Kia XCeed review

Here’s why you need to seriously consider the rationale of buying an XCeed: it’ll cost you a sizeable chunk of extra cash over the regular Ceed hatchback. And while the entry point of the range is cheaper than the cheapest Ford Focus, there are many more affordable and generally better family cars to choose from. Also, if you’re after an SUV there are cheaper alternatives there, too, including the Skoda Kamiq. At least the XCeed offers similar residual values to the Focus and Kamiq, though. 

When you look at its running costs, things don’t get any more compelling. No XCeed is particularly efficient relative to the best competition. Our pick of the range is the 1.0 T-GDi petrol because at least it keeps the price as low as possible and it’s more efficient than the 1.5 T-GDi for both emissions and average fuel consumption. 

Connect trim is really well equipped but it’s much more expensive and pushes the price into the territory of better cars, like the Skoda Karoq. But it comes with the upgraded infotainment system we’ve detailed, along with privacy glass, automatic wipers, power-folding door mirrors, climate control, a heated steering wheel, heated front seats and 18in alloy wheels. Anything above this is definitely too pricey for us to recommend.

Kia has a good reliability record, finishing ninth out of the 30 manufacturers featured in the 2021 What Car? Reliability Survey. That's only just behind Toyota, better than Skoda and a long way ahead of Ford and Volkswagen.