Should you buy a Kia Ceed?

The Ceed has morphed from an also-ran into an impressive hatchback that’s up there with the Ford Focus and Volkswagen Golf. It’s not a particularly exciting car, but it’s comfortable, good to drive and should be painless to own thanks to a strong reliability record and long warranty.

Our choice would be a mid-spec petrol model, as these provide a great balance between performance and price. But don’t discount the entry-level cars, which still have plenty of equipment and offer a useful cost saving.

What is it?

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The original Kia Cee’d, launched way back in 2006, was one of the brand’s first cars designed specifically for the European market – the clue was even in the name, which stood for ‘Community Europe, European Design’ (just ignore the erroneous apostrophe).

Now the Ceed is in its third generation, launched in 2018 and given a facelift in 2021 to freshen things up. It follows a familiar template, being a mid-sized family hatchback – that means it’s aiming directly at the heartland occupied by the Volkswagen Golf and Ford Focus.

The Ceed’s weapons in this fight are mainly cold-hearted pragmatism – a selection of sensible engines, an impressive seven-year warranty, and plenty of space for the family. But it might surprise you to know the Ceed’s also a thoroughly decent car to drive, with a quality interior and loads of equipment as standard.

As a result, it’s every bit as credible a choice as any European hatchback. There’s just as much choice, too – as well as the Ceed hatch, you can get a Ceed SW (estate), the SUV-styled xCeed, or the Proceed Shooting Brake, all of which we’ve reviewed separately. You can even get sporty ‘GT’ models.

The Ceed’s mid-life facelift was more about tweaking the formula than making any huge changes. An updated engine range and adjusted specifications played a part, as did a styling update that, to our eyes, slightly spoiled the original’s simple, handsome front end. You’ll easily be able to distinguish pre- and post-facelift models by the badging – the latter features Kia’s new logo.

Over the next few pages, though, you can read about the Ceed hatchback in more detail, covering its interior, practicality, running costs and what it’s like to drive. If you’re curious to learn more about how we reached the star ratings on the next page, check out how we test cars.