Test Car Specifications
Model: 2024 Kia XCeed GT-Line S 1.5 T-GDi
Price: XCeed from £24,325, GT-Line S from £31,900
Engine: 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol
Transmission: seven-speed automatic, front-wheel drive
Power: 160hp
Torque: 253Nm
Emissions: 142g/km
Economy: 44.8mpg
0-62mph: 8.9 seconds
Top speed: 129mph
Boot space: 426-1,378 litres
Styling
With the latest-generation XCeed, Kia has made a handful of minor styling upgrades, but they're very minor updates. At a glance, you'll struggle to spot the difference between the new model and its predecessor. Look closely, however, and you'll see new lights, a new grille and some revamped bumpers. But the overall look is much the same, with the can't-believe-it's-not-an-SUV styling, slightly raised ride height and overgrown hatchback proportions. It's quite a handsome thing, in its way, but it does feel like a strange halfway house between a family SUV and a family hatchback.
Interior
Kia hasn’t made too many changes to the XCeed’s interior, either, so it looks broadly similar to that of its predecessor. It isn’t identical, though, because upmarket models such as this GT-Line S version come with digital instrument displays and a new 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system, which is a step forward. Admittedly, it still doesn’t feel quite as upmarket or as fancy as some other brands’ systems, but it also feels more dependable, more responsive and more stable than some. Certainly, we’d pick it ahead of the Peugeot 308’s touchscreen, purely on the basis that it works how you want it to and when you want it to. Combine that with the clear, easy-to-read instrument display, and Kia is onto a winner – at least with customers who prioritise usability over showing off.
And that’s kind of how the XCeed feels inside, too. The design may not excite all that much, but it’s modern enough, and it feels nice and robust. The materials are generally pretty easy on the eye, too, and they’re largely very tactile, although one or two plastics below knee level feel a little on the cheap side. That said, it’s every bit a match for modern Volkswagen or Ford products, so even that isn’t really a criticism. Especially with a starting price of less than £25,000.
Practicality
Although the XCeed is much the same size as the Ceed hatchback, it’s slightly more spacious, with a marginally larger boot. Whereas your common-or-garden Ceed gets a respectable 395 litres of luggage capacity – more than you get in a Ford Focus or a VW Golf – the XCeed ups the ante with a 426-litre boot. Admittedly, the difference isn’t huge, but it puts the XCeed more on a par with the likes of the VW T-Roc. Cabin space is acceptable, too, with a roomy front section and sufficient room in the back for adult passengers, although the very tallest will find their hair brushing the roof lining. Legroom is also adequate, but no better.
Performance
The XCeed is available with a choice of engines – either petrol or plug-in hybrid – but our test car came with the 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine and a seven-speed automatic gearbox. With 160hp on offer, it provides more than adequate performance, and a 0-62mph time of 8.9 seconds is adequate without being spectacular. It’s reasonably refined, too, which makes it quite an easy thing to live with.
Less user-friendly is the six-speed automatic gearbox, which occasionally feels a little reluctant and awkward in the way it interacts with the engine. It isn’t disastrous by any stretch of the imagination, but it sometimes feels very slightly ill at ease. At least it provides slick shifting once it’s up to speed, and it’s fine on the open road. It gets paddle-shifters to help you select gears manually, too, which gives you a bit more control going down hills and the like.
It doesn’t do much damage to the fuel economy, either, and almost 45mpg on a long run is perfectly adequate for most. Carbon dioxide emissions of 142g/km aren’t too shabby, either, but company car drivers will almost certainly prefer the plug-in hybrid option.
Ride & Handling
In many ways, the XCeed drives exactly as it looks, without too much joie de vivre, but with little in the way of vices. The ride, for example, is pretty composed and mature, and it’s comfortable enough, although it isn’t quite as soft as you might expect given the raised suspension. It’s pretty good at motorway speeds, though, particularly compared with the plug-in hybrid version, but the worst of the lumps and bumps still make their way into the cabin at lower speeds, which is a shame. Still, it never feels unnecessarily harsh or jarring, so most customers will have few complaints.
Similarly, the handling is hardly exciting, but it isn’t worrying, either. Body control isn’t as good as it is in the lower Ceed – thank the raised suspension for that – and the car gets a bit of lean on in corners, but again, it isn’t the end of the world. The numb steering is more of an issue, but that makes it fairly easy to drive around town and it isn’t an issue on the motorway. Only on winding roads does it sap away any hope of enjoyment.
The overall impression, then, is one of a competent car that doesn’t excel in any area, but doesn’t struggle too much where it matters. Nobody will feel caught out by its behaviour in any way, and good seats mean it’s a reasonably comfortable thing in which to drive long distances. Visibility is generally pretty good, too, and the dimensions make it a nice size for urban driving, with a very slightly elevated driving position but no greater footprint than a standard Ceed.
Value
The XCeed range kicks off with the basic '2' model, which comes in at just over £24,000. That's not bad for such a roomy car with 16-inch alloy wheels, smartphone integration tech and a reversing camera. In fact, it's only about £1,000 more expensive than the equivalent Ceed hatchback. And even this range-topping GT-Line S version, with its bigger touchscreen, JBL sound system and part-leather upholstery, as well as a panoramic roof and 18-inch alloys, costs less than £32,000. That's only the price of a mid-range, 1.0-litre VW T-Roc.
Verdict
The new XCeed is a niche product – of that there’s no doubt – but it fits its brief perfectly, carrying on where the old car left off. This is one of those cars that doesn’t necessarily excite in any way, but it will slot perfectly into your life. It’s roomy, well built, and it should be pretty reliable. And for the target market, buying it on the basis that they need a family car that looks a bit different from the run-of-the-mill SUVs and hatchbacks, that’s exactly what it should be.
