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Kia Ceed running costs and reliability

2018 onwards (change model)
Running costs rating: 3.8 out of 53.8

Written by Tom Wiltshire Published: 7 January 2022 Updated: 1 November 2022

Miles per pound (mpp)

Low figures relate to the least economical version; high to the most economical. Based on WLTP combined fuel economy for versions of this car made since September 2017 only, and typical current fuel or electricity costs.
Petrol engines 5.6 - 8.0 mpp
Diesel engines 6.5 - 8.2 mpp
What is miles per pound?

Fuel economy

Low figures relate to the least economical version; high to the most economical. Based on WLTP combined fuel economy for versions of this car made since September 2017 only.
Petrol engines 38.2 - 54.3 mpg
Diesel engines 51.1 - 64.2 mpg
View mpg & specs for any version
  • Average fuel economy for the class
  • Diesel is best bet for long distance economy
  • No hybrid options available for hatchback

The Ceed’s engines are all reasonably economical, whether you opt for one of the turbocharged petrols or the mild-hybrid diesel.

It’s the diesel that provides the greatest economy, especially over longer distances, but on short runs the petrols are a better bet, being far cheaper to buy in the first place. They don’t take so long to warm up, either, meaning they’ll be operating at their most efficient more quickly.

There’s no option for a full hybrid or plug-in hybrid model, though, like an increasing number of the Ceed’s rivals including the Toyota Corolla and SEAT Leon.  That means there aren’t any tax-busting models with super-low CO2 emissions, making the Ceed a worse bet than its opposition when it comes to running one as a company car.

View detailed MPG and CO2 figures on the Kia Ceed specs pages

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Kia Ceed cornering
Kia Ceed cornering

Servicing and warranty

Kia’s warranty is one of the best in the business, offering seven years or 100,000 miles of cover. That’s beaten only by Toyota with its up to ten-year ‘Relax’ warranty.

Servicing can be pre-paid for at purchase, either as a three-year or five-year plan for a reasonable sum. Kia dealers won’t charge the earth for routine maintenance, either.

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Kia Ceed dashboard
Kia Ceed dashboard

Reliability

Nothing screams ‘confidence in reliability’ like a seven-year warranty. It doesn’t seem like that faith is misplaced, either – the Ceed’s proven reliable since this model was launched in 2018.

There’s one recall in place for a small number of cars that may have been topped up with the incorrect brake fluid, but other than that the Ceed’s reliability record is squeaky clean.