WHEN Kia's new transport of delight, the cee'd was launched the company bosses made it quite clear they had supreme confidence in this car.
So much so that they gave it a seven year mechanical warranty.
This is because Kia has pronounced it has the greatest faith not only in the car design, but also in the new factory in Zilina in Slovakia.
This warranty shatters anything that had previously been offered by a manufacturer trading in Europe.
Starting at under £11,000, the strangely named cee'd comes with driver and front passenger active head restraints and air conditioning as standard.
Yes, Kia is trying very hard indeed to be a genuine challenger to the European class leaders.
The cee'd is now making a concerted effort to carve a slice of the hotly-contested five-door hatchback market and is a formidable challenger, having netted awards including Best Diesel Hatchback in the What Diesel? awards.
Kia is a Korean manufacturer that has been around since the early part of the 1990s when the Pride, a rather poor supermini cloned from the old Mazda 121 was its introductory model in the UK.
But in recent years, Kia has soared ahead with its new state-of-the-art plant in Slovakia.
But what of the car's odd name?
Kia has borrowed the initials of the European Economic Community, reversed them, inserted an apostrophe and clipped on a 'd' - in trendy lower case. cee'd is pronounced seed and according to the manufacturer represents a major move into Europe.
The cee'd locks horns with cars like the Ford Focus and Vauxhall Astra and has a tough task on its hands.
I drove the 1.6-litre diesel option which is a mainstream choice. And it was an impressive car with 60mpg being attainable. There are two power choices available with the 1.6 diesel - 90 and 115bhp.
The five-speed gearbox was as good as anything else on the market but this car did demonstrate the need for a sixth gear because the engine seemed to be working just that bit too hard in fifth.
In fact a 2.0-litre diesel is a later addition with a six-speed manual gearbox, so maybe the six-speeder with be offered further down the range.
This car does offer a lot for the money, but I do have a niggle with Kias because the indicators and the wiper controls are on the wrong sides of the steering column for the UK.
This may be regarded as an eccentricity which many would get used to but I firmly believe that in the private sector of the market where the discerning buyer is faced with massive choice, this would be a turn off to many.
But otherwise, the cee'd has a vast amount going for it.
Standard specification on the entry level model includes air con, electric front windows, four-speaker sound system with CD player and MP3 compatibility with steering wheel-mounted controls, six airbags, trip computer, two cupholders and 12-volt power outlet.
With other engine options including a 1.4 and 1.6 petrol, this replacement for the Cerato is a hugely significant model for Kia which is now fast-tracking into many more European driveways.
FAST FACTS
Kia cee'd 1.6 CRDi LS 5dr
Price: £14,295
Mechanical: 113bhp, 1,582cc, 4cyl diesel engine driving front wheels via 5spd manual gearbox
Max speed: 117mph
0-62mph: 11.5 secs
Combined mpg: 60.1
Insurance group: 6
CO2 emissions: 125g/km
BiK rating: 18%
Warranty: 7yrs/ 100,000 miles, 3yrs paint, 6yrs anti-rust