New 2021 Kia Ceed facelift on sale from £20,105
Order books are now open for the refreshed Kia Ceed, which arrives with sportier styling, more driver assistance technology and a revised engine range
Kia has opened order books for the facelifted Ceed family, which arrives with a host of upgrades designed to keep it competitive with newer rivals, such as the Volkswagen Golf and the recently refreshed Ford Focus five-door hatchbacks. The new Kia Ceed is priced from £20,105, with the Ceed Sportswagon estate and sleek ProCeed model starting from £20,805 and £25,480 respectively.
The new Ceed range begins with the entry-level 2 model, available in either hatchback or estate form. The Ceed 2 Sportswagon is offered with a 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine producing 118bhp, with the hatchback gaining a 1.6-litre mild-hybrid diesel option with 134bhp.
Standard equipment includes 16-inch alloy wheels, cruise control and an eight-inch touchscreen infotainment display featuring Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and DAB radio. A reversing camera and electrically adjustable, heated door mirrors are also fitted, alongside lane-keep assist and a Driver Attention Warning system.
In addition, the Ceed Sportswagon is also offered in 2 Nav guise, priced from £24,045. This adds a USB fast charger and a 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen, along with the option of the 1.6-litre mild-hybrid diesel option that can’t be specified with the lesser Ceed 2 Sportswagon.
The Ceed 3 is next in the line-up, and introduces a more powerful petrol engine in the form of a 1.5-litre turbocharged unit with 158bhp. This can be optioned with either a six-speed manual or seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox, for both the hatchback and Sportswagon. The 1.6-litre mild-hybrid diesel motor is exclusively available with a manual gearbox for the hatchback, and the seven-speed DCT gearbox for the estate model.
Prices for the Ceed 3 start from £23,795 and £24,495 for the hatchback and Sportswagon respectively, with additional standard equipment such as rear privacy glass, automatic wipers, dual-zone air conditioning, rear parking sensors and Kia’s Drive Mode Select system (for DCT-equipped cars). 17-inch alloy wheels are also included, alongside an auto-dimming rear-view mirror and electrically-folding door mirrors.
Topping the standard hatchback line-up is GT-Line trim, which isn’t available on the Ceed Sportswagon. GT-Line cars can be specified with either the 1.6-litre mild-hybrid diesel motor, paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, or the 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol unit with a manual transmission.
The Ceed GT-Line is priced from £24,625 and gains 17-inch gloss black alloy wheels, gloss black door mirrors, heated seats and a heated sports steering wheel with grey stitching. Kia’s smart entry system, with an engine start/stop system, also features, as well aluminium pedals and steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters for DCT-equipped cars.
The Kia ProCeed offers a sleeker take on practicality with its swoopier body style and can be specified in a choice of three trim levels.
The first is GT-Line, priced from £25,480. This gains automatic headlights, front fog lights and an electric parking brake as standard, along with a Forward Collision Avoidance system. Automatic cars also receive smart cruise control with ‘stop and go’ functionality. The ProCeed GT-Line is exclusively available with a 158bhp 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine, paired with either a six-speed manual or seven-speed automatic transmission.
The ProCeed GT-Line S comes next, and adds 18-inch alloy wheels, a sunroof and LED front fog lights and headlights. Inside, the GT-Line S is equipped with 10-way electrically adjustable seats trimmed in black leather and faux suede, along with heated rear seats which fold in a 40:20:40 split. A smart powered tailgate is standard, too.
A wireless smartphone charger and an eight-speaker JBL stereo also feature, along with Kia’s latest driving assistance tech. All GT-Line S cars are fitted with a 1.5-litre petrol engine and seven-speed DCT gearbox, and start from £30,240.
The flagship ProCeed GT hot-hatch is powered by a 201bhp 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, which is only available with a seven-speed automatic gearbox. The GT can accelerate from 0-62mph in 7.5 seconds, and will hit a 140mph top speed.
Priced at £30,280, the ProCeed GT adopts the standard equipment of the GT-Line model, with numerous GT-specific additions. These include 18-inch alloy wheels with red centre caps, red accents for the front grille and rear diffuser and a twin tailpipe exhaust set-up. Inside, the GT gains red contrast seat stitching and black steering wheel stitching, and a GT Performance mode for the digital instrument display.
As part of the update, Kia has redesigned the Ceed family’s front end, which features a fresh pair of LED headlamps, two new intakes in the front bumper and the latest version of its trademark ‘Tiger Nose’ grille. At the rear, the tailgate has been smoothed over and there’s a new gloss black insert mounted in the lower edge of the bumper.
Kia has also introduced its redesigned logo to the Ceed line-up, and there’s a new range of alloy wheels to choose from, ranging from 16-inch to 18-inch items, depending on spec. Two new paint finishes have also been added. Inside, there’s a new gear knob and a choice of four more upholstery designs, which takes the Ceed’s total number of interior trim options to nine.
One thing Kia has discussed at length is the Ceed’s new safety features. Upgrades over the old model include leading vehicle departure alert, which informs the driver when the car in front has pulled away from a standstill. Blind-spot collision avoidance is another new addition, which can step in to mitigate accidents with the rear quarter of the vehicle.
There’s a new rear-view monitor, too, designed to help with reversing into parking spaces or hitching up a trailer. Kia has also added an extra button which activates the camera while driving, essentially giving the driver an extra rear-view mirror.
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