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The Kia XCeed sits between the Kia Ceed and Sportage in the maker’s range. It’s based on the former, but takes a few cues from the latter, helping to jazz up the regular family hatchback shape with the trappings of an SUV.
It’s a strategy we’ve seen several times before and to Kia’s credit, the XCeed does look more interesting than the Ceed it’s based on. It shares many of its strengths too, from decent driving characteristics to Kia’s long warranty, so if you’re already in the market for a Ceed, it could be worth adding the XCeed to your list.
Kia’s genre-straddling hatchback can count both regular family hatches and crossover SUVs among its rivals, but perhaps the closest in spirit is the Ford Focus Active, which has the same lifted, toughened-up hatchback appearance. Of course, the regular Ceed and Kia’s own Sportage are both worthy alternatives too.
The Kia Ceed is pretty much the definition of a sensible car: It’s a manageable size, has a fairly spacious interior and decently sized boot, a cabin design that packs plenty of kit but doesn’t confuse you with unnecessary technology, and a driving experience that should suit most owners. It’s just a little boring, which is where the Kia XCeed comes in.
The XCeed is largely the same car, just with a slightly higher ride height, and body cladding that gives it the appearance, if you squint a little, of a crossover or SUV. It’s a tried and tested solution and it’s as effective here as it has been on plenty of other models over the years.
The XCeed was launched in 2019 and updated in 2022. The update dropped a couple of the original engines, including a 1-litre petrol and 1.6-litre diesel, so just a 1.5 petrol and 1.6 plug-in hybrid remain. All the engines do the job though, and are matched by a comfortable ride quality (better than the regular Ceed), and fairly agile handling.
Inside you get a logical cabin layout, and while it’s beginning to age alongside newer Kias, it’s built well and everything is easy to use, including the touchscreen infotainment systems. Equipment levels are good too, and the XCeed is both refined and safe. There’s little you might call inspiring, but it’s more interesting than the standard Ceed.
The Ford Focus Active takes the same formula as the XCeed, and is worth considering as an alternative, particularly if you consider yourself a keen driver, as the Focus is quite entertaining on the road. The Mazda CX-30 is a candidate too, leaning slightly more towards an SUV body style, but with great handling and a classy cabin. Don’t discount the regular Ceed or the Kia Sportage either, and remember that even used models should still have several years of Kia’s seven-year warranty left.
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The entry-level 1.0-litre engine actually does a reasonable job of carrying the XCeed around, but the 1.5-litre petrol offers similar economy and better performance, so it’s worth seeking out if your budget stretches to it. The earlier diesel model may be worth a look for higher-mileage drivers, but its economy benefit on paper is only marginal.
When it comes to specification, all XCeeds are well equipped. ‘3’ trim is probably worth looking for over ‘2’ models, with a larger touchscreen infotainment display, heated seats and rear parking sensors each being desirable options. The GT-Line is also appealing, with similar kit to the ‘3’ and a few neat styling details, but it’s predominantly an appearance package so not worth paying too much extra for.
Kia mixes numeric and named trim levels with the XCeed, broadly split between two regular models and two GT-Line variants that have a sporty appearance and an equipment level that echoes that. All XCeeds have a high level of standard equipment so even the entry-level ‘2’ trim should satisfy most drivers.
The Kia XCeed’s dimensions are:
The Kia XCeed’s boot size is:
The plug-in hybrid model gets slightly cheaper VED or ‘road tax’ than the petrol and diesel variants, with a £170 yearly bill rather than £180. New buyers, who benefit from its low CO2 ratings, definitely get a better deal than used car buyers when it comes to tax.
Insurance groups for the Kia XCeed are very similar to those of the regular Kia Ceed, which is just further confirmation of how much the two cars share. The pre-facelift 1-litre cars in ‘2’ trim start in group 8, but there’s a bit more of a gap with the post-facelift 1.5 T-GDi cars, with the regular Ceed in group 14 and the equivalent XCeed in group 17. The plug-in hybrid in ‘3’ trim is in group 12, and a GT-Line S with the 1.5 T-GDi is group 18.
Read our full Kia XCeed review