In the automotive world, in the automotive industry, success is not accidental and occurs when a brand does things well. For a while. Kia is one of the brands that has improved its image the most in recent years. And it has achieved this thanks to a modern and well-structured range of automobiles, in which it has taken special care of design, technology and quality of finish.
Not in vain, Kia currently occupies second place in sales in our market. And the Korean manufacturer continues to proudly offer a 7-year warranty, a whole repertoire of electrified technologies and, naturally, a complete range of SUV-type cars.
Beyond the well-known Picanto, ceed, Sportage or Niro, Kia has the XCeed in its range, an original concept car that the manufacturer defines as a CUV or crossover utility vehicle. It is a way of defining a car that does not fit within a traditional category. Which can be a virtue.
The XCeed is indeed an attractive vehicle whose exterior appearance is halfway between an SUV and a passenger car. An innovative proposal that offers a different option from the rest of the Ceed bodies. In this sense, both the front and the rear represent a clear break with the range, making clear their differentiating intention. When looking at the vehicle, you can see a very energetic nose formed by a prominent grille, accompanied by a large lower air intake.
One of the new features for 2023 is the addition of the GT Line equipment level to the range, which to date was only available in the other Ceed bodies. With this finish, the car has a sportier appearance thanks to specific bumpers and wheels, sports seats with exclusive upholstery and small decorative details on the steering wheel, gear lever and aluminum pedals.
The rest of the car remains unchanged, with a practical size of 4.39 meters long and a slight height to the ground (18.4 cm) to give it that crossover appearance and which can partly facilitate access to and exit from the vehicle to people with reduced mobility. It is approved for five seats, although four people will travel more comfortably, as is usually the case in this category of automobile. Of course, it has good leg distance and its ceiling height is sufficient.
As for the trunk, the capacity varies depending on the engine. It ranges from the 426 liters of capacity of the versions with diesel or gasoline engines, to 291 liters of the plug-in hybrid, which has to allocate space in the trunk to the battery.
Kia offers five gasoline engines between 120 HP and 204 HP, including a plug-in hybrid labeled 0 and 141 HP. And four finishes, which allows us to articulate a complete offer with almost 20 possibilities. Of the different versions, the 1.5 T-GDI has a 48V mini hybridization system with a small lithium-ion battery rechargeable exclusively with the drive and which guarantees the ECO label, in addition to 160 HP of power and good benefits.
Even more interesting is the XCeed PHEV, one of the most economical plug-in hybrids on the market and, of course, an all-purpose car. It uses a 105 HP 1.6 gasoline engine that is associated with a 61 HP electric motor and a six-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox. The joint maximum power is 141 HP. The 8.9 kWh battery allows you to travel 48 km in completely electric mode.
The XCeed PHEV has a very smooth and quiet operation which, together with low consumption, are its most notable virtues. It is not the most powerful or performance model, but it responds very well in daily, urban or interurban use. On the road it behaves practically like a car, with a firm suspension that guarantees better response on asphalt.
In terms of safety, the presence of the standard driving aids (ADAS) is appreciated, with devices such as the proactive lane warning and maintenance system, braking assistance with pedestrian recognition, cruise control with Stop
Likewise, it is worth mentioning a well-presented interior with quality materials. Highlights are the large 12.3-inch touch screen of the infotainment system and all the connectivity included: Apple Car Play and Android Auto.
