Kia is set to pull the covers off of the Ceed hatch at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show. There are a lot of new details about the hatchback, but none is more important than Kia’s decision to spell the Ceed’s name the way it’s supposed to in the first place. Bye bye, apostrophe. We’re glad you’re gone.

I don’t recall a car whose name is as talked about as the Ceed. The decision to drop the pointless apostrophe opened the door for Kia to instead promote the car’s equally perplexing acronym. Apparently, “Ceed” stands for “Community of Europe, with European Design.” If that was the acronym all along, shouldn’t Kia have used a comma instead of an apostrophe?

Ok, mindless rant over.

Ultimately, the name is irrelevant compared to what the hatchback has to offer. The good news is that a lot about the Ceed has changed for the better with the arrival of the new model. The bodyshell and structure are largely new, though the suspension and a few of the engine options are carried over from the previous model.

Kia’s signature Tiger Nose grille remains as the centerpiece of the car’s front section. There are also hints of the Stinger scattered around the car’s design, particularly the arrangement of the lights and the aforementioned grille. Speaking of the lights, all versions of the new Ceed get those “ice cube” daytime running lights as standard. If you want to spice it up, LED headlamps are also available as options. Move to the rear, and you’ll see the Ceed sport more distinctive taillights than its predecessor.

There are a number of things in the interior that's also worth mentioning. Some of the controls remain the same, but the layout of the center console has changed. The most prominent of these changes is the position of the seven-inch display. Whereas it used to occupy the space below the A/C vents and was surrounded by toggles and buttons, the new display is now level with and flanked by the vents. The floating digital clock on the dashboard has gone by the wayside in favor of a more traditional — and cleaner-looking — dash. Prospective owners also get a range of options depending on the trim. Items like faux-leather, aluminum, glossy plastics, and real leather are all available as standard equipment on the right trim.

Power comes in the form of various engine options, including a 1.6-liter diesel that produces either 113 horsepower or 134 horsepower depending on the state of tune. A 1.0-liter gas unit is also available. That’s good for 118 ponies. There’s also a 1.4-liter naturally aspirated engine that can produce 99 horsepower and a range-topping 1.4-liter unit that has 138 horses at its disposal. All units come with a six-speed manual transmission, though there is an option to get a seven-speed double-clutch gearbox if you get either the 1.4-liter gas mill or its 1.6-liter diesel counterpart.

References

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