In warranty terms it is ground-breaking stuff and even though it is not quite as it seems, it is still an amazingly generous deal that will give some rivals a few sleepless nights.

Although the seven year/100,000 miles guarantee only applies to the power train, it comes on top of the regular five-year manufacturer's warranty AND is transferable from one owner to the next.

It means that future owners will be able to buy a three-year-old model and still have four years protection left for the engine and transmission and two years for the other bits.

The car itself is an equally good deal. It is a family hatchback that is
smart, well-finished and hopefully classy enough to overcome the badge snobbery.

Pronouncing the name is more difficult. For reasons best known to themselves, Kia has called it the cee'd. There seems to be a trend among manufacturers to see who can come up with the weirdest name –
Nissan's Qash-qai is one – and the cee'd is the oddest so far.

In case you are wondering, it is pronounced "seed" and is derived from the days when it was a top-secret project. Then it was known simply as ED for European design and CE was added to reflect the Community of
Europe.

The odd punctuation is still a mystery – but the possibilities for puns are endless and regardless of the name, the car has everything it takes to succee'd.

This is the first product to come out of Kia's new factory in Slovakia. The bosses in Korea brought in German designers for the cee'd project and that European influence shows.

It is not exciting enough to stand out in the car park, but there is an air of quality about the car, especially the interior, and it feels really good to drive.

I felt an instant rapport with the 1.6 litre petrol model supplied by EMG Kia, at Lynn. It was comfortable, well-mannered and brisk and by far the best I have driven from Kia so far.

The ride is a bit bumpy, but it handles well and there is plenty of room inside and a decent, but shallow, boot. The seats, the controls and the finish are all first class and specification is high.

Even my S model which has the lowest level of equipment is generously
kitted out with air conditioning, all-round airbags, and electric front windows and there isn't a huge amount to be gained from moving up to the higher levels, apart from climate control, electric back windows, remote locking... and a higher price.

The 1.6S is in insurance Group 5 and will average around 45 miles to the gallon; but it is worth noting that the diesel equivalent will produce nearer 60mpg.

It is all down to how much you want to spend. The range starts at £10,995 for the 1.4 model, but it has got to be worth finding the extra £500 or so to move up to the next size engine.

The cee'd is a good allrounder that does everything expected of a family
hatchback and, if the salesmen can persuade buyers to get into the car in the first place, I reckon it will be deal done – even with the Kia badging.

The car, combined with the warranty and the "driveaway for £1" offer, has moved Kia's reputation up another notch and should sow the cee'd for another surge in sales.