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Look past the X in its name and the funky body cladding, the Kia XCeed is pretty much the old Ceed that’s been turned into a small SUV. It comes with a well laid-out interior and eye-catching styling, but it’s bumpy to drive and the interior displays lack polish.

Think of the XCeed as a labrador in a set of wellies. It’s not actually a St Bernard or a Foxhound, but it certainly looks ready for the outdoors.

There are newer alternatives which offer a bit more SUV practicality than the once-upon-a-time-a-hatchback XCeed, though. The Skoda Karoq, SEAT Ateca and Volkswagen T-Cross are prime examples, as are the sporty Ford Puma or the luxurious Peugeot 2008.

That being said, its hatchback roots means the XCeed is far sleeker-styled than the aforementioned cars. The rough-and-ready body cladding is at odds with the XCeed’s slender lights and narrow grille, yet with its tall ground clearance it actually looks very good.

Alas, the cabin is a bit dated compared to the latest crop of small SUVs, and it’s a bit dour as you’re lost in a sea of dark plastics, but it’s otherwise pleasant. Build quality feels solid and the buttons are well-laid out, while the standard-fit 10.3-inch infotainment display is crisp and responsive to the touch,

There’s a decent amount of room inside too, though it’s not equally spacious in the front and back. While front-seat passengers have more than enough room to get comfortable, the rear seat space isn’t as generous. Tall adults will feel cramped, but as a result you get a good-sized, 426-litre boot.

You can choose from two engines in the XCeed. Most trims get a 1.0-litre petrol engine with a manual or automatic gearbox, while the top-dog GT-Line S only comes in automatic form, but has a 1.6-litre petrol engine option.

It’s an easy car to drive, the XCeed. The light steering, throttle and brakes make it a breeze to drive around town; the clutch and gearbox are easy to operate too, while the tall suspension gives you a better view of traffic ahead than in most family hatchbacks. It’s just as comfortable on the motorway, while on a country lane the XCeed feels stable and secure - if unexciting.

Check out the latest deals on the Kia XCeed, as well as Kia XCeed lease deals. There are plenty of used XCeeds to choose from, or other used Kias, through our trusted dealer network. Á«»¨Ö±²¥ can help you sell your car when it’s time to make a change, too.

The entry-level Kia XCeed Pure starts at a hair over £25,000 with the 1.0-litre engine and manual gearbox. You’ll pay a hefty £1,100 premium for the automatic, but as standard it comes with 16-inch alloy wheels, touchscreen infotainment, LED lights and cruise control.

GT-Line cars are an extra £1,500 with the same engine and gearbox options, but come with 18-inch alloys, sportier bumpers, heated seats with synthetic leather trim, a heated steering wheel and privacy glass, making for a good value proposition.

Top-spec GT-Line S trim models are far more expensive, starting at over £31,000, but come with a digital driver’s display, JBL sound system, heated rear seats, glass sunroof, wireless charger and blind spot collision avoidance system - making it one posh small SUV.

The XCeed offers quite sprightly performance and a comfortable ride, but be aware that thick pillars and a fairly small rear window don’t help visibility

In town

The XCeed’s raised suspension means it’s great at soaking up the potholes and speed humps that pepper urban roads. So the ride is really comfortable. Sharp-edged ridges and bumps can thump through the car, but it’s never unsettled.

The driving position is good, too – the seat and steering adjust forwards and backwards, and up and down, to position them exactly where you want them. Thick rear pillars and a smallish back window restrict the view out of the back, but you get a reversing camera as standard to help with manoeuvring. The 3 trim level also has rear parking sensors, while the top-spec GT-Line S adds front sensors.

On the motorway

The petrol engines have enough grunt to get you up to motorway speeds comfortably, even if you have some luggage and passengers on board, but the larger 1.6 is naturally a stronger performer. Both options feel nippy, that being said.

Both engines are smooth and quiet, and the XCeed feels safe and solid at 70mph while the suspension is soft and the seats give good support. Long journeys can be quite enjoyable, and it’s certainly more relaxing than a Dacia Sandero Stepway, if not the Citroen C4-X.

On a twisty road

The XCeed feels much like a regular hatchback on a twisty road. It’s agile, the steering is light and responsive, and there’s plenty of grip. You trust it’s going to get you along the road safely, securely and comfortably. Again, the suspension soaks up holes and bumps well, so the car always feels stable, even if you hit a really big one mid-corner. The suspension’s extra height does mean the XCeed leans over a bit more than a typical hatchback, but it’s far from alarming.

