Kia Xceed: Built for the comfort of an ageing inhabitants

Without getting too “Denis Norden” about issues (and should you bear in mind him you’ll perceive what I’m on about), should you’re a type of individuals who’ve acquired to an age if you’re extra eager about how lengthy it takes so that you can get right into a automotive moderately than how lengthy it takes the automotive to get to 100mph, then the Kia Xceed is right for you. This is as a result of, being constructed somewhat increased (44mm) than a regular hatch such because the Kia Ceed, which it’s based mostly on, it’s simply very simple to hop on and out of. No effort in any respect, actually, with it’s good vast doorways opening out at a beneficiant angle.

The Xceed is constructed for the comfort of an ageing inhabitants, who are usually the one individuals capable of afford new automobiles, in order that’s intelligent of Kia, isn’t it? It’s not so excessive up that you simply want a step-ladder to clamber in, like a Range Rover, nor so low down that you simply fear about the way you’ll ever get out of it, like, say, a Caterham. It’s good. And the highest pace is 99mph, so that you don’t want to worry about that in any case (the place authorized, obvs).

The relaxation is fairly nice too. In business parlance, this can be a “new” automotive moderately than an “all-new” automotive, which implies that it’s not that radically totally different from its predecessor Xceed, which dates again to 2018. There are some new controls and screens on the sprint, and so they’ve redone the styling entrance and rear, and added some trendy LED lights all spherical. But the essential form dates again a number of years and is a cross between a hatch, a coupe and a small SUV. Kia took its normal Ceed hatch, added black plastic wheel arches, larger bumpers and silver roof rails, and a much bigger boot to endow it with a vaguely SUV stance. It’s thus extra car-like than the Volkswagen T-Roc or Seat Ateca, for instance.

It’s additionally honest to say the Xceed seems to be somewhat tame subsequent to some rivals such because the Toyota C-HR or Renault Arkana and never as modern because the Peugeot 3008. However, Kia does provide some lurid paint jobs to compensate.

Kia has additionally added further sound-deafening and “quiet wheels”, so it’s largely an much more refined package deal than it was earlier than. The local weather and radio controls are sensibly positioned, on the sprint and handily on the steering wheel as properly, and there’s often no have to fiddle with the touchscreen on the transfer. The supplies, particularly on the upper trim ranges, are all glorious soft-touch stuff, and whereas conservatively trimmed in a mixture of matt and piano black, the inside is a pleasant form of place to be. It feels just like the manufacturing facility in Slovakia has taken the difficulty to construct you a high-quality product (this additionally being a European design and tailor-made to European tastes and, this case, the softer suspension set as much as cope with tough British roads).

My explicit check automotive was the PHEV (Plug-In Hybrid Vehicle) model, which is a form of area of interest inside the area of interest the Xceed has lower out for itself. On the plus aspect, on a sure sample of use, the Kia Xceed PHEV will hardly use any “fuel”, as you may get about 30 miles of light driving out of it in electric-only mode, appropriate for a lot of commutes (and even higher should you can plug in at work totally free). It additionally delivers a notable tax benefit for benefit-in-kind enterprise customers, who may very well be about £800 or £1,600 a yr higher off in contrast with a petrol-only equal, and automotive tax is decrease.

On the opposite hand, the preliminary premium for the PHEV Xceed is about £7,000, and the battery pack and electrical motor add 200kg to its weight. If you do longer journeys in it, or don’t trouble to plug it in, the penalties on gas economic system shall be important. So it’s a distinct segment product in additional methods than one. I additionally must say that the hybrid setup has loads of energy, however it makes a little bit of a whine if you put your foot down. And the thick rear pillars compromise visibility (parking cameras and sensors compensate, to an extent). The claimed mpg of 200 is a bit fanciful, and based mostly on intensive use of the automotive in electric-only mode (at 30 miles per recharge).

By now we should always all be accustomed to Kia’s seven-year guarantee and rising popularity for high quality, reliability and sturdiness, and its clients are often among the many happiest within the satisfaction surveys. I’d counsel, nevertheless, that whereas the Korean agency is completely aggressive in conventional sectors reminiscent of household hatches and SUVs, and at Peugeot ranges of high quality (which is nice), its actual edge is in its burgeoning all-electric merchandise, together with the e-Niro and EV6, all with glorious real-world vary. They’re fairly simple to get out and in of too, by the best way.