The Kia Ceed is entering the third generation – without an apostrophe in the name (instead of “cee’d” in future “Ceed”) and with more technology on board. A heated windshield is now part of the range, as is a traffic jam assistant that lets the car drive up to 130 km / h – but your hands have to stay on the steering wheel. The length and wheelbase remain the same , but the new model is slightly flatter (1447 millimeters, i.e. minus 23 millimeters) and wider(1800 millimeters, i.e. plus 20 millimeters).
In addition, Kia has pinched off a few millimeters from the front overhang and tinkered with the rear overhang again. In terms of design, the new Ceed is a little clearer than its predecessor, instead of sweet curves, sportier, angular lines now characterize the sheet metal. The Ceed is based on the same platform as the Hyundai i30, and the relationship shimmers through especially on the C-pillar.
At the front, the family face with the “tiger-nose” grill has become wider, as has the air intake underneath. At the rear, the first thing you see is the redesigned taillights with the new LED daytime running lights. The reflectors below, which are embedded upright, no longer look as gullet-like as their predecessor. There should be four body variants of the new Ceed generation, because in addition to the five-door, station wagon SW and Shooting Brake ProCeed there are vehement rumors about their own SUV variant. In the normal five-door it goes p maturely going on at 15,990 euros as 1.4 Attract. The price of the station wagon is exactly 1000 euros higher at 16,990 euros.
Interior: New Ceed with seat ventilation
The revised interior is familiar from the Kia Stonic and faces the driver.
When you first look into the cockpit of the hatchback version, you notice that something is missing – the loopholes with the digital clock and the temperature display on the dashboard have disappeared. The element wasn’t really up to date either. The revised interior is familiar from the Kia Stonic and faces the driver. The center console is divided into two parts: on top is the screen for the infotainment, fully equipped as an eight-inch touchscreen with navigation system , underneath are the buttons for the music player, air conditioning and the optional seat heating and ventilation. Lots of buttons. For our taste, Kia could have slimmed down a bit.
The touchscreen is operated quickly, smoothly and intuitively, however. The loading times when jumping between the menus are significantly shorter than with the body brother i30 – but it is also a year older. The materials are neat, piano lacquer, metal inlays and perforated leather with contrasting stitching on the seats make the compact Kia look a bit more elegant than its predecessor. The revised speedometer unit now has an LCD display between the two round instruments that can be operated via the steering wheel. Thanks to the lower seating position, the driver has more headroom, while there is more shoulder room for the passengers in the rear. In the back seat there is actually enough space for two adults, three of whom are cozy here. The trunk behind it is 395 litersgrown (previously 380 liters). The low loading sill, which should make loading easy, even for less tall people, is impressive.
Combination with lots of space and practical ideas
At the rear, the Kombi-Ceed is significantly more spacious than the hatchback variant.
The station wagon version of the Kia Ceed, which goes by the name “Sportswagon”, is naturally identical to the hatchback up to the B-pillar. The wheelbase is also the same at 2.65 meters to the centimeter. We are therefore only in the front for the sake of completeness – everything is known, our photo vehicle is equipped with the large eight-inch display.
When you get in at the back, things get interesting: where the head is tight at 1.95 meters in the normal Ceed, the station wagon even has some room for improvement when you sit straight up. Very good! Luxury sedans can’t do that better. The knee room is also perfectly fine. Here you can withstand long stretches without any problems. The trunk is also suitable for long distances and traveling: the luggage compartment has a capacity of 600 liters– Including the storage compartments in the loading floor. Unfortunately, Kia does not yet provide information on how large the trunk volume is with the rear bench seat folded down (40/20/40 divisible). The mechanical remote unlocking from the trunk is practical. Exemplary: the luggage compartment cover can be transported precisely in the rear storage compartment when it is not in use.
Driving: a comfortable compact one
Although the new Ceed has become sportier and more dynamic, comfort is not neglected.
For our first test drives in the new Kia Ceed, both top engines with a seven-speed dual clutch automatic were available: the 140 PSpowerful 1.4 T-GDI and the 1.6 CRDi (136 PS, now with AdBlue injection). The DKG changes gears very smoothly, which logically comes at the expense of dynamism. In other words: The engine speed increases in the next gear, but propulsion does not continue until half a moment later. For free. The Ceed doesn’t want to be an athlete either, but rather a comfortable compact one. And it doesn’t get really athletic in “sport mode” either. The throttle response is a little more spontaneous, the already tight steering becomes a little tighter, but the noticeably harder dampers are sabotaged by the generally more comfortable springs on bumps – the dampers tighten, the springs feel like rocking. The Ceed is well equipped with both engine variants, although the turbo gasoline engine feels more balanced, still grabs at high speed. The turbodiesel relies entirely on its torque curve and finds speed rather exhausting.
The Ceed SW is more difficult to drive
Equipment: 600 liters trunk in the SW
The trunk of the Ceed Sportswagon holds 600 liters of luggage.
In addition to the five-door hatchback variant, Kia brings the Sportswagon (SW) station wagon. As is typical for this body shape, it offers a lot of space in the trunk: exactly 600 liters – that’s 72 liters more than its predecessor. For comparison: 395 liters of luggage fit into the hatchback. The optional three-part bench seat can be folded down using a lever in the trunk, creating a flat loading area. A storage compartment in the floor and a bag hook in the luggage compartment are standard. For a surcharge, you can get a rail system to divide the trunk and secure the load, and a sensor-controlled electric tailgate. Later, Kia added a sport-trimmed GT and a merely sporty-looking Ceed GT Line.
Future Ceed drivers have the choice of eleven paint colors as well as seat covers made of fabric, synthetic leather and leather. Leather steering wheel and gear knob are optional. In addition to 15-inch steel rims, there are also 16-inch wheels (steel and aluminum) and 17-inch bi-color light alloy rims on the surcharge list. As standard , the Ceed comes with a small five-inch screen, which can optionally be expanded to become a seven-inch touchscreen or an eight-inch touchscreen with navigation system. Then you can connect the mobile phone via Apple Car Play and Android Auto and use voice control. A Bluetooth hands-free system is always on board .
Other extras: a sound system from JBL, the new heated windshield, inductive charging, front seat ventilation and heated front and rear seats. For the new Ceed, Kia also offers an “Eco Pack”: This comes with an active radiator grille (opens when necessary and ensures better aerodynamics), extended underbody paneling and lowering by five millimeters. The Koreans also use a number of assistance systems : high beam assistant, drowsiness warning, active lane departure warning and autonomous emergency braking assistant with pedestrian detection are available. A special feature: the compact comes with a traffic jam assistant on request, which controls the car partially autonomously up to 130 km / h. It independently maintains the lane and the distance to the vehicle in front and brakes. However, your hands must remain on the steering wheel.