September 2nd 2019 – The Kia XCeed is a new urban crossover utility vehicle (CUV) from Kia Motors which combines compact SUV practicality with the sporty packaging and engaging handling of a hatchback, goes on sales later this month in Ireland.
A sporty alternative to traditional SUVs, the new CUV nevertheless offers comparable levels of space for occupants and luggage. The Kia XCeed engages drivers with its sporty handling and a comfortable, assured ride while providing a more commanding view of the road ahead than a conventional hatchback.
The XCeed’s suite of advanced safety, connectivity and infotainment features make it one of the most high-tech cars in the CUV class. Powered by a range of fast-revving, turbocharged engines, it is also one of the most efficient.
At the launch of the new car Aidan Doyle, Head of Marketing at Kia Motors Ireland commented: “The Kia XCeed addresses the growing desire for cars which offer more emotion and dynamism than an SUV, both in terms of the way a car looks and drives. Yet these customers don’t want to lose the practicality that a larger car offers them. Our new CUV meets these needs, with a distinctive and modern design wrapped around a spacious, versatile body. Merging the strengths of both hatchback and SUV, the Kia XCeed offers a refreshing and different alternative for Irish motorists .”
The Kia XCeed urban crossover will be manufactured at the brand’s European production facility in Zilina, Slovakia alongside the Ceed five-door hatchback, Ceed Sportswagon, and ProCeed five-door shooting brake.
Irish Product Offer
Going on sale from before the end of September Kia Motors Ireland will initially offer XCeed in three trim levels ( K2, K3 and K4 ) and two power units – one-litre gasoline and 1.6-litre diesel. Other power units may follow based on customer demand. Also in the pipeline will be a PHEV expected to arrive in Ireland in late January.
The entry-level 1.0-litre T-GDi K2 model at €26,245 is generously equipped with standard spec that includes 16 “ Alloys ,LED lights front and rear ,rear privacy glass ,8 inch touchscreen with Android Auto and Apple Car Play and a host of safety features including Lane Keep Assist,Forward Collision-Avoidance, High Beam Assist and Speed Limit Assist.
The K3 ( 1.0 €28,145 ) adds additional features including 18” Alloys, 10.25 inch touch screen with Sat Nav /TomTom and rearview camera, Half Leather Upholstery, and Electronic Parking Brake and wireless phone charger. The K3 will also be available with a 115 PS diesel engine. Indicative pricing for this model will be €31,000 (TBC).
The K4 1.0 ( €30,045) completes the range for now with added features such as heated front seats , 12.3-inch supervision instrument cluster, smart key with push-button start, climate control and Blind Spot Detection.
Pricing and specifications for XCeed PHEV will be announced closer to start of sales
Design
A sporty, urban alternative to the traditional SUV
Stylish, expressive and modern in design, the new Kia XCeed represents a sporty alternative to traditional SUVs. A product of the brand’s European design centre in Frankfurt, Germany, the creation of the Kia XCeed has taken place under the direction of Gregory Guillaume, Vice President of Design for Kia Motors Europe.
“When we came to designing the new Ceed range as a whole, we didn’t have a brief to design a crossover,” explains Guillaume. “But as we developed designs for other models in the range, we realised a bodystyle like this could capture the emotion and sportiness of the ProCeed, but offer something new at the same time. An urban crossover seemed to embody these values well.”
The new Kia XCeed is more emotional and dynamic in format and appearance than its taller rivals, while offering something different to the other models in the Ceed range. The only body panels carried over from its five-door hatchback sibling are the front doors.
In profile, the car’s relatively long bonnet flows into the A-pillars anchored aft of the front wheels, lending the car a sporty, swept-back silhouette. While the wheelbase remains the same as other models in the Ceed line-up (2,650 mm), the Kia XCeed’s front and rear overhangs are extended over the five-door hatchback model by 25 mm at the front (to 905 mm) and 60 mm at the rear (to 840 mm).
The car’s elevated ride height and body also present the same robust image that attracts buyers to the other SUVs in Kia’s product portfolio. The Kia XCeed’s ground clearance is 172 mm on 16-inch wheels and 184 mm on 18-inch wheels, a rise of up to 44 mm over the Ceed five-door hatchback. Wheel arch and side sill cladding and silver roof rails lend the car a tougher, SUV-like presence, with the metallic valance in the rear bumper enhancing this effect.
Inside, the Kia XCeed carries over the contemporary cabin architecture of its Ceed stablemates, with a sculptured centre console oriented slightly towards the driver. With a lower hip point than a taller SUV, and raised ground clearance over a conventional hatchback, the Kia XCeed provides drivers with a sportier driving position allowing a better view of the road ahead
Packaging
The cabin and storage space of an SUV in a sportier, more compact body
The Kia XCeed is designed to achieve the cabin and storage space of an SUV in a sportier body with a more compact footprint. Sitting directly between the Ceed five-door hatchback and the Kia Sportage, the Kia XCeed still manages to provide comparable interior space and luggage capacity to Europe’s best-selling SUVs.
With a total length of 4,395 mm, the Kia XCeed is 85 mm longer than the Ceed five-door hatchback and 90 mm more compact than the Sportage. Its maximum roof height of 1,495 mm also means it stands 48 mm above the Ceed and 150 mm below the Sportage, providing drivers with a lower centre of gravity than its taller sibling and an elevated driving position over the conventional Ceed.
Based on the Ceed, one of the most spacious vehicles in the compact class, the Kia XCeed offers generous interior space for front and rear occupants. With the hip point for each seat raised by up to 44 mm over the Ceed, it is easier for occupants to step in or out. Meanwhile, the half-moon-shaped glass area and fastback roofline provide rear passengers with a brighter, airier ambience and more headroom than other rivals in the compact crossover class.
