Kia Ceed Review 2024

The Kia Ceed has carved out its own niche since the first-generation model was launched in 2007 as an excellent-value family hatchback with a seven-year/100,000-mile warranty. The third generation of the Kia Ceed arrived in 2018 and it faces tough competition from some of the best family cars around, including the Ford Focus, stylish SEAT Leon and ever-popular Vauxhall Astra. Read on for our full Kia Ceed review.

The Kia Ceed is more than just an impressive warranty. It boasts plentiful appeal in its own right, thanks to competitive prices and considerable levels of standard equipment.

Over time, the range of engines offered has been reduced, as we will explain in our Kia Ceed review, with just one option now available.

The 1.5-litre T-GDI turbocharged four-cylinder petrol has 158PS, delivering a reasonable blend of performance and economy. Previously, buyers had a choice of engines ranging from a diminutive 1.0-litre three-cylinder unit through to a 1.6-litre GT turbo hot hatch. However, there is a choice between manual and automatic transmissions for the Kia Ceed customer.

Compared to its closest rivals, including the Volkswagen Golf, this limited powertrain line-up puts the Kia Ceed on the back foot. There is no hybrid option, or plug-in hybrid, placing the car out of step with market trends.

Where the Kia Ceed may surprise you is with its handling and ride quality. The steering is quick, adding a layer of agility that pushes it closer to the class best in this regard. Its suspension manages to strike a pleasing balance between comfort and body control.

Against some newer rivals, the interior of the Kia Ceed does look a little dated. However, this is not necessarily a bad thing. There are no frustrating touchscreen controls for the air conditioning, for example, and the infotainment system is quick and easy to understand.

Everything is made with quality materials, and there is a sense the Kia Ceed will easily outlast that seven-year warranty period. The cabin is packed with plenty of equipment, again illustrating Kia’s quest to deliver value for money.

Even the entry-level Kia Ceed 2 benefits from 16-inch alloy wheels, an eight-inch multimedia touchscreen, air-conditioning and smartphone compatibility.

Boot capacity in the Kia Ceed manages to better that found in the Volkswagen Golf or Ford Focus, with overall interior space that is more than sufficient for families.

When the Kia Ceed was first introduced, it delivered incredible value for money. With the passage of time, the car is no longer quite the bargain it once was, but it still proves to be an affordable option in the mid-size hatchback segment.

Prices start from less than £23,000, with even the fanciest GT-Line S model coming in at around £31,000. By comparison, the cheapest Ford Focus costs at least £27,000.

It may not be the most exciting to drive, or offer the most interior space, but the Kia Ceed is an impressive all-rounder that does very little wrong.

Looking for a second opinion? Read heycar's Kia Ceed review.

With fully independent suspension, the Kia Ceed has poised and reassuring handling. Its steering is quick and precise, with an agility that makes it pleasing to thread along a country road.

Nonetheless, a Ford Focus still offers a greater sense of involvement.

Most owners will be pleased by how easy the Kia Ceed is to drive, though. It delivers fuss-free handling, with just enough engagement to keep you interested.

Being designed specifically for European roads means the Kia Ceed is ready to tackle our broken tarmac. It is still not the most cosseting family hatchback, falling short of the supple ride found in the Skoda Octavia or Volkswagen Golf.

However, it feels on a par with the SEAT Leon, balancing tautness and control with just enough comfort.

Unlike many of the Kia Ceed’s rivals, choosing larger alloy wheels does not noticeably damage the ride quality. This means comfort is maintained even in the range-topping Kia Ceed GT-Line S with its 18-inch wheels.

A process of rationalisation has seen the engine range for the Kia Ceed whittled down to just one petrol unit. This means there is no longer a diesel option, nor can you have a hybrid or plug-in hybrid version.

As a result, the Kia Ceed looks out of step with many of its more modern rivals, although Kia would doubtless point to other cars in its range that do offer hybrid or even fully electric tech.

A six-speed manual gearbox is standard for most trim levels, with a light and precise nature. There is also a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, although this is only available on the range-topping Kia Ceed GT-Line S.

The 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine delivers punchy performance, thanks to its 158PS and 253Nm of torque. This results in a 0-62mph time of 8.4 seconds, plus a top speed of 130mph.

That the 1.5 T-GDI engine feels effective low-down is a definite benefit. It does not sound particularly refined when revved hard, and adds to the Kia Ceed’s combination of tyre and wind noise.

Previously, the Kia Ceed was offered with a variety of other engines. These started with a compact 1.0-litre turbocharged three-cylinder petrol, stretching to a 1.6-litre petrol turbo with 204PS in the GT.

An economical 1.6-litre diesel was available, too.

When the third-generation Kia Ceed was launched in 2018, it was crash-tested by the Euro NCAP safety organisation. The car was given a four-star rating, or five stars with the then optional Safety Pack.

Since then, updates have made the contents of the Safety Pack standard across the entire Kia Ceed range. This includes driver attention warning, high-beam assistance, lane-keeping assistance, and forward collision avoidance with emergency braking.

With only one engine now available, towing options for the Kia Ceed are limited. As a family hatchback, the car is best suited to light towing duties, being able to haul braked trailers of up to 1000kg. Kia does not quote a figure for an unbraked trailer.

The Kia Ceed is a practical five-door family hatchback. Space in the front is noticeably generous, with plenty of headroom for even the tallest drivers, plus a handy amount of legroom.

A wide cabin means you won’t be rubbing elbows with your front-seat passenger, plus there are useful cup holders and door bins.

The Kia Ceed’s rear doors open wide, making life easier when wrestling an unruly toddler into a child seat. Rear legroom and headroom are a touch behind the Ford Focus and SEAT Leon.

However, that wide cabin means fitting three people across the rear bench will not be a problem.

