If you’re familiar with the dashboard of the five-door cee’d there’ll be no surprises in the pro_cee’d – it’s very much the same. That’s no bad thing as it’s a nice place to be. The stereo and centre console are angled toward the driver and the body-hugging seats are comfortable and supportive, making the pro_cee’d feel suitably driver-focused.

There’s a good range of adjustment for the driver’s seat (especially in SE versions, which include a powered lumbar support) and it’s possible to position the seat commendably low, which may help taller drivers or those who prefer a lower than average driving position.

It’s also worth noting that the throttle pedal is floor-hinged, which feels more natural and allows more precise control than the more common top-hinged arrangement found on many cars.

The main fascia has a gloss-black finish and there’s black headlining, as is the current fashion. There’s leather trim for the steering wheel and handbrake combined with black cloth upholstery for the seats. While it’s all been built down to a price, the pro_cee’d’s cabin doesn’t feel like that of a bargain basement car.

Chopped roofline or not, Kia pro_cee’d comfort levels haven’t suffered in comparison with its five-door sibling. Although very tall rear passengers may need to tilt their heads a little, you’ll fit two (or, at a push, three) average-sized adults in the back with no real problems.

The front seats have a heavily bolstered, deep-sided shape which offers plenty of support and our test car felt just as comfortable over both long and short trips.

Since the pro_cee’d isn’t aiming to be a performance hero, its suspension setup is fairly pliant and soaks up large bumps extremely well. The ride does occasionally get a little jittery over smaller bumps and potholes, but overall is very well controlled.

The main complaint is engine noise. Both the petrol and diesel powerplants are fairly vocal and sound quite harsh, especially when worked hard as they frequently have to be to make progress or complete overtaking manoeuvres safely.