• Similar interior to the regular Ceed hatchback
• Lots of standard equipment
• Quality finish and user-friendly design

Very good. Kia laid the XCeed’s dashboard out logically. Unlike the updated Ford Focus Active, the facelifted XCeed still has its climate controls mounted on a physical panel on the centre console rather than in a menu on the infotainment system, which makes them easier to use on the move.

The XCeed isn’t challenging Audi for quality, but there are a few changes over the standard Ceed to make the car feel like a more premium offering. The door cards feel more solid, for example, and there’s a noticeable improvement in the quality of the sound deadening.

It’s certainly a nicer place to be than a Volkswagen T-Roc. Everything within arm’s reach is trimmed in soft-touch materials and all the switchgear feels sturdy. The styling of the cabin hasn’t changed much for the facelift, though – the biggest changes are some different coloured trim pieces.

14

Infotainment and tech

Little has changed on the technology front. The most expensive models are fitted with the same 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster and 10.25-inch infotainment system as before, while entry-level cars get analogue gauges and an 8.0-inch screen. This lack of change isn’t a bad thing, though, because Kia’s infotainment setup is one of the easiest on the market to use.

It doesn’t have the same breadth of ability as SEAT or Volkswagen’s virtual cockpit setup, but you can still have clever connected features such as live parking availability, real-time petrol pricing and weather forecasting. The touchscreen supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, too.

14

The touchscreen can be connected to your smartphone using Kia’s UVO application. It gives you access to a range of remote functions – you can lock and unlock the doors, check the tyre pressures and beam navigation instructions from your home to your car.

Spend a bit more money on your XCeed and you can have one fitted with a JBL stereo system. It’s a powerful setup which is strong enough to jangle loose items in the door bins. You also get a subwoofer in the boot, which robs a bit of space. But the sound quality is well worth it.

Comfort

• Great driving position
• Supportive seats
• Pliant ride

The Kia XCeed toes the fashionable line between comfort and sportiness. The suspension does a good job of cushioning you from the worst craters, but it doesn’t wallow about like a barge caught in a storm. This is thanks to two things – the spring rates are softer in the XCeed than the standard Ceed hatchback and the car is fitted with hydraulic rebound stoppers.

Most cars have fixed rubber rebound stoppers, which create a hard barrier at the end of the suspension travel to prevent the dampers from smashing themselves to bits when you drop into an enormous pothole. Kia’s system has a rubber stopper floating around in an oil bath instead – and this allows the XCeed to deal with severe jolts more progressively.

14

Kia also fitted the XCeed with more sound deadening than the standard hatchback which dulls more of the road noise, even on when specified with the GT-Line car’s massive 18-inch alloys. Don’t get us wrong, it’s not a Rolls-Royce – but it’s more comfortable than a Volkswagen T-Roc.

We like the seats, too. They’re supportive and they offer a lot of adjustability. There’s also lots of adjustment in the steering wheel, meaning any driver should be able to get comfortable. However, the seats have an unusually shaped headrest (designed to keep your head supported in the event of an accident) that makes it difficult to check your mirrors and blind spots.