The XCeed has plenty of space for family car duties, but back seat headroom is a tight bit for adults

Practicality

There are no complaints about space in XCeed’s front seats. There’s loads of head, leg and shoulder room. Only if you’re really very tall are you likely to need more. It’s easy to get comfortable and the raised suspension means the XCeed is easier to get into than a regular hatchback. You’ll probably still need to bend down a bit, but not as much.

There’s the usual selection of storage compartments: door bins that can hold a litre bottle, deep cubby hole under the centre armrest, a pair of cupholders in the centre console, phone tray in front of the gear stick and a decent-size glovebox. If you need more places to stash your stuff, check out the Citroen C4, which has a huge drawer in the dashboard.

Space in the back seats

Space in the back of the XCeed is pretty much exactly average. Children have room to stretch out, adults less so. Legroom is fine for anyone under six feet tall. Anyone taller than average might find headroom a bit tight, especially with the sunroof fitted to the GT-Line S model. Though the back is a bit gloomy without it.

Fitting a child seat is straightforward. The back doors open wide and the ISOFIX mounts are easy to find. You may have to adjust the position of the front seats for a rear-facing child seat. The suspension’s extra height means you don’t have to bend down much to help little ones in and out.

For storage, there’s biggish door bins, a pair of cupholders and pockets on the back of the front seats.

The XCeed has enough space for a young family but, if you need lots of passenger space, check out the Skoda Kamiq.

Boot space

The XCeed is a different, longer shape to the old Ceed hatchback, which creates a usefully larger boot. In fact, its 426-litre capacity is bigger than just about every alternative we’ve mentioned - though the Ford Puma beats the Kia with 456 litres.

The back seats fold down in two sections if you need to carry anything big and bulky. Just be careful of the back window. It slopes quite steeply and limits how much stuff you can cram in. Capacity with the rear seats folded is 1,378 litres.

It's all quite pleasant and straightforward inside, but remember that higher trims are the ones that get the full suite of connectivity

The XCeed’s dashboard layout is a doddle to get to grips with. The heating and ventilation is controlled by buttons and knobs, bucking the trend for touch-sensitive controls. Further up the dashboard, there’s a row of shortcut buttons (more on the steering wheel). The driver’s dials are easy to read and the digital display gives lots of useful information.

All models get a crisp, responsive 10.3-inch touchscreen display for the infotainment. It’s a decent system featuring sat nav, DAB radio and Bluetooth, plus all the vehicle settings and Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.

Other standard features include air con, cruise control, four electric windows and keyless entry. Upgrading to the 3 adds dual-zone climate control, and heated front seats and steering wheel. The top-spec GT-Line S also has a 12.3-inch digital drivers display, leather seats, wireless charging pad and an opening panoramic sunroof.

The 1.0-litre petrol has an official fuel economy of up to 47mpg in manual guise, while the 1.6-litre engine is claimed to hit up to 42.1 - not great for this type of car. Pretty much every alternative is more efficient. For comparison the Citroen C4-X, and Skoda Kamiq can exceed 50mpg, according to the official figures.

Vehicle excise duty isn’t too cheap either, as the XCeed doesn’t come with a plug-in hybrid or electric engine option. The 137-139g/km of CO2 the 1.0-litre engine options emit means it’s in a middling road tax bracket, but the 1.6-litre engine emits 152g/km of CO2 - and it costs almost three times as much to tax as a result. Ouch.

All models escape the luxury car supplement between years two-to-six as they cost under £40,000, fortunately.

The safety experts at Euro NCAP haven’t assessed the XCeed, but the safety tech fitted to the XCeed includes automatic emergency braking, lane keeping assist, driver attention monitor, speed limit recognition and adaptive cruise control - depending on which model you get.

Kia came 18th out of 31 manufacturers in the 2025 Driver Power owner satisfaction survey, which is on the lower end of the results table and not an impressive result. That being said, we’re not aware of any serious XCeed issues - and there haven’t been any recalls, either.

Kia’s seven-year/100,000-mile warranty gives you the reassurance of long-term, manufacturer-backed support, but it’s still blown out of the water by Toyota offering a ten-year, 100,000-mile warranty with regular dealer servicing.