Kia takes a slightly unusual approach to the lower-medium car market. As well as the more conventional Ceed hatch and Ceed Sportswagon estate, it also offers the Proceed, a sort of sportier looking, sleeker estate of the type Kia and other manufacturers refer to these days as a shooting brake (though car enthusiasts will debate the accuracy of that term). Nomenclature aside, the Proceed was recently facelifted alongside the other Ceed models, and we've had the chance to try the updated version, with exterior design changes including a new-look grille, redesigned bumpers - with a new gloss black diffuser added at the rear - and new headlight designs.

A look at the range line-up shows how Kia targets the Proceed more towards the higher end of the lower-medium segment. The entry-level Proceed is in the GT Line equipment grade - the top-spec grade in the Ceed range - and it sits below the higher-spec GT Line S grade tested here, as well as the range-topping GT performance model. Having the GT-Line S brings extra kit such as a smart-looking full 12.3in driver information display, while an accomplished 10.25in central infotainment touchscreen is standard throughout the range. We were also impressed by our test car's stylish and comfortable black leather and faux-suede seats. 

Space for rear-seat passengers is good, with the sporty roofline not unduly intruding on headroom, and an obvious advantage of the Proceed's estate profile is a big boot - 594 litres, just under 200 litres more than the Ceed hatch, although slightly smaller than the Sportswagon. Compared with the other grades in the Proceed range, GT-Line S comes with extra practicality features here, including 40:20:40 split folding rear seats (other grades are 60:40), a luggage rail system, and a powered tailgate. 

Our test car features the same 160hp petrol engine we previously tried in the Ceed, only this time paired with a seven-speed DCT automatic gearbox, which does a good job selecting the right gear at the right moment. The engine supplies enough power to enjoy a chassis that matches well with the Proceed's sporty appearance, feeling taut and staying nicely flat in corners, supplying the driver with plenty of confidence. With a lower ride height and more handling-focused suspension tuning than with the Ceed, the Proceed does feel firmer and allows more jiggling to intrude into the cabin from rough urban road surfaces, but it's far more pliant out of town, where its response to bumps is well-controlled.

Unsurprisingly, you do pay a bit more for the Proceed than the Ceed hatch - just over £800 more with equivalent GT-Line specs (the Sportswagon estate range only goes up to the lower 3 grade), and more again for the better-specced GT-Line S model. However, it's a price drivers could be tempted to pay for the combination of a sportier drive and increased practicality, wrapped up in a stylish package that doesn't really have any direct rivals elsewhere in the segment. That said, a lack of hybrid options with the Proceed (as indeed with the Ceed) means PHEV alternatives from other manufacturers will inevitably hold strong financial appeal.

Kia Proceed 1.5 T-GDi GT-Line S DCT