BUY, LEASE OR FINANCE A Kia XCeed FROM OSV: https://bit.ly/2U3jjvE

Kia adds another option to the Ceed range with this trendy XCeed SUV. Jonathan Crouch checks it out.

Market and Model

XCeed pricing kicks off from just under £21,000 and rises up to just under £30,000. There's a choice of '2' and '3'-spec variants, plus an initial 'First Edition' model. Grade '2' models get 16-inch alloy wheels, silver roof rails, a rear spoiler, LED bi-functional headlights, front projection fog lamps, LED daytime running lights and LED rear lights and rear fog lamps. Inside, the eight-inch touchscreen features Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility, together with a reversing camera system. Other equipment includes a leather trimmed steering wheel and gearshift, black premium cloth upholstery, automatic lighting control, electric front and rear windows with front auto up and down functionality, keyless entry, manual air conditioning and cruise control.

Move up to level '3' and there's 18-inch alloy wheels, privacy glass, electric and heated folding door mirrors and a window defogger. Step inside and there's a 10.25-inch navigation system with telematics, black cloth and part faux leather seat upholstery, heated front seats and steering wheel, dual-zone climate control, an electric park brake and rear auto up and down functionality for the electric windows, as well as a smart key and button start. The centre console features a sliding storage box for extra versatility and pedestrian detection is added to the Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (FCA) system on manual models and is an optional extra for DCT versions.

Cost of Ownership

The base 1.0-litre T-GDi petrol model manages 52.3mpg on the WLTP combined cycle and 124g/km of NEDC-rated CO2. For the 1.4 T-GDi petrol, the figures are 45.6mpg and 142g/km. Many XCeed buyers though, will want to fuel from the black pump. The CRDi powerplant on offer here is Kia's 'U3' diesel engine. Designed to go beyond the strict limits laid down by the latest Euro 6d TEMP emissions standard, this 1.6-litre Common-Rail Direct injection unit uses Selective Catalytic Reduction active emissions control technology to significantly reduce emissions. Hence a reduction in particulate matter and NOx compared to earlier Kia diesel engines. And improved CO2 readings of course.

Let's get to the figures. For the 1.6 CRDi diesel in 114hp form, it's 69.9mpg and 109g/km. Or 64.2mpg and 116g/km for the 1.6 CRDi in 134hp guise. Diesel buyers might be best off waiting for a little longer: both diesel units will soon be paired with a 48-volt mild hybrid setup, which should provide a modest boost to fuel economy. Kia will also shortly be offering a 1.6-litre petrol-powered plug-in hybrid version of this car.

As usual with Kia, there's a 7 year or 100,000 mile warranty which, since it can be passed from owner to owner, should help the impressively strong residual values. You might want to note that roadside assistance cover is limited to one year, but you do get a long 12 year bodywork warranty.

Summary

Kia thinks that this Crossover model will be its best selling Ceed derivative, which says much for the way the SUV craze is dominating customer thinking these days. Some might find this variant slightly pricey and space-wise, it doesn't actually offer you very much more practicality than you'd get in the ordinary hatch. Otherwise though, there's plenty to like here.

The engines are willing and the base 1.0-litre petrol unit is probably all you need. Plus there aren't really any dynamic downsides here, for opting into the crossover craze. In addition of course, there's the peace of mind of Kia's class-leading 7-year warranty. In short, if you're shopping for this kind of car, there's plenty of reasons why you might want this one.

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