Item: Kia Ceed
Rating: 3.5

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Were it not for car buyers’ gluttonous appetite for SUVs, C-segment hatchbacks would continue to dominate the roadscape, with a high likelihood that the third-generation Kia Ceed would be among the class’s best-sellers.

Few statements of intent are as bold as a car maker from another continent setting up a European factory to build a model aimed right at the heartland of local manufacturers’ dominance, but that’s exactly what Kia did with its Mk1 Ceed — or, more accurately, Cee’d. Wisely, the apostrophe’s been dropped for the model’s current iteration.

Kia has gone against two generations of tradition and dropped the apostrophe from this name. It was coined as an acronym, with the ‘CEE’ part a reference to the European Economic Community
Matt Saunders
Road test editor

As consumer tastes morphed, demanding the greater levels of perceived practicality and safety associated with SUVs, it was the Kia Sportage — built alongside the Ceed in Slovakia — that took on that talismanic mantle.

Not only that, as part of the Hyundai Motor Group, the firm’s made enormous strides in bringing a wide range of fully and partly electrified models to market, including the Kia Niro and more recently, the Kia EV3.

It’s rather telling, then, that today’s Ceed range is limited to a single petrol engine with no degree of hybridisation whatsoever. Sure, mild-hybrid diesels were once part of the line-up and there was a PHEV option for the Sportswagon estate, but today the Ceed seems less important to its maker.

Perhaps that’s not altogether surprising given how well Kia’s performing in other areas — profitability doesn’t equate to an infinite level of financial and engineering resources.

Plus, while some familiar C-segment names, such as the Peugeot 308, Toyota Corolla, Vauxhall Astra and Volkswagen Golf continue to sell in strong numbers, they’re all available with electrified powertrains.

Others have already left the compact family hatch market altogether or are on verge of doing so, the Ford Focus being the most notable.

It may have fallen short of being the prestigious European sales success it was devised to be, but that doesn’t mean the Kia Ceed lacks appeal for customers shunning SUVs and electrification.

Verdict

Model tested:

Rating: 7

Kia Ceed

The Ceed is a fine hatchback but falls short of its ultimate potential as customers — and Kia — favour SUVs

Good

Roomy, comfortable cabin

Good value for money

New-found sophistication of steering and handling

Bad

Derivative styling

Long gear ratios can impede the driving experience

Perceived quality needs lifting

DESIGN & STYLING

Pros

Styling is unlikely to make customers recoil in shock

Remains relatively compact for a C-segment car

Multi-link rear suspension across the range

Cons

It’s ordinariness now seems at odds with Kia’s newer models

Mid-life facelift injected precious little pzazz

Styling is unlikely to make customers covet it, either

The handiwork of design luminaries Peter Schreyer and Gregory Guillaume is immediately recognisable on the Kia Ceed.

At the front, there’s the familiar tiger nose grille and castellated upper windscreen and you may just be able to make out the hints of the short-lived Kia Stinger in the swept-back headlight shape and lowered, widened, front air intake.

As your gaze moves rearwards the Ceed becomes less distinctive. Balanced and not unattractive, but borderline forgettable. It’s a sort of derivative handsomeness you can’t help but think has been designed with uncharacteristic conservatism — deliberately so in order to make the Proceed and Xceed seem far bolder.

Given the daring of Kia’s more recent designs since the Ceed’s arrival it now almost feels as though it’s from another manufacturer entirely.

As for the hardware, the Mk3 Ceed is based on the K2 platform, shared with the Kia Proceed shooting brake and Xceed crossover as well as Hyundai’s i30 and Bayon ranges.

Compared with the Mk2 Kia Ceed, it’s 20mm wider, 23mm lower yet is longer at 4310mm — an increase of 95mm. The wheelbase remains the same at 2650mm, although the cabin has been shifted back by 68mm within it, lending the Ceed a cab-rearward profile that’s said to improve occupant protection and forward visibility around the A-pillars.

Fundamentally, not a huge amount changed for the mid-life facelift that arrived towards the end of 2021, with detail changes to the grille and a honeycomb-effect LED tail lights being the most eye-catching.

Front suspension, meanwhile, is by MacPherson struts and an anti-roll bar, while at the rear a multi-link arrangement with trailing arm and anti-roll bar are employed.

