Kia XCeed facelifted: renewed inside and out

Highlights

• New bumpers, grille and headlights
• Stubborn taillights
• Also available as GT-Line for the first time
• With (mild-hybrid) petrol engines and as a plug-in hybrid

In mid-2021, Kia performed a facelift on the Ceed family. At least, on the largest part of the model series presented in 2018. The Ceed Hatchback, Sportswagon and the slick-lined ProCeed were updated, but the XCeed still had to continue in its existing form. That was not so crazy, after all, the XCeed was the last variant that Kia added to the Ceed family in 2019 and is therefore a year younger than its sister models. Half of 2022 is now almost over and so Kia considers the time to be right to refresh the XCeed now.

design

The facelift that the Kia XCeed undergoes is not earth-shattering, although the touch-up session is more than you might think at first. Not only has the grille been renewed, but the headlights have also been updated. They retain their original shape, but exchange their former LED daytime running lights consisting of four horizontal LED points for three vertically placed LED boomerangs. The fog lamps are now integrated in the headlamps and are therefore no longer located at the bottom of the front bumper. According to Kia, the new air guides that it has been able to place in the front bumper provide the XCeed with less air resistance. Nice bonus.

Kia XCeed

The designers also use the brush of innovation in a subtle way on the rear of the Kia XCeed. In the rear bumper of the XCeed you will find a new diffuser and a modified skid plate. The new bumper work at the front and rear makes the XCeed 2.5 centimeters at the front and 6 centimeters longer than the original. So bigger overhangs. Like the Ceed Hatchback in GT and GT-Line trim, the XCeed GT-Line features taillights with a distinctive honeycomb pattern. Speaking of GT-Line: the XCeed did not have that version before the facelift, but will soon also be available in that sporty trim. You can also recognize it by sportier-looking bumper work with a body-coloured diffuser, body-coloured door sills, black roof rails, black side mirror caps and specific 18-inch alloy. Kia comes with three new paint colors for the XCeed: Lemon Splash, Yuca Steel Gray and Celadon Spirit Green that you recently saw on a packed test sample of the renewed XCeed.

Kia XCeed

From the inside

Kia also makes changes to the interior of the XCeed, although they are minor here. The island of buttons under the visually floating and 10.25-inch infotainment system consists of renewed buttons, rotary knobs and switches and the already familiar 12.3-inch digital instrumentation gets a new layout. Kia also brings an interior mirror with thinner edges and new materials to the XCeed. Kia also takes a closer look at the XCeed’s safety systems. For example, Smart Cruise Control works on the basis of data from the navigation system, so that the software adapts the speed to be maintained to the maximum speed. The XCeed also adjusts that speed based on curves.

Kia XCeed

engines

There is no news on the engine side, which means that the XCeed will, as before, with a 120 hp and 172 Nm strong 1.0 T-GDI three-cylinder, with a 160 hp and 253 Nm strong (mild-hybrid) 1.5 T-GDI and with a 204 hp and 265 Nm strong 1.6 T-GDI is available. The 1.0 T-GDI is only available with a six-speed manual transmission. The 1.5 T-GDI is available with the same six-speed gearbox and with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. The 1.6 T-GDI always has that automatic. The plug-in hybrid powertrain also returns. This variant has a system output of 131 hp and 265 Nm and, thanks to an 8.9 kWh battery, can drive up to 48 kilometers electrically. Shifting is done in this plug-in hybrid XCeed with a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

The updated Kia XCeed will be available from mid-September. Prices will follow at a later stage.