The new Kia XCeed crossover will cost from £20,795 when it arrives in UK showrooms in September.
The fourth member of the Ceed range, the car is described as an ‘urban crossover’ with ‘coupe-like design’, Kia saying that the XCeed’s design and its handling are sportier than is the norm with a traditional SUV. In fact Kia calls it a CUV – a ‘crossover utility vehicle’.
It will go on sale with a choice of 1.0-litre and 1.4-litre petrol engines and a 1.6-litre diesel, and in three trim levels, Kia’s now familiar grades of 2, 3 (starting from £23,295) and First Edition (from £28,095).
The XCeed has a higher ground clearance than its sibling models, which helps add 43mm to the car’s height, while it is also 85,, longer than the Ceed hatch. Kia adds, however, that the sloping roofline means that the car still sits lower than a typical SUV, giving the car a more dynamic and distinctive look.
According to its makers, the front door panels are the only exterior panels common to the XCeed and the Ceed hatchback. The front-end treatments are distinctly different and the crossover has bespoke 16- or 18-inch alloy wheels.
Current petrol options for XCeed buyers are the three-cylinder 1.0-litre T-GDi (Turbocharged Gasoline Direct injection) engine with 120hp and 172 Nm of torque, and a four-cylinder 1.4-litre T-GDi with 140hp and 242Nm.
The high-power 1.6-litre T-GDi engine found in the Ceed GT and ProCeed GT is also being specified for the XCeed, but is not yet being listed as a UK option. It produces 204hp and 265Nm.
There are also two 1.6 diesel options, both Kia’s Smartstream units described as the cleanest diesel engines ever produced by the brand and the most fuel efficient in the range. They offer 115 or 136hp.
All engines can be paired with a choice of six-speed manual or seven-speed dual-clutch transmissions, with the exception of the 1.0-litre, which is manual only. Kia has also indicated that the XCeed will gain mild hybrid and plug-in hybrid options in early 2020.
A highlight feature of the XCeed is Kia’s new ten-inch TFT LCD widescreen system. Standard on 3 and First Edition grades, it uses new telematics software that can be accessed using a smartphone app to offer the driver a range of information. This includes anything from whether the doors are locked to a record of the last month’s usage.
Other information includes live traffic, weather, and availability of parking spaces, while the system includes a split-screen mode, home screen customisation, and multiple Bluetooth connections.
Kia dealers are now taking orders for the XCeed.