That latter aspect is an interesting point given how many of the Ceed’s rivals have swapped back to a less sophisticated torsion beam set-up at the back for the less expensive versions, if not the whole range.

INTERIOR

Pros

Well-built interior is easy to use

High levels of equipment even on the cheapest versions

Decent amount of space for people and luggage

Cons

As with the outside, there’s little to excite inside either

No Apple CarPlay or Android Auto on early Mk3s

Fake, stitched leather is a twee touch few will be wowed by

Inside the Kia Ceed’s mix of materials, graphics, infotainment system and the haptic feel of its switchgear are all very easy to understand and adapt to, but there’s nothing to get excited about.

Crowing the dashboard is the infotainment touchscreen. Pre-facelift this was 7.0in on entry-level Ceeds and 8.0in on pricier versions, growing to 10.25in across the range following the 2021 makeover.

That rather busy-looking cloth upholstery is fitted as standard on 2 models. Full leather is standard on First Edition models only
Matt Saunders
Road test editor

Physical controls, including those for heating and ventilation controls, are integrated cleanly. The soft-touch plastics on the dash top do an unconvincing impression of leather, though, and the faux, moulded-in stitching looks naff. Later Kia interiors are much better, again making the Ceed feel unloved.

Harder plastics are used on the lower door cards, the centre console and the lower dash and the door bins aren’t lined, allowing loose items to rattle and slide around noisily inside them. Although features like these might be forgiven on a value-oriented family hatch, the Mk3 Ceed isn’t priced to be cheap and cheerful.

The touchscreen doesn’t feature any noticeable drastic change to its software or graphics compared with what we’ve seen in Kias of similar ages to the Ceed, but they look old-hat now. Its menus are intuitive enough.

DAB radio, USB and Bluetooth connectivity and a reversing camera are fitted as standard across the range, with all but the earlier, cheapest Ceeds having a native navigation system, too. You’ll need to avoid the older Mk3 Ceeds if you can’t do without Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The six-speaker sound system is powerful enough to satisfy the needs of your average punter, although audiophiles will probably find it ordinary. Higher-spec versions come with an eight-speaker JBL set-up, which improves matters to some degree.

Up front, the seats are accommodating, comfortable and sensibly bolstered, their cloth upholstery feels a bit rough to the touch, but help to hold your backside in place. The steering column adjusts for rake and reach and makes settling into your preferred driving position easy.

Those in the back will find leg and headroom are in relatively generous supply, although it loses out to the Honda Civic  and  Skoda Octavia, in particular.

As for the boot, there’s 395 litres of space on offer, which is more than you’ll get in a Ford Focus, all of it accessed via a suitably large aperture. There is a reasonable lip to navigate, although the boot floor can be raised to make loading easier.

ENGINES & PERFORMANCE

Pros

Wide range of petrols and diesels if you’re not looking at a new one

Current engine is usefully punchy

Seven-speed dual-clutch auto suits the Ceed well

Cons

Lack of choice for new buyers limits appeal

Electrification conspicuous by its absence in this Kia

1.5 T-GDi could do with further refinement

Since the Kia Ceed’s 2018 launch, its engine range has switched from having broad mainstream appeal to the present single choice aimed squarely at private car buyers who aren’t interested in switching to any form of electrification.

With that in mind, you’ll have to plump for an earlier example of you fancy a broader selection of turbocharged petrol, including the 118bhp 1.0-litre, the 138bhp 1.4-litre or its 158bhp 1.5-litre replacement.

If the 201bhp 1.6-litre T-GDi sounds more appealing, then you can read about that in the separate Kia Ceed GT review. The plug-in hybrid powertrain was only available in the Ceed Sportswagon estate and Xceed crossover.

Common rail diesels have also fallen by the wayside — these came in 114bhp and 134bhp guises, later examples of the punchier one also featuring 48-volt mild hybrid assistance.

Since 2023, only a detuned 138bhp version of the 1.5 T-GDi petrol has been sold, with a choice of six-speed manual and seven-speed DCT dual-clutch automatic gearboxes, depending on the trim level.

Whichever transmission you choose, peak pulling power is quoted at 187lb ft from 3000rpm, resulting in a 9.5sec 0-62mph claim for the manual and 9.7sec for the DCT. Adequate enough.