With the rear seats in place, the Kia Ceed boasts a luggage capacity of 395 litres. That’s respectable, outperforming the 380 litres offered by the SEAT Leon, or indeed the 375 litres in a Ford Focus.

Folding the rear seats down (with a standard 60:40 split) increases the luggage space to 1291 litres – ideal for weekend trips to the tip.

For those in need of more interior space, there is the spacious Kia Ceed Sportswagon estate, along with the more style-focused Kia ProCeed shooting brake.

Forget ideas of the Kia Ceed being a bargain-basement model, as the level of finish is impressive, even if the design is not particularly exciting.

There are plenty of soft-touch materials, with all models benefiting from a leather-wrapped steering wheel.

Most trim levels feature cloth upholstery with leather detailing. The range-topping GT-Line S comes with classy full leather trim, including heated front and rear seats, and it’s also the only Kia Ceed with an automatic gearbox.

Ultimately, it feels a cut above mainstream rivals like the Ford Focus and SEAT Leon, if not in the same league as an Audi A3 or BMW 1 Series.

The entry-level Kia Ceed 2 comes equipped with an eight-inch infotainment touchscreen system. This is combined with a 4.2-inch digital display, mounted between the gauges on the instrument panel.

Even this basic eight-inch system comes with DAB radio, Bluetooth connectivity, a USB port and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto smartphone compatibility.

It does look slightly incongruous, being plonked atop the dashboard like an abandoned iPad, but it works well. There are separate buttons to operate the air-conditioning, in contrast to the touchscreen controls found in many key rivals.

All versions of the Kia Ceed above ‘2’ specification come equipped with a larger 10.25-inch touchscreen, which brings satellite navigation.

Kia includes seven years of free connected services, with real-time traffic updates and weather information part of this data package.

Most trim levels use a six-speaker sound system, but the Kia Ceed GT-Line S gains a fancier eight-speaker JBL premium audio set-up. This flagship model comes with wireless smartphone charging, too.

The Kia Ceed remains a veritable bargain to buy new, with prices for the ‘2’ trim at the time of writing starting from around £22,500.

Compared to a Ford Focus, which starts at more than £27,000, and the £23,500 needed for a SEAT Leon, the Kia Ceed truly is great value.

Moving up the range sees the Kia Ceed GT-Line priced from about £25,500, with the luxurious Kia Ceed 3 costing just over £26,000.

With maximum equipment and a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox, the Kia Ceed GT-Line S is the most expensive model in the range, at a little over £31,000.

By condensing the engine range down to just one turbocharged petrol option, the Kia Ceed has an ‘all or nothing’ approach to running costs. You can either accept the fuel economy offered by the 1.5-litre T-GDI engine, or you can find yourself an alternative car.

On paper, the Kia Ceed’s 1.5 T-GDI engine can average up to 51.4mpg. This is based upon the Kia Ceed ‘2’ trim level, with 16-inch alloy wheels. Fancier versions with bigger wheels will be slightly less economical.

Real-world use is likely to see the Kia Ceed’s fuel economy numbers fall, but by how much can be judged from our Real MPG submissions.

When it comes to insurance costs, the Kia Ceed should be competitive with its equivalent hatchback rivals. With just the turbocharged 1.5-litre engine, it starts at insurance group 14 (out of 50 groups in total) for the ‘2’ trim level.

Other versions are in insurance group 15, except the GT-Line S that resides in group 18.

Where the Kia Ceed really stands out is that market-leading new-car warranty. Covering seven years or 100,000 miles, whichever comes first, Kia’s warranty really does outperform those of its closest rivals.

A SEAT Leon can only offer a three-year or 60,000-mile guarantee, for example.

For those looking to keep a car for the long haul, the peace of mind offered by the Kia Ceed is hard to ignore.

One of the key selling points for the Kia Ceed is a strong level of standard equipment. All versions come stacked with kit, making the entry-level Kia Ceed 2 the only car most people are likely to need.

Standard on the ‘2’ are 16-inch alloy wheels, halogen headlights, LED rear foglights, electrically folding and heated door mirrors, and a rear-view camera. You also get cruise control and a forward collision avoidance system.

On the inside, black cloth upholstery is used for the seats, with manual seat height adjustment for the driver.

The steering wheel is trimmed in leather, while the list of equipment also includes air-conditioning, remote central locking, multiple cup holders, a dual-height boot floor, luggage hooks for the boot and a sunglasses holder.

Infotainment for the Kia Ceed 2 starts with an eight-inch colour touchscreen, supported by a 4.2-inch colour display in the instrument panel. DAB radio, USB connections and a six-speaker audio system are included, along with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone compatibility.

Moving up to the Kia Ceed 3 brings a set of 17-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, rear parking sensors and rear privacy glass. Rain-sensing wipers are included, as are electrically folding side mirrors with integrated LED indicators.

Black cloth with faux leather is used for the interior, with the passenger also gaining height adjustment. Both the front seats are heated, as is the leather-clad steering wheel, and there is power lumbar adjustment as well.

The infotainment system is upgraded to a larger 10.25-inch touchscreen, incorporating satellite navigation and seven years of subscription to online services.

The Kia Ceed GT-Line gains bespoke 17-inch alloy wheels and a special GT-Line exterior styling package. Gloss black is used for the side mirrors, with the LED tail-lights in a honeycomb design.

Topping the range is the Kia Ceed GT-Line S, with its 18-inch alloy wheels and panoramic sunroof. The cabin benefits from black leather upholstery with suede inserts, with the rear seats also now heated.

Other highlights include a 12.3-inch digital instrument panel, eight-speaker JBL premium audio system, front and rear parking sensors, heated outer rear seats, wireless smartphone charging and a blind-spot warning system.