Term
Initial payment (months)
Term
Initial payment (months)
Leasing this car includes.
Manufacturers warranty
In the event of an unexpected mechanical issue, you're all covered!
Road tax
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Breakdown cover
Just in case worst comes to worst. You'll never be left stranded.
130 mph
Top speed
158 bhp
Power
8.4 secs
0-62
1482 cc
Engine size
51.4 mpg
Fuel consumption
125 g/km
CO2
Petrol
Fuel
Front Wheel Drive
Drive-train
Key features.
If you’re a traditional family hatchback customer, you could just plump for a Focus, a Golf or any other hatch from a household brand name. But when you could get a Ceed, why would you? Connectivity that inspires.
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Kia has added a bit of extra polish to its third generation Ceed family hatch. Jonathan Crouch drives it.
Ten second review.
This improved version of Kia's third generation Ceed has further sharpened its proposition in the Focus-class family hatchback segment, with smarter looks, extra technology and stronger standards of safety equipment. As before, value continues as a strong suit and there's an industry-leading warranty. Potentially then, there's a lot to like here.
Background.
If you want to better appreciate just why Kia is one of the world's fastest growing automotive brands, you've only to look at this car, the Ceed family hatchback. The Slovakian factory that builds it only opened its doors in 2006 yet already, way over a million Ceed models have been built. Automotive historians will look back at the original version of this car (then badged 'cee'd') as a landmark design, the first to take on the European and Japanese market leaders on their own terms in the volume Focus and Golf-dominated Family Hatchback sector. Built in the heart of Europe, it was targeted at the heart of the European motor industry, hence the unusual name, a combination of the French abbreviation for European Community (CE) and this car's project title (ED). It shamed the established players by matching their quality while massively undercutting their prices and offering an astonishingly long 7-year warranty. But times change - and so do market segments. So in 2018, Kia re-designed this MK3 'CD'-series model with a more athletic look and added more efficient engines and extra technology. Then enhanced the whole package three years on, creating the car we're going to look at here.
Design and Build.
As before, there's a choice of five-door hatchback, Sportswagon estate and ProCeed shooting brake body styles. Facelifts are usually about a bit of a nip and tuck, but this one sees a completely redesigned front end, with smarter headlamps flanking a 'tiger nose' front grille upgraded to a black gloss finish with satin chrome highlights. Even more overt are the two large side air intakes shooting through the front bumper, creating a sportier look. At the rear, the surface between the LED combi lamps has been smoothed out to accommodate the company's latest brand emblem. And a glossy black diffuser has been added to the sportier rear bumper. It's all a bit more up-market inside too, Kia having worked on the interior decor, introducing sophisticated soothing colours and more tactile materials. If you haven't tried a Ceed for a bit, the main change you'll notice with this current one is the addition of a frameless 10.25-inch centrally mounted display with infotainment, navigation and telematics connectivity features. Driver-centric in its layout, the centre console is angled slightly towards the driver's seat for ease of use on the move. In the rear, there's decent shoulder room for rear passengers by class standards. And out back in the standard hatch, there's a reasonable 395-litre boot. It's 594-litre for the ProCeed shooting brake and 625-litres for the Sportswagon estate.
Market and Model.
The Ceed remains one of the most affordable choices in the family hatchback segment, though that value proposition's been tempered slightly inb recent times because customers are restricted to a single, relatively powerful 1.5 T-GDI petrol engine. There are four trim levels though, '2', 'GT-Line' (which is what most choose), then '3' and 'GT-Line S', the latter swapping the usual 6-speed manual gearbox for a DCT automatic. Across the range, prices start from around £22,500 and range up to around £31,000 for the hatch. There's also an alternative Sportwagon estate, only offered in '2' or '3'-spec with the same engine and prices from just over £23,000. Whichever kind of Ceed you choose, you'd expect to find it decently equipped - it is - but the key change with recent updates lies with the availability of even more 'ADAS' ('Advanced Driver Assist') systems, Kia having updated its 'Driver Attention Warning' and 'Blind-spot Warning' systems. In addition to the car's seven standard airbags, included safety kit runs to High Beam Assist, Lane Keeping Assist and Forward Collision Warning autonomous braking with Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist. Connectivity's taken a step forward with this car in recent times too - not only with a larger 10.25-inch centre stack monitor but also with telematics. The brand now offers its 'Kia Connect' smartphone app which allows customers to connect remotely with their cars. A new 'User Profile Transfer' feature enables users to back up their in-vehicle Kia Connect preferences via the cloud and transfer settings from one vehicle to the next.
Cost of Ownership.
The latest Smartstream engine technology in use here incorporates Continuously Variable Valve Duration (CVVD) to optimise performance. CVVD also serves to improve fuel efficiency alongside a Low-Pressure Exhaust Gas Recirculation (LP-EGR) system, which returns some of the hot gases produced by the engine to the combustion chamber to reduce pumping losses and improve fuel economy. So much for the tech; what about the WLTP results? Well, the 1.5 T-GDi petrol engine manages up to 49.6mpg on the combined cycle and up to 129g/km - in manual form. 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. Maintenance costs can be kept down by opting for Kia's 'Care-3' or 'Care-3 Plus' servicing packages, which offer a fixed-cost and inflation-proof servicing plan for the first three or five years, something which can also be passed on to subsequent owners.
Summary.