It’s a smooth, pliant unit, with the use of Kia’s Continuously Variable Valve Duration technology helping to add refinement and lift the claimed fuel economy. The engine’s punchy turbo power is easily accessible and certainly offers some verve and pep, although it’s at its best when being used for quiet, efficient cruising.

It works especially fluently with the DCT auto transmission, but this doesn’t hide its lack of polished refinement. There’s a gruffness to it when being worked and it remains noticeable even when driven gently. 

The other criticism is the general noise in the cabin. Along with the engine, there’s excessive road and tyre noise and while you adapt, better insulation should be on the list for the next-generation model.

RIDE & HANDLING

Pros

Sensibly balanced ride and handling arrangement

Rear end remains composed on rougher roads

Stiffer GT-Line versions remain comfortable

Cons

Little feeling through steering, despite its accuracy

Some minor tuning short of being deeply impressive

Not the most exciting hatch out there

With a more rigid shell and wider tracks than its predecessor, Kia was able to stiffen-up the Mk3 Ceed’s front spring rates by 40%, while reducing the rears by 10% — the aim was a more incisive grip when cornering and a more pliant ride overall.

The important development is that it’s all put together atop Hyundai Motor Group’s still-modern all-steel monocoque K2 platform. Given the additional safety equipment, the palpably sturdier interior and the fact that the third-generation Ceed is five doors-only, requiring further shell strengthening, it’s mightily impressive how modest its average kerb weight gain is over the Mk2.

Charge hard and you’ll get some turn-in understeer, but not enough to prevent you taking a good cornering line
Matt Saunders
Road test editor

Certainly, the Ceed makes for an easy-going companion, which is exactly what most people are looking for in a family hatch, yet those of a more enthusiastic bent will be pleasantly surprised by its well-rounded agility. Its chassis benefits from a level of finesse, balancing control when cornering and good composure over rougher-surfaced asphalt.

Sensibly, Kia’s fitted alloy wheels of 16in to 18in diameter, meaning there’s a decent amount of tyre sidewall available for bump absorption, even with GT-Line models fitted with the Ceed GT’s 5mm lower and stiffer sports suspension.

Higher speeds do expose moments where pliancy leaves the stage fleetingly, making it feel a little more unsettled, but through quicker, bumpier corners, the multi-link rear ensures the back wheels faithfully follow the course set by the fronts, where you’d feel a torsion beamed Ford Focus skip-and-grip unsettlingly.

The steering lacks some feedback but has a good heft to it and feels accurate, weighting-up progressively in the process, if lacking the Focus’s balance and intuitive sense of grip levels.

MPG & RUNNING COSTS

Pros

Modest thirst for a non-hybrid petrol

Smaller wheels should me lower cost tyres

Not bargain basement prices, but good value

Cons

Limited engine range lacks company car driver appeal

CO2 emissions steep on priciest Ceed

Diesels’ disappearance a pity for high-mileage private buyers

Today’s Kia Ceed hatchback range is limited to the 1.5-litre T-GDi petrol engine which, since 2023, has been reduced in power to 138bhp.

As with all Kias, the Ceed comes with the firm’s highly attractive seven-year, 100,000 mile warranty.

The Ceed indicated 76.4mpg on our touring test, which replicates a 70mph motorway cruise. If you drove it with economy in mind, you could probably see an indicated 80mpg
Simon Davis
Road tester

Four trim levels are offered, in Kia’s familiar mix of numerals and sportier-sounding variants. Entry-grade Ceeds are labelled 2 and cost from just over £23,000, followed by the visually more aggressive GT-Line at a little below £26,000.

Next up, costing £500 more, the 3 grade looks more traditional, like the 2, while the GT-Line S tops the line-up, bodykit and 18in alloys and all for a smidge over £31,000.

GT-Line and 3 versions have a choice of the six-speed manual and seven-speed DCT auto, while the 2 is manual-only and the GT-Line S is solely available with the dual-clutch transmission.

Given the aforementioned lack of any form of hybridisation, the Ceed’s CO2 emissions are generally low enough for private buyers to be fine with, but they lack attraction for company car customers.

