Kia XCeed review

The entry-level 1.5-litre turbo in boggo-spec ‘2’ form costs £23,395, for which you get 16in alloys, an eight-inch colour touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard, three USB ports (two USB-Cs, one older USB-A), cruise control, a reversing camera and faux leather on the main touchpoints: yep, the steering wheel and gear lever. A perfectly good haul for a base-level car.

The two mid-grade trims - ‘3’ and GT-Line - are confusingly separated by a mere £500, priced at £25,895 and £35,395 respectively. Both getting 18s, the bigger 10.25in touchscreen, heated front seats and steering wheel, an electric parking brake and a seven-year subscription to Kia’s Connect service. Feel free to pore through the configurator to find where they diverge, the differences are few.

GT-Line S is the new mummy/daddy of the line-up and takes over from the pre-facelift First Edition model. Highlights include that 12.3in TFT display, the black leather and suede, eight-speaker JBL sound system, pano sunroof, wireless phone charging, and extras in the safety department like speed limit and blind-spot collision warning. High beam assist, driver attention warning, hill start assist control and forward collision-avoidance assist are the other gizmos included.

Annoyingly the lane keep assist re-engages every time you start the car, but happily there’s a simple button to switch it off. Other carmakers, please take note.

As ever, Kia’s seven-year, 100,000-mile warranty is in effect, and as ever there are few other manufacturers willing to guarantee their engineering for this long. Their loss is Kia’s gain. If it’s a lease you’re after, a three-year PCP for the ‘3’ will see you paying £350 a month with a deposit of £2,500 paid up front.