KIA freshens up the Ceed
Kia has revealed a sporty new design for its Ceed hatchback, keeping it fresh against rivals like the Ford Focus, Volkswagen Golf and upcoming 11th-generation Honda Civic. The latest Ceed will also benefit from some new technology, and is set to arrive later this year. UK pricing hasn’t been confirmed, but we expect it to be close to the current Ceed, starting from around £22,000 for the cheapest diesel model.
As you’d expect, most visual changes are at the front, where the Ceed has new LED headlight units, Kia’s latest badge and a new interpretation of the ‘Tiger Nose’ grille. There’s also a dramatic front bumper, with larger air intakes than some hot hatchbacks. The rear also gets a new gloss black lower valance with integrated chrome exhaust finishers. GT Line versions sport new rear lights with a honeycomb design for a more upmarket aesthetic. Buyers can choose between three new wheel designs and there are a couple of new paint finishes called Machined Bronze and Orange Fusion.
Inside, the big changes are to the infotainment system, with higher trim levels now featuring a 10.25- inch touchscreen and a 12.3-inch digital instrument display, both with high-definition graphics.
There are also new upholstery designs, including black suede and leather sports seats with grey contrasting stitching for the GT Line version.
Kia has also bolstered the Ceed’s safety devices, adding a feature that alerts passengers if traffic is approaching as they open a door.
The driver will also be warned via a dashboard graphic when the car ahead moves off in traffic. The blind-spot warning system has been upgraded, so it can now steer the car back into its lane if an imminent collision is detected when changing lanes. Rear cross-traffic alerts will also warn the driver of traffic while reversing out of a parking space and can brake automatically.
With the Ceed recently receiving a suite of new powerplants, the engine line-up has been left largely unchanged, so the 1.6-litre mild-hybrid ‘Smartstream’ diesel with 134bhp will still be offered. This is available with either a six-speed manual gearbox or a seven-speed automatic ‘7DCT’ transmission. The manual is Kia’s intelligent manual transmission (iMT) that operates electronically without a physical linkage to the engine, allowing for engineoff coasting to improve efficiency.
Like its predecessor, the Ceed will be offered in diesel form in the hatchback and Sportswagon bodystyles, with 2, 3 and GT-Line trim levels. The ProCeed also gets a similar range of updates, but is no longer offered with a diesel engine.