One of Top Gear’s old “Reasonably Priced Cars” is for sale in the U.K., for what is still, arguably, a reasonable price.
This Kia C’eed may look like an ordinary hatchback, but it has had anything but an ordinary life. Referred to by former host Jeremy Clarkson as the “C-apostrophe-D,” it was used in Top Gear’s “Star in a Reasonably Priced Car” segment from 2010 to 2013. Celebrities like Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz took the Kia for hot laps of the Top Gear track to amuse audiences worldwide.
Having survived that, the C’eed is now available to buy through Auto Trader in the U.K. The asking price is 4,500 pounds ($5,809). Auto Trader pegs the average value of this model in private sales at 4,230 pounds ($5,461), so the Kia’s celebrity status hasn’t jacked up the price much. A full service history is included, according to Auto Trader.
After its time on Top Gear, the C’eed was returned to Kia for use as a promotional vehicle, according to Auto Trader. It was then sent to a dealership and sold to a private owner, with just over 3,000 miles on the odometer at the time. Granted, most of those miles consisted of barreling around a track in the hands of celebrities who didn’t always know what they were doing.
Shoppers must have been surprised to see this Kia sitting on a dealer lot, and not just because of its Top Gear connection. The car still has the Corbeau racing seats, racing harnesses, and roll cage installed for its Top Gear work. Those aren’t exactly features most used-car shoppers are looking for.
Due to the abuse they would take on the track, Top Gear replaced its Reasonably Priced cars regularly. The C’eed had a much better fate than its predecessor, a Chevrolet Lacetti (a small sedan sold in the U.S. as the Suzuki Forenza), which was crushed. The car that replaced the C’eed, a Vauxhall Astra, was auctioned off for charity.
Things haven’t been going smoothly for Top Gear lately. The show’s relaunch following the departure of Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May was widely panned, and lead host Chris Evans departed after just one season. Matt LeBlanc, Chris Harris, and Rory Reid returned for another season earlier this year, hoping to smooth out some of the bumps. The show’s U.S. spinoff will also return as Top Gear America on July 30.