There will still be people of course, who'll blindly buy a Focus, a Golf or some other family hatchback from a conventional mainstream brand without considering its Korean alternative. But these will largely be uninformed folk yet to fully cotton on to the way that products in this segment have changed. Thanks to the continuing success of this Ceed model line, there are fewer and fewer customers of this kind around. Of course, shortlist selection isn't the same as a sale. There are family hatch folk who'll want more powerful engines or more dynamic handling than this car can offer. But, I'd suggest, many more will enjoy this Kia's sharp looks, impressive quality, strong safety standards and low running costs. True, the asking prices may be a little higher than you might expect from a South Korean brand, but don't judge them until you've tried the product, a confident design from a very confident brand. We think you might like it.
This improved version of Kia's third generation Ceed has further sharpened its proposition in the Focus-class family hatchback segment, with smarter looks, extra technology and stronger standards of safety equipment. As before, value continues as a strong suit and there's an industry-leading warranty. Potentially then, there's a lot to like here.
If you want to better appreciate just why Kia is one of the world's fastest growing automotive brands, you've only to look at this car, the Ceed family hatchback. The Slovakian factory that builds it only opened its doors in 2006 yet already, way over a million Ceed models have been built. Automotive historians will look back at the original version of this car (then badged 'cee'd') as a landmark design, the first to take on the European and Japanese market leaders on their own terms in the volume Focus and Golf-dominated Family Hatchback sector. Built in the heart of Europe, it was targeted at the heart of the European motor industry, hence the unusual name, a combination of the French abbreviation for European Community (CE) and this car's project title (ED). It shamed the established players by matching their quality while massively undercutting their prices and offering an astonishingly long 7-year warranty. But times change - and so do market segments. So in 2018, Kia re-designed this MK3 'CD'-series model with a more athletic look and added more efficient engines and extra technology. Then enhanced the whole package three years on, creating the car we're going to look at here.
As before, there's a choice of five-door hatchback, Sportswagon estate and ProCeed shooting brake body styles. Facelifts are usually about a bit of a nip and tuck, but this one sees a completely redesigned front end, with smarter headlamps flanking a 'tiger nose' front grille upgraded to a black gloss finish with satin chrome highlights. Even more overt are the two large side air intakes shooting through the front bumper, creating a sportier look. At the rear, the surface between the LED combi lamps has been smoothed out to accommodate the company's latest brand emblem. And a glossy black diffuser has been added to the sportier rear bumper. It's all a bit more up-market inside too, Kia having worked on the interior decor, introducing sophisticated soothing colours and more tactile materials. If you haven't tried a Ceed for a bit, the main change you'll notice with this current one is the addition of a frameless 10.25-inch centrally mounted display with infotainment, navigation and telematics connectivity features. Driver-centric in its layout, the centre console is angled slightly towards the driver's seat for ease of use on the move. In the rear, there's decent shoulder room for rear passengers by class standards. And out back in the standard hatch, there's a reasonable 395-litre boot. It's 594-litre for the ProCeed shooting brake and 625-litres for the Sportswagon estate.
The Ceed remains one of the most affordable choices in the family hatchback segment, though that value proposition's been tempered slightly inb recent times because customers are restricted to a single, relatively powerful 1.5 T-GDI petrol engine. There are four trim levels though, '2', 'GT-Line' (which is what most choose), then '3' and 'GT-Line S', the latter swapping the usual 6-speed manual gearbox for a DCT automatic. Across the range, prices start from around £22,500 and range up to around £31,000 for the hatch. There's also an alternative Sportwagon estate, only offered in '2' or '3'-spec with the same engine and prices from just over £23,000. Whichever kind of Ceed you choose, you'd expect to find it decently equipped - it is - but the key change with recent updates lies with the availability of even more 'ADAS' ('Advanced Driver Assist') systems, Kia having updated its 'Driver Attention Warning' and 'Blind-spot Warning' systems. In addition to the car's seven standard airbags, included safety kit runs to High Beam Assist, Lane Keeping Assist and Forward Collision Warning autonomous braking with Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist. Connectivity's taken a step forward with this car in recent times too - not only with a larger 10.25-inch centre stack monitor but also with telematics. The brand now offers its 'Kia Connect' smartphone app which allows customers to connect remotely with their cars. A new 'User Profile Transfer' feature enables users to back up their in-vehicle Kia Connect preferences via the cloud and transfer settings from one vehicle to the next.
The latest Smartstream engine technology in use here incorporates Continuously Variable Valve Duration (CVVD) to optimise performance. CVVD also serves to improve fuel efficiency alongside a Low-Pressure Exhaust Gas Recirculation (LP-EGR) system, which returns some of the hot gases produced by the engine to the combustion chamber to reduce pumping losses and improve fuel economy. So much for the tech; what about the WLTP results? Well, the 1.5 T-GDi petrol engine manages up to 49.6mpg on the combined cycle and up to 129g/km - in manual form. 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. Maintenance costs can be kept down by opting for Kia's 'Care-3' or 'Care-3 Plus' servicing packages, which offer a fixed-cost and inflation-proof servicing plan for the first three or five years, something which can also be passed on to subsequent owners.
There will still be people of course, who'll blindly buy a Focus, a Golf or some other family hatchback from a conventional mainstream brand without considering its Korean alternative. But these will largely be uninformed folk yet to fully cotton on to the way that products in this segment have changed. Thanks to the continuing success of this Ceed model line, there are fewer and fewer customers of this kind around. Of course, shortlist selection isn't the same as a sale. There are family hatch folk who'll want more powerful engines or more dynamic handling than this car can offer. But, I'd suggest, many more will enjoy this Kia's sharp looks, impressive quality, strong safety standards and low running costs. True, the asking prices may be a little higher than you might expect from a South Korean brand, but don't judge them until you've tried the product, a confident design from a very confident brand. We think you might like it.
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