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Kia Ceed review

2018 onwards (change model)
Parkers overall rating: 3.6 out of 53.6
” Kia's hatch is highly commendable, if not quite class best “

At a glance

Price new £23,105 - £31,215
Used prices £6,910 - £23,632
Road tax cost £190
Insurance group 8 - 22
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Fuel economy 38.2 - 64.2 mpg
Range 429 - 759 miles
Miles per pound 5.6 - 8.2
View full specs for a specific version

Available fuel types

Petrol

Diesel

Pros & cons

PROS
  • Well-equipped across range
  • Lots of space inside
  • Seven-year warranty
CONS
  • Small engine range
  • Not very fun to drive
  • Limited personalisation

Written by Tom Wiltshire Updated: 1 November 2022

Overview

The original Kia Cee’d, launched way back in 2006, was one of the brand’s first cars designed specifically for the European market – the clue was even in the name, which stood for ‘Community Europe, European Design’ (just ignore the erroneous apostrophe).

Now the Ceed is in its third generation, launched in 2018 and given a facelift in 2021 to freshen things up. It follows a familiar template, being a mid-sized family hatchback – that means it’s aiming directly at the heartland occupied by the Volkswagen Golf and Ford Focus.

The Ceed’s weapons in this fight are mainly cold-hearted pragmatism – a selection of sensible engines, an impressive seven-year warranty, and plenty of space for the family. But it might surprise you to know the Ceed’s also a thoroughly decent car to drive, with a quality interior and loads of equipment as standard.

As a result, it’s every bit as credible a choice as any European hatchback. There’s just as much choice, too – as well as the Ceed hatch, you can get a Ceed SW (estate), the SUV-styled xCeed, or the Proceed Shooting Brake, all of which we’ve reviewed separately. You can even get sporty ‘GT’ models.

The Ceed’s mid-life facelift was more about tweaking the formula than making any huge changes. An updated engine range and adjusted specifications played a part, as did a styling update that, to our eyes, slightly spoiled the original’s simple, handsome front end. You’ll easily be able to distinguish pre- and post-facelift models by the badging – the latter features Kia’s new logo.

Over the next few pages, though, you can read about the Ceed hatchback in more detail, covering its interior, practicality, running costs and what it’s like to drive.