Kia reveals XCeed small crossover

KIA has unveiled its latest small crossover, the Europe-only Xceed that draws on the styling of the Ceed hatchback but adds the practicality of an SUV.

As reported, the Xceed will not be making its way Down Under, with Kia Motors Australia set to instead use the recently revealed Seltos to fill the small-SUV gap in its portfolio from October.

Styled at the brand’s European design centre in Germany, the XCeed borrows heavily from the sporty Ceed and Cerato small cars with long, swooping ‘ice-cube’ LED headlights featuring a unique lighting signature.

Kia’s trademark ‘tiger nose’ grille returns with a subtle design, while the lower bumper features a squared-off front lip with two-tone black trim that runs around the wheelarches, side skirts and rear bumper.

At the rear, the XCeed features a new tail-light design and a silver rear bumper that integrates its twin-exit tailpipes.

Despite sharing the same 2650mm wheelbase as the Ceed, the XCeed hangs over 25mm more at the front and 60mm at the rear while also sitting 26mm wider on the road.

Befitting its SUV status, ground clearance is increased by as much as 42mm over the Ceed when fitted with 18-inch wheels.

The XCeed rides on alloys between 16 and 18 inches in size, while 12 different paint finishes are available.

Inside, the XCeed offers more room than the Ceed, with 31 litres of extra luggage capacity (426L), which extends to 1378L with the 40/20/40 split-fold rear seats flat.

An 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is included as standard, while a 10.25-inch system can be had on higher-spec variants.

Kia’s first fully digital 12.3-inch instrument cluster will be optionally available on the XCeed, which would otherwise be offered with a 3.8- or 4.2-inch TFT screen.

The South Korean brand has aimed to provide XCeed buyers with a unique driving experience, with a bespoke suspension tune featuring hydraulic rebound stoppers on the front axle and spring rates that are seven per cent softer up front and four per cent at the rear.

A turbocharged range of three petrol and two diesel engines will be offered, with petrol powerplants ranging from the 88kW/172Nm 1.0-litre three-cylinder to the mid-spec 103kW/242Nm 1.4-litre four-pot and the 150kW/265Nm 1.6-litre unit found in a number of local Hyundai and Kia models.

A 1.6-litre four-cylinder diesel unit is offered in two states of tune, either 85kW/280Nm or 100kW/320Nm.

All variants bar the 1.0-litre drive the front wheels via either a seven-speed dual-clutch auto or six-speed manual, while the entry-level engine scores the three-pedal option only.

Driver-assist technologies on the XCeed include adaptive cruise control with stop and go functionality, autonomous emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, forward collision warning with pedestrian detection, speed limit warning, park assist, lane-keep assist and high-beam assist.

Kia’s long-standing absence in the small-SUV segment will be come to an end in October with the arrival of the Seltos, with two petrol engine choices and a potential starting price around the low-$20,000 mark.