With the car’s longer rear overhang creating a longer boot, luggage capacity for the Kia XCeed is rated at 426 litres (VDA), 31 litres more than the Ceed and only slightly less than the best-selling compact SUV in Europe.
Technology
Safety, connectivity, infotainment – XCeed among the most high-tech cars in its class
The Kia XCeed’s suite of advanced safety, connectivity and infotainment technologies make it one of the most high-tech, comprehensively-equipped cars in its class. The range of features are designed to make driving safer and less stressful and provide total ease of operation.
The 10.25-inch (K2 & K3 ) touchscreen navigation system features Bluetooth multi-connection as standard, enabling occupants to connect two mobile devices at once, as well as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Its advanced split-screen functionality lets users control or monitor numerous vehicle features at the same time, customising the screen to display up to three applications simultaneously, among a series of available widgets. This enables the driver to have a single display (such as navigation) or combine different elements on-screen at the same time. This means the driver can follow navigation directions while passengers choose their favourite songs or check the weather forecast
The Kia XCeed K4 trim includes the brand’s first fully-digital 12.3-inch Supervision driver instrument cluster, designed to deliver information as clearly as possible. With a high-definition 1920x720-pixel display, the digital cluster replaces the conventional speedometer and tachometer dials found currently in the brand’s passenger cars. Its single, seamless display incorporates pin-sharp digital dials for vehicle and engine speeds. A multi-function display between the dials displays turn-by-turn navigation instructions, audio information, and in-depth trip information, as well as vehicle diagnostics alerts, and pop-up notifications linked to the car’s various active safety and driver assist technologies.
The Kia XCeed provides access to a wide range of active driver assist and safety technologies. These include Smart Cruise Control with Stop & Go, Blind-spot Collision Warning( K4 model only ) , Forward Collision Warning with car and pedestrian detection, t Speed Limit Warning, Smart Parking Assist, Lane Keeping Assist and High Beam Assist. The Kia XCeed’s Driver Attention Warning advises drivers to take a break if the system detects signs of fatigue.
As with every Kia car sold in Europe, the CUV is equipped as standard with Vehicle Stability Management. This aids stability when braking and cornering by controlling the car’s Electronic Stability Control if it detects a loss of traction.
Ride and handling
Engaging drivers with sporty handling and a comfortable assured ride
The brand’s European engineering teams were tasked with honing the suspension and steering of the new Kia XCeed to deliver a mature ride and engaging handling character in all conditions. Subjected to a dedicated development regime, the new car has been driven across a wider range of road surfaces than any previous European-developed Kia vehicle.
Prototypes have been validated in all weather conditions, on alpine passes and high-speed motorways, in bustling city centres, and along narrow country lanes. With testing taking place in Germany, Spain, Sweden, the UK, and a host of other nations, the handling character of the new Ceed crossover is truly European.
The new Kia XCeed will offer drivers a unique ride and handling character, with its own suspension tuning and componentry not found in other Ceed models. Despite its elevated ride height, the XCeed will be more engaging to drive than a typical family SUV due to its bespoke suspension tuning, more compact exterior dimensions, lower centre of gravity and reduced overall mass.
With the exception of the new hydraulic rebound stoppers, the hardware of the new model’s fully-independent suspension remains identical to that of the Ceed hatchback, ProCeed shooting brake and Ceed Sportswagon. However, with ground clearance elevated by up to 44 mm over the standard Ceed (depending on wheel size), Kia’s engineers have softened the front and rear spring rates by up to 7% and 4% respectively, depending on the weight of different engines over the front axle. This delivers greater comfort and stability in all conditions. Cruising comfort is also enhanced by the adoption of a new dynamic damper for the rear cross-member, further quelling road noise and structural vibrations.
Powertrains
Powered by a range of turbocharged engines – with plug-in variant to follow
The Kia XCeed is powered by a range of fast-revving, turbocharged engines, giving buyers several choices to meet every driving need.
Two turbocharged gasoline direct injection (T-GDi) engines are on offer. The three-cylinder 1.0-litre T-GDi engine produces 120 ps and 172 Nm torque, while the four-cylinder 1.4-litre T-GDi engine produces 140 ps and 242 Nm torque. The initial gasoline product offer in Ireland will feature the one litre power unit with the 1.4 to follow based on dealer and customer demand.
The Kia XCeed is also available with a choice of two Smartstream power units – the cleanest diesel engines ever produced by the brand, and the most fuel efficient in the range. The 1.6-litre Smartstream engine is offered with either 115 ps or 136 ps. In Ireland again the initial product offer will be the 115 ps variant
A low-emissions plug-in hybrid powertrain will be launched into the Kia XCeed range in early 2020, combining an 8.9 kWh lithium-polymer battery pack, a 44.5 kW electric motor, and an efficient 1.6-litre ‘Kappa’ four-cylinder GDI engine. Paired with a six-speed double-clutch transmission (6DCT), the powertrain transmits up to 141 ps and 265 Nm to the front wheels. The Kia XCeed Plug-in Hybrid is expected to offer an all-electric range of around 60 kilometres depending on wheel size. This will enable drivers to complete the majority of daily drives and short commutes on electric power alone. CO2 emissions for the Kia XCeed Plug-in Hybrid will be announced prior to start-of-sales once the homologation process is complete.
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Notes to editors
*all CO2 emissions and fuel efficiency data is derived from the NEDC 2.0 (New European Driving Cycle) test, based on the WLTP (World-harmonised Light Test Vehicle Procedure) test cycle and reconverted to NEDC
