It will offer unrivalled...

It will offer unrivalled peace of mind without breaking the bank. But why? Because while a typical two-year aftermarket warranty costs more than ?400, Kia’s confidence-boosting package won’t mean a hike in used prices.

In fact, Martin Ward from industry analyst CAP Monitor is convinced it will make no difference to the resale price of the Cee’d – and he doubts rivals will be forced to follow suit.

“There’s no evidence Hyundai’s five-year warranty has affected used values,” he told us. “The Cee’d doesn’t vary dramatically from anything else in the segment, and won’t compete with the class’s best in three years’ time.”

It’s a view echoed by Glass’s Guide forecasts editor Jason King. He said: “There is no reason why the Cee’d should be worth any more than the competition. Common sense dictates you are not going to pay more for a used Cee’d than, say, a second-hand VW Golf.”

A lack of confirmed prices makes it hard to predict residuals, although the base Cee’d 1.4 S should be just under ?11,000 new. You would normally expect certain things when buying a three-year-old car – 30,000 miles on the clock, for instance. But with four years of warranty remaining, a used Cee’d looks set to make a cracking purchase. It’s just a shame you’ll have to wait for second-hand examples to reach the forecourt.