also impressive. The boot floor is fairly wide and the rear seat backs fold flat (if you flip up the bases), but there’s a high lip and the tailgate opening isn’t particularly square, so loading heavy objects can be tricky.

The glove compartment (chilled on all models) is a decent size and there’s a storage compartment between the front seats.