Used Kia Ceed Hatchback 2007 - 2012 review
Category: Family car
It's not the most exciting of hatchbacks, but is capable and affordable.
What's the used Kia Ceed hatchback like?
The Kia Ceed is capable and great value on the used market.
It is designed to be family friendly, and the cabin is just that. There's space for four adults, and the boot is large and easy to load. Cabin materials aren't of the highest quality, but the Cee'd still feels well built and solid.
The Kia's light and responsive steering is good around town, and while the ride is generally comfortable, it can thump over bumps. The Cee'd remains composed at higher speeds, but its grip and stability is inferior to rivals such as the Ford Focus or Renault Megane. Road noise is an issue on poor surfaces.
Ownership cost
What used Kia Ceed hatchback will I get for my budget?
How much does it cost to run a Kia Ceed hatchback?
The Cee'd cleaned up its act with the 2009 face-lift, making the newer models slightly lighter on your pocket in terms of fuel economy and road tax. This, combined with their fresher design, make them a better bet when considering resale values.
The older 1.4-litre petrol manages an average of 46.3mpg in both the Cee'd and Pro_cee'd, while the 1.6-litre returns 44.1mpg. The lower-powered 1.6 diesel does 62.8mpg, while the 113bhp version achieves 60.1mpg in the Cee'd and 58.9mpg in the Pro_cee'd. The 2.0-litre diesel comes in at 50.4mpg for both cars. The greenest Cee'd of all, though, is the Ecodynamics version, delivering 62.8mpg.
Low-CO2 emissions keep road tax bills down, with only the 1.6-litre petrol models emitting more than 150g/km. Both 1.6-litre diesels manage an impressive 119g/km.
The servicing costs are a little higher than they are for rivals such as the Ford Focus and VW Golf, though.
Kia's seven-year warranty on the Cee'd will save you repair bills if anything fails, although you're not covered for wear and tear items such as brakes, clutches and exhausts. If you opt for a car 18 months old on Kia's approved used scheme, the warranty gets topped-up to the original seven years.
Our recommendations
Which used Kia Ceed hatchback should I buy?
It's a straight choice between the five-door Kia Ceed, the three-door Pro_cee'd. The three-door model is more sporty to drive, but the ride is too harsh and there's excessive road noise. The boot is slightly smaller than the five-door version's, too.
The 105bhp 1.4-litre petrol engine is willing and easy, but the 124bhp 1.6-litre is the better option overall. The 1.6-litre diesel comes with either 89bhp or 113bhp, but we'd recommend the more-powerful version because it offers decent performance, without big fuel bills. There's also a rare 138bhp 2.0-litre diesel, which is fast but not substantially better.
The entry-level Cee'd S comes with air-con, front electric windows and a CD player, while the GS gets alloy wheels, remote central locking and a stereo upgrade. The LS (available with the 1.6-litre petrol and 113bhp diesel only) comes with climate control, rear electric windows and half-leather seats. There was also a Sport version of the 2.0-litre diesel available until the face-lift, with larger alloys, tinted windows and stability control as standard.
Kia face-lifted the Cee'd in October 2009, with new front- and rear styling, an upgraded cabin and different wheels. Kia also renamed the trims 1, 2 or 3, but kept the specification as before. The slow-selling 2.0-litre diesel was retired and the 1.6-litre Ecodynamics edition, with engine stop-start technology, was introduced. The Pro_ceed had to wait until early 2011 for a face-lift and a 126bhp version of the 1.6-litre diesel engine.
