PEOPLE don’t like to be patronised, and that goes for the car-buying public, too. However, if aliens visited earth and discovered that their spaceship was in no fit state for the return journey, found their breakdown cover didn’t include ‘tow-home’ and eventually concluded that their only option was to purchase a small to medium-size family car for the trip home, they might assume the opposite.

The fact is that it’s very difficult to find a genuinely bad car these days. Sure, some cars are better for some roles and budgets than other, but look hard enough and you’ll find that pretty much every car does something well. That means that manufacturers are prone to hyping their models to disproportionate levels in an attempt to catch the attention of buyers swamped with choices.

A back-handed compliment this may be, but the entry level Kia Ceed is a car refreshingly void of flair. Don’t get me wrong: it’s not boring. In fact it’s really quite attractive, but try as you might it’s hard to find a gimmick. It doesn’t need one. It’s quietly confident.

The Ceed sub-brand is clearly having a positive effect for Kia. The Korean manufacturer regularly unveils more stylish concepts for an international audience. But it’s hard to believe that it all started with the understated Ceed five-door.

The 1.4-litre petrol engine is the first step on the ladder. Producing a respectable 104bhp it’s a smoothly progressive little unit that provides a decent turn of speed. Its reasonably small capacity means it sometimes needs to be worked harder than the larger engines or small turbocharged units popular in the family hatchback segment, but using the five-speed gearbox and throttle to their fullest will ensure it’s rarely caught napping.

It’s not just the attractive exterior design that has been given a modern, European influence, either. The chassis has been designed to match the impressive quality available from other models in the competitive family hatchback segment, including the Ford focus, Vauxhall Astra, Volkswagen Golf and Toyota Auris.

It’s been largely successful. A suitably 21st century suspension set-up means it offers an accomplished ride and handling package. The 1.4-litre petrol engine doesn’t boast the power to exploit it to the full, but the impression of sure-footedness and natural stability is quickly given, which will reassure drivers with their families on-board.

The impressive ride quality works with strong road and wind noise suppression and a smooth engine to offer refinement that’s up there with the best. In fact, even in the base specification model, the interior is very nice place to be.