Kia Xceed practicality and boot space

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You’d think that being designed as a car to appeal to buyers’ hearts more than other Ceed models, the XCeed would compromise on practical matters, but that’s not really the case. Inside, the same levels of generous passenger room are present in the front of the car, with some useful storage areas like a double shelf ahead of the gearlever where you’ll find a wireless charging pad (where fitted), large doorbins, a good sized glovebox and a central armrest with storage space beneath.

Beware the optional panoramic sunroof if you are very tall - we reckon this impedes on driver headroom in the front of the car. It does bring a lot of daylight into the cabin though, so make sure you try before you buy.

Moving further back and the rear bench provides ample room for a pair of adults, as long as the front seats aren’t pushed all the way back. Headroom is a little tighter than the hatch and Sportswagon due to the lower, sloping roofline, but it’s far from cramped. The only downside is that on higher-spec models with black rooflining, it can feel a little more dark and claustrophobic than it really is.

The middle seat offers a reasonable amount of space for a fifth passenger, largely due to the fact that there's hardly any tranmission tunnel in the way, but the seat base itself is higher than the two either side, so taller guests will struggle for headroom. The rear door bins aren't great either - good for a drinks bottle but not much else.

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At the boot, a higher loading lip than the hatch means you’ll need to lug heavy items up a little higher, but a dual-height boot floor means you can choose between no loading lip or a deeper load space.

The boot can also be opened electrically on higher trim levels, opening (albeit quite slowly) to reveal a 426-litre load area – that compares favourably with the Ceed and its 395-litre boot (thanks in part to a 60mm longer rear overhang), the Mercedes-Benz GLA and its 421-litre boot and the Toyota C-HR’s 377-litre offering. It’s not quite as big as the space in something like a SEAT Ateca, though, at 510 litres.

You can free up more space by folding the seats down, which fold in a useful 40:20:40 split. Just bear in mind the sloping tailgate means you won’t be getting big, bulky items in that easily.

Kia XCeed safety

• Five-star crash safety rating from Euro NCAP
• Plenty of driver assistance tech available
• Most of the kit comes as standard, too

The Ceed hatchback on which the XCeed is based received a four-star Euro NCAP crash safety rating in 2019, and is valid for XCeed models too. This was applicable to entry-level cars, however those fitted with the Safety Pack came away with a full five-star rating. 

As standard, all XCeed models come with lane-keep assist and forward collision avoidance assist, while pedestrian detection functionality is included on higher-spec models. Top-spec cars add adaptive cruise control on DCT-equipped models, blindspot monitoring and traffic sign recognition. Finally, there’s also a driver fatigue detection system to recommend taking breaks if driving starts to deteriorate.

Kia Ceed hatchback Euro NCAP crash test video: