PHEV 1.6 8.9kW 1st Edition

A well equipped stepping stone towards a full EV (replacing a petrol Arona)

I bought this XCEED as a 6 month old pre-reg demonstrator to replace a petrol SEAT Arona, which I was very happy with. While used car prices were riding the wave, my Arona was worth nearly as much in P/x as I paid for it, so I decided to take the plunge and try out an "electric" vehicle with the safety net of a petrol engine. We do long drives to Cornwall regularly and I am not ready to search for a vacant and functioning charging point half way down the M5 just yet.

I had driven SEATs for 20 years, but the KIA feels like a step up in quality and thoughtful design (both styling and functionally), and a low risk experiment with the 7 year warranty. Its based on KIA's well tried Niro PHEV drivetrain so should be well proven- so far so good. It looks good and is a bit different from the standard fashionable SUV styling seen everywhere.

Admittedly I got the top spec 1st Edition which has all the bells and whistles and a few things I don't really need (...do I need a heated steering wheel? No, but its lovely! Do I need "Ventilated seats" - No!). The only thing I don't like so much on this spec is the 18" wheels, I think they make the ride overly fidgety and add road noise (and maybe even reduce EV range?), which is more noticeable in EV mode. Why do all manufacturers assume that if you want a high spec version you want to joggle along the road on thin rims? I am considering switching to 16" when the tyres need replacing.

The KIA feels more solidly built than the Arona. The interior finish is good, with leather seats and soft trim, a very good infotainment system/split touch screen display and simple heater controls (nice KIA touch is the "Driver Only" setting so you don't heat the other side when there are no passengers). Rear space is a bit more restricted than the Arona, but OK for grandchildren in a car seat. The boot is smaller in measured volume because of the battery underneath but, although shallow, it has a larger boot floor area which I have found more useful than more height in the Arona's.

Best toy for me is KIA's Adaptive Cruise, which I use a lot, everywhere from traffic jams to motorway driving. It makes long journeys and jams less stressful, and is better than SEAT's system in stop/ start traffic. The XCEED can get confused when you pass close to someone turning right or left and sometimes slams on the brakes! Not so keen on the Lane Keep Assist which tends to swerve you from one side of the lane to the other, or the Lane Follow Assist which keeps you nearer the centre of the lane until it loses any reference to follow and then just abandons you without warning. With all the driver assistance toys, you need to learn to use them and know their limitations and stay alert - I wouldn't say the systems in this car are good enough to put in a driverless car!

Performance and handling are not for the sports enthusiast (I can luckily use my wife's Fiat 124 Spider for fun!), but it feels solid on the road, and will pull well for overtaking in Sports mode. When the engine kicks in to boost power going up hills its a bit thrashy and indecisive, sometimes I move into manual gear selection to stop it hunting up and down the gears. Cruising on the motorway it's as quiet with the ICE as in EV mode and feels stable (although see above re LKA/LKF). Progress in EV mode around town and country lanes is steady and very serene, and certainly encourages me towards a future full powered EV purchase.

EV range achieved (only in winter since I got it) is 28-30 miles on a full charge, in a hilly part of Derbyshire, so should deliver quoted 34 easily in summer. This is quite adequate for my day to day journeys. Long term petrol consumption for me has been ~90mpg, this includes mainly short local EV journeys and a few long trips to Cornwall and Scotland when the hybrid obviously kicks in. On a long motorway trip the consumption (including using up the battery capacity) is 50-55mpg - not spectacular but not dreadful. Charging takes about 4 hours on the 3 pin socket, I keep it plugged in all the time at home. Luckily I have a driveway so not worth spending the money on a home wall charger until I go full EV. Again, you learn to manage consumption and battery capacity using the car's systems to the optimum.

From the first 4 months experience of this car, I am converted to KIA as a brand for functionality, quality and design, and the PHEV is proving a good stepping stone to EVs when their range gets to 400 miles. I wish I had timed it better and got one with the new KIA logo rather than the old slightly naff looking one, but hey ho, apart from that I am very happy with it, and would recommend you to consider it if you don't need 0-60 in 6 seconds and if your lifestyle suits the PHEV!

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