Kia’s shapely European-market XCeed crossover has received a mid-life refresh headlined by a new GT-line flagship.
Like the Ceed it’s based on – Kia Europe’s Cerato equivalent – it’s off the table for Australia, with Kia instead fielding the boxier Seltos here as it does in markets like South Korea and North America.
The new GT-line flagship packs a turbocharged 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine with 150kW of power and 265Nm of torque, mated with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and capable of a 7.5-second sprint to 100km/h.
The same powertrain is found in GT variants of the Ceed, ProCeed and Cerato, among other vehicles.
It sits atop a wide range of 48V mild-hybrid powertrains, including turbocharged 88kW/172Nm 1.0-litre three-cylinder and 117kW/253Nm 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engines, plus a 1.6-litre turbo-diesel four with 100kW and 280-320Nm of torque.
There’s also a plug-in hybrid XCeed, which shares its powertrain with the Niro Plug-in Hybrid, with a claimed 48km of electric range.
All XCeed models get freshened exterior styling with new LED headlights, a revised grille and front bumper, and a restyled rear diffuser.
GT-line models get styling tweaks like unusual honeycomb LED tail light signatures, a body-coloured rear diffuser, a sportier front bumper treatment, and unique 18-inch alloy wheels.
Inside, there are new graphics for the available 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, a revised rear-view mirror and new USB-C ports, while the GT-line gets a flat-bottomed steering wheel, unique front seats, and a perforated leather-wrapped shifter.
The XCeed is available with 5.0-inch, 8.0-inch or 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment systems, and the latest version of the Kia Connect telematics with app connectivity.
Available features include a JBL Premium sound system, power tailgate, heated steering wheel, heated and ventilated front seats and heated rear seats.
There’s a full suite of active safety and driver assist features, including adaptive cruise control, blind-spot assist, lane-keep assist, Lane Following Assist, rear cross-traffic assist, and autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection.
The XCeed measures 4395mm long, 85mm longer than a Ceed and 48mm taller with a 44mm higher hip point.
It shares its 2650mm wheelbase with the Ceed, though the only body panels it shares are its front doors.
For reference, the Xceed measures 25mm longer than a Seltos.
Following its European launch in 2019, a year after the wider Ceed (Hatch, Sportswagon) and ProCeed (Shooting Brake) range, the XCeed has become the best-seller of the Ceed family.
The Ceed and ProCeed were facelifted in 2021, bringing subtle design changes and the latest in Kia’s driver assistance and infotainment technologies.
Like the XCeed, a range of powertrains including mild-hybrid and plug-in hybrid options are available.
Ceed Sportswagon 
ProCeed GT
The Ceed and its spinoffs are all produced in Slovakia.
Kia Australia sold limited numbers of the previous-generation Pro_cee’d GT in Australia, launching in March 2014.
The three-door, manual-only warm hatch – with an oddly punctuated name – lasted less than two years in our market, with just 746 units sold in total.
