Kia reveals refreshed XCeed crossover

The compact crossover segment has become hugely popular of late. The proportions of these high-riding hatchbacks can be polarising, but Kia believes it has found the perfect ratio with its XCeed, relaunched on 18 July with a fresh new look.

As with any refresh the changes are subtle, headlined by revised headlamps and tweaks to the bumper, grille and air intakes. Led by Gregory Guillaume, vice president of design for Kia Europe, the XCeed retains its coupe-style body, created by a lengthy bonnet and sloping roofline.

At the front, the most obvious change is the revamped air intake design, enabled by moving the fog lights from the lower mask to the headlamps. This allows new air curtains to direct air around the wheels for improved aerodynamics. (Is anyone surprised to see aerodynamics playing a leading role?) There are new wheels too, specifically designed for the revamped XCeed. Initial sketches teased monstrous oversized rims, but interested parties will have to settle for more practical 18-inchers.

The rear mask remains busy, with creases, intakes, badges and an ‘exhaust-look’ section above the skid plate – a trend that some in the industry are not overly enchanted by. Those horizontal lines across the bumper insert and trunk lid aim to emphasise the car’s wide hips, characteristic of both performance cars and off-roaders.

From the side, a high shoulder line serves as a reminder of the XCeed’s SUV influences, as do those roof rails and cladding on the wheel arches and side sill. To counteract the added visual bulk, the front and rear overhangs have been increased by 25mm and 60mm respectively. Stocky and athletic, it is a real shot-putter of a hatchback.

Inside, it is business as usual with the expected mix of connectivity and active safety technologies – this is a refresh after all, with major changes saved for the next generation. Kia is keen to highlight a new version of Kia Connect, which allows certain functions to be controlled remotely through a smartphone app, and Kia Live which brings in updates on things like traffic, weather and parking.

As the name would suggest, the XCeed is based on the Ceed hatchback and shares the same 2650mm wheelbase. However, there is a very different shell – the front doors are the only body panels shared with the Ceed – and the body is notably bulkier. This is all in the spirit of achieving the cabin and storage space of a larger car, packaged in a more conventional hatchback footprint.

At 4395mm in length, it boasts 85mm over the Ceed five-door hatchback. At the same time, it is noticeably shorter (120mm) than its bigger brother, the Sportage. Combined with an extra 48mm in height over the Ceed, it creates what Kia describes as a “brighter, airer ambience”. Sjoerd Knipping, vice president of marketing and product at Kia Europe, adds that this also brings the “commanding driving position and comfort of an SUV.”

The compact crossover segment is, on paper, a confusing package: not rugged enough to go off-road but styled in a way that suggests they could. The new XCeed is one of the few such models that manages to pull this off, with the latest refresh pushing it even closer to the ‘high-riding coupe’ aesthetic than before. Perhaps fittingly, Kia describes the refreshed XCeed as “sporty, comfortable and assured.”

It is a spacious hatchback that feels quite different to its ancestor, the Ceed. And in the confines of increasingly congested urban roads, this new breed of hatchback begins to make sense. This is especially true when pulling alongside a lumbering full-size SUV that will never be taken off-road anyway (unless mounting a curb on the high street counts). Sales of the revamped XCeed will begin from September 2022.