The XCeed, which sits in Kia’s portfolio of European crossover vehicles between the Stonic and Sportage, will see some minor changes for the 2023 model year. Because a GT-Line trim level is now available for the first time on this body shape, the updated model marks the beginning of a lineup expansion. It features the same sporty styling changes as the standard hatchback but is higher riding, has a striking green paint job, and stylish two-tone 18-inch wheels.
As before, the XCeed has a 44 millimetres (1.73 inch) higher seat height than the Ceed hatchback, and it has a ground clearance of 184 millimetres (7.2 inches) with 18-inch wheels or 172 millimetres (6.7 inches) with 16-inch wheels. The front and rear overhangs are 25 mm (1 in) and 60 mm (2.3 in) larger, respectively, while the wheelbase (2,605 mm / 102.5 in) is retained. The only doors that are common to both versions and the standard five-door hatchback are the front doors.
Naturally, the crossover’s brother has received the same stylistic upgrades as the hatch did last year. The Kia XCeed receives new taillights with a slew of hexagonal features reserved for the GT-line trim level, along with the company’s revised logo. A marketing term for false exhaust tips, it also features a “discreet exhaust-look design.” It takes after the hatch’s more angular headlights and revised front bumper, while the plastic body cladding gives the side profile a slightly more rugged appearance.
Although the GT-Line sports sportier seats, a flat-bottomed steering wheel, a black headliner, and alloy pedals, the interior is more or less the same. A red “GT” badge with a smaller white “Line” badge is mounted on the bottom spoke of the steering wheel by Kia, and the gear knob is covered in perforated leather. The frameless rearview mirror, a glossy black panel for the transmission tunnel, and the choice of a 12.3-inch completely digital instrument cluster with full HD resolution are other upgrades.
The engine lineup includes the usual suspects, starting off with a turbocharged 1.0-liter three-cylinder mill with 118 hp and 172 Nm (127 lb-ft). A larger 1.5-liter unit takes the output to 158 hp and 253 Nm (187 lb-ft), while the 1.6-liter borrowed from the Ceed GT and ProCeed GT pumps out 201 hp and 265 Nm (195 lb-ft). With the latter engine and a seven-speed, dual-clutch automatic transmission, the crossover sprints to 62 mph (100 km/h) in 7.5 seconds.
In other markets, Kia will offer the XCeed with a mild hybrid 1.6-diesel engine rated at 134 horsepower and 280 Nm (207 lb-ft), while the seven-speed DCT ups the torque to 320 Nm (236 lb-ft). With this 48-volt technology, CO2 emissions can be reduced by as much as 10%, and the car can momentarily coast without the engine at speeds of up to 77 mph (125 km/h).
The thriftiest powertrain will once again be the plug-in hybrid with a 1.6-liter gasoline unit, a 44.5-kW electric motor, a six-speed dual-clutch auto, and an 8.9-kWh lithium-ion battery pack. The XCeed PHEV has a combined output of 139 hp and 265 Nm (195 lb-ft) and can run on electric juice for 37 miles (60 kilometers) in the city.
Kia will have the XCeed on sale in Europe from September, complete with the usual seven-year / 150,000-km warranty.