Kia Proceed interior

You might expect this Proceed’s cabin to exude similar levels of premium appeal to those of the compact Audis, Mercedes and BMWs you could otherwise spend your near-£30,000 on.

But the car doesn’t quite deliver against that expectation; there’s just not enough here to differentiate the Proceed’s cabin from that of the regular Kia Ceed, or to allow it to mix at a fairly rarefied price point comfortably. The related Ceed’s cabin is, of course, generally well-built, ergonomically sound and well-equipped, and is certainly not wanting for adjustability in the driver’s seat or steering column. And the same is true of the Proceed’s.

Sloping roofline does eat into rear head room fairly significantly, while leg room is far from abundant. The second row of a Proceed is not an ideal place for tall adults

Matt Saunders

Road test editor

At this price, however, it’s a touch disappointing to find that the car retains a number of hard-feeling, scratchy plastic mouldings; that its doorbins remain unlined; and that the only noticeable example of any design flair is some contrast stitching for the leather seats.

Opting for the Proceed’s handsome shooting brake profile means you’ll have to be prepared to compromise a bit on practicality, at least in one respect. Head room in the back has been reduced from 940mm in the Ceed to 890mm in the Proceed, while leg room has also taken a hit.

In the regular hatch, we measured a typical rear leg room figure of 720mm, compared with 670mm in the shooting brake: most likely a function of the car’s lower hip point. However, what you miss out on in terms of passenger space, you gain back in luggage capacity. The Proceed comes with a 594-litre boot, which is plenty given its reasonably small overall footprint.