The KIA XCeed combines hatchback with SUV styling, appealing to buyers a little chunkier than the average family car. In practice this means KIA has added heftier bumpers, smart plastic wheel arches and a stout set of roof rails—the result being a dramatically bulkier silhouette. And, to further underline the XCeed’s SUV aspirations, KIA has raised the suspension 44mm and introduced softer settings and more intelligently designed dampers, with a view to making a comfortable but still overall sporty driving experience.
There’s more changes, too: while the wheelbase remains the same as that of the KIA Ceed hatchback, the XCeed is longer overall, rendering it more practical and giving it a bigger boot. The XCeed also brings two petrol engines, including a plugin hybrid version, which adds an electric motor and chargeable battery, enabling you to drive the XCeed like an electric car on shorter journeys.
Equipment, options and extras
We recommend sticking with the entry-level 2 trim: it’s well equipped for the price, including 16in alloy wheels, aircon, keyless entry, automatic lights, cruise control, visibility aids and a touchscreen infotainment system.
The 3 trim brings 18in alloys, keyless entry and go, dual-zone climate control, powered lumbar adjustment, and heated front seats and steering wheel. Note that the plugin hybrid is available only at this trim level, although it does add drive modes and adaptive cruise control which will bring you to a halt in traffic.
The G5-Line introduces sportier styling both inside and out-: unique rear lights, flat-bottomed steering wheel, aggressive-looking bumpers, and GT-Line–specific sports seats with suede inserts. Finally, the range-topping GT-Line S brings leather trim, electric tailgate, heated rear seats, electric driver’s seat adjustment and memory, and practical 40–20–40 split-folding rear seats.
Costs, insurance groups, mpg and CO2
If you opt for the entry-level XCeed with 1.5 T-GDi petrol engine, you’ll enjoy a highly competitive cash price. It sits slightly above the regular KIA Ceed, level with its rival the Mazda 3, and undercuts pretty much everything with an equivalent engine, including its competitors the Ford Focus, VW Golf, SEAT Ateca and Škoda Kamiq.
On the other hand, the XCeed plugin hybrid is a far pricier cash purchase, although it makes more sense if you’re a company car driver because of its lesser tax rate. It sits in the same tax band as its rivals the Renault Captur plugin hybrid—but the Škoda Octavia iV has lower emissions still, not to mention a longer electric range. Both of these benefits makes the Octavia iV’s tax payments even cheaper.
Finally, note that charging the XCeed’s 8.9kWh battery takes just over two hours using a wall-mounted charger.
Safety and security
Since Euro NCAP found the KIA Ceed—on which the XCeed is based—wanting when it came to protecting the driver’s head from the steering wheel in a front collision and protecting the chest during a side-on collision with a pole, KIA has fitted more advanced features, including automatic emergency braking—and not just to the top-tier 3 trim cars, but to all versions of the XCeed. The XCeed also comes with lane-keeping assistance, traffic sign recognition and a driver attention alert system as standard. The range-topping GT-Line S trim also comes with blind spot monitoring.
Reliability
The XCeed comes with KIA’s 7-year, 100,000-mile warranty—the longest available as standard on a new car.
The Car Planet verdict
The XCeed is roomier and a better drive than most of its rivals in the SUV class, and it’s great value for money, too. The plugin hybrid brings especially low running costs.
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