Manual versions produce 128g/km of CO2 in 2 specification, nudging up to 131g/km in GT-Line and 3 guise thanks to their 17in wheels. Swap to the DCT auto and there’s a modest rise to 134g/km, but a bigger jump to the GT-Line S where its 18in wheels are partly responsible for its 142g/km output.

Unsurprisingly, there’s a similar correlation between fuel efficiency figures. Best is the 2 grade at 50.4mpg on the WLTP Combined cycle, with the manual GT-Line and 3 at 48.7mpg. DCT-equipped versions of those trims claim 47.9mpg, dipping to 44.8mpg for the GT-Line S.

Given the wheel sizes are modest by today’s standards, replacement tyres shouldn’t prove too costly — even the largest rims only wear 225mm-wide rubber.

VERDICT

Verdict

Model tested:

Rating: 7

Kia Ceed

The Ceed is a fine hatchback but falls short of its ultimate potential as customers — and Kia — favour SUVs

Good

Roomy, comfortable cabin

Good value for money

New-found sophistication of steering and handling

Bad

Derivative styling

Long gear ratios can impede the driving experience

Perceived quality needs lifting

In its third generation, the Kia Ceed has finally been developed into a genuine contender among the massed rank of C-segment hatches. But while the updates to this version are enough to keep it firmly in a competitive pack, they don’t move it closer to the class leaders.

Whether that was a deliberate ploy given how many car buyers are seeking SUVs with and without higher levels of electrification than was ever seen on the Ceed, remains unclear, but the result is that this hatchback, although a fine effort, no longer has the breadth of appeal it once did.

The Ceed is a fine effort, but short of its ultimate potential as customers — and Kia — favoured SUVs
Matt Saunders
Road test editor

Since the Mk3 Ceed’s launch, Kia’s repeatedly shown how much it’s capable of — this model’s lack of wow factor and styling that now seems at odds with its showroom siblings rather dents its appeal.

Still, for those whom its allure remains strong, there’s a spacious, good-to-drive family hatch offering reasonably low running costs and stacks of standard kit to be had.

Keith WR Jones

Title: Contributor

Following a diverse career that included PR-ing Q branch-aping covert surveillance kit and secondary school teaching, Keith followed his automotive passions by launching an award-winning blog in 2011, switching to full-time car journalism with Bauer Media two years later, writing for Parkers as well as CAR Magazine’s print and online guises.

Rapidly rising through the ranks to become the first managing editor of Bauer’s New Car Automotive Hub, he eventually sought a fresh challenge by moving into the automotive data industry, but the lure of a return to journalism eventually proved too strong to resist and he ventured into the world of freelancing in early 2024.

In addition to his contributions to Autocar, Keith’s also written for BuyaCar, Carwow, Classic Car Weekly, the Daily Mail, Diesel&EcoCar, HeyCar, Honest John, MSN Cars, Practical Classics and The Telegraph.

He’s also the go-to guy for many automotive PRs when it comes to researching their brand’s historic model ranges, using his ever-expanding personal archive of car sales ephemera and magazines to determine technical specifications, pricing data and detailed timelines.

Keith graduated first from the University of Lincoln with a BA in Management Studies in 1998, then in 2002 from Sheffield Hallam University with a PGCE in Secondary Education.

Matt Saunders

Title: Road test editor

As Autocar’s chief car tester and reviewer, it’s Matt’s job to ensure the quality, objectivity, relevance and rigour of the entirety of Autocar’s reviews output, as well contributing a great many detailed road tests, group tests and drive reviews himself.

Matt has been an Autocar staffer since the autumn of 2003, and has been lucky enough to work alongside some of the magazine’s best-known writers and contributors over that time. He served as staff writer, features editor, assistant editor and digital editor, before joining the road test desk in 2011.

Since then he’s driven, measured, lap-timed, figured, and reported on cars as varied as the Bugatti Veyron, Rolls-Royce Phantom, Tesla Roadster, Ariel Hipercar, Tata Nano, McLaren Senna, Renault Twizy and Toyota Mirai. Among his wider personal highlights of the job have been covering Sebastien Loeb’s record-breaking run at Pikes Peak in 2013; doing 190mph on derestricted German autobahn in a Brabus Rocket; and driving McLaren’s legendary ‘XP5’ F1 prototype. His own car is a trusty Mazda CX-5.