Features
12 Sep 19

First Drive Kia XCeed: a German sporty cross-over in disguise

KIA is one of the few brands that is growing on a shrinking European market, appealing to an ever wider audience with an expanding product portfolio. The brand-new XCeed is likely to add to Kia’s success, as we found out during a test drive in Marseille. Had this been a blind test, many of the attendants would have sworn they were driving a sporty German cross-over.

Exceeding the expectations

The Ceed family has gained another member with this XCeed, which stands higher on its wheels yet features a relatively steeply raked windscreen and a sharp sloping roofline. It is indeed a crossover between hatchback, coupe and SUV. Kia wanted to build the most dynamic, refined and visually appealing crossover in its segment and we can confirm that they deserve kudos for their efforts.

It is not easy to impress a car journalist, but the assembled press seemed unanimous: Kia has done a brilliant job at making this car exceed – punt intended – the expectations. What it visually promises is delivered as soon as you grab the door handle and get inside. The materials exude quality – with the exception of the annoyingly reflecting dashboard trim at the basis of the windscreen.

Then there are the seats. They are very supportive and compare with the best German ones. And there is more to this XCeed that feels German-made. The steering is spot and feels very natural, whereas body roll is limited thanks to the low centre of gravity. Compared to this, other compact crossovers suddenly feel quite wobbly – with the exception of the BMW X2, with which the XCeed actually shares a lot of characteristics.

Confident driving, luxurious equipment

Here too, Kia engineers have found the sweet spot between handling and comfort. Equally applaudable is the NVH performance: this XCeed is surprisingly quiet and cossetting. In short, the cabin is a place of wellbeing. The central touchscreen is very intuitive to use and would not be out of place in a high-end German car. Should you have any more doubts: Kia has indeed insourced mechanical and digital talent previously employed at legacy brands to raise the bar on most every level.

The first car we tried was a 1.4 T-GDi with the seven-speed dual clutch transmission. Again, it all feels quite Teutonic. I was not particularly fond of the DCT in the Niro plug-in hybrid I tried two years ago, but this is a different story. Gears shift adequately and promptly and if you want, you can take control with paddles behind the steering wheel. We also tried the torquey diesel-DCT combo, which clearly has more breath uphill, and the manual 1.4 T-GDi, which amazed by its smooth shift characteristic and clutch. Compared to the manual Volvo XC40 T3 I tried just before, this is definitely the more enjoyable gear stick to operate.

If you are wondering whether we are paid by Kia to write this review and make references to premium carmakers, I can assure you it’s not the case. This Xceed is genuinely good and there is not much to dislike – apart maybe from the fact you have to pay about €4,000 more for the XCeed than the standard 5-door Ceed and that the driver display, even though it is digital, does not show the navigation map.

PROS

  • Looks, premium feel, fit & finish
  • Handling, NVH
  • Standard equipment

CONS      

  • Price supplement over the standard Ceed
  • Reflecting dashboard trim
  • No navigation map in the driver display

 

Competitors: high-end Seat Ateca/Ford Focus Active, low-end BMW X2/Mercedes GLA/Audi Q3 Sportback 

   

 

 

 

Authored by: Dieter Quartier