"Crossover, or Průnik (crossing in Czech) means that some musical artist tries to fuse two or more genres in one song" – this is the interpretation of Wikipedia. However, today I want to focus on a slightly different "intersection of genres" from Kia.
The tested model is the Kia XCeed 1.6 CRDi SCR MHEV, as the full name sounds, which seems to have fallen out of Ivan Mládek's song. Anyone who knows English will surely have seen the pun. While the base model is the "Seed", the elevated crossover "Stands" above the rest, or at least surpasses your imagination. So let's find out how it is. Will the XCeed model plant the seed of success, or will it sprout weeds in the overly broad range of the Ceed' range?
SEED OF INDEPENDENCE
Today's world is very complex, much more difficult than the nineties in which I grew up. In 2020, it is not easy to even make a phone call or even send a letter. Nor is orientation in the KIA model range completely easy. However, it also has its advantages. KIA clearly shows that it is a big car company and as such has the right model for almost everyone. The Ceed' family alone counts 5 models; We have the basic Ceed' for ordinary mortals, the Ceed' SW would have been called a "kombi" twenty years ago, a sporty GT variant, a more cool station wagon called the Proceed and finally the Xceed crossover we tested – hopefully everyone can choose from this offer.
The Xceed stands out the most from the entire offer, the only common element with the base variant is the front door, all other body panels are unique to the crossover. I would describe the design itself as very contemporary and European, but it is also the work of Peter Schreyer, whose works include the famous Audi TT.
As expected, the car is all plastic fender extensions and has a higher ground clearance, which looks terrible on most models, but the XCeed looks great thanks to its own uniqueness, shouting to the world that it is different and more cool. It is the coolest in the bright yellow color Quantum, but probably everyone has it in this one, in second place I would have the blue metallic Flame, it is brighter and more cheerful than on the tested piece.
The perception of design is very subjective for each of us, well, form your opinion from the attached photos and you can tell us how you like it in the discussion ? I give a thumbs up for originality, which does not take away much practicality. Cladding and higher clearance will again come in most handy where there are sunken canals, high curbs and unruly cyclists, i.e. in the city.
HONEY INTERIOR
How such a car looks from the outside is certainly important, it must interest you, it must please you, the most important place for us drivers, however, is the interior. We live in a time when extravagance has long since lost its original meaning, what used to be impossible is now quite common, yet today across the automotive spectrum, we mainly encounter black interiors, colors seem to have been forgotten. However, the tested Kia has a yellow interior. True, the base is still black, but the honey yellow/gold accessories will brighten it up and cheer it up. In yellow, the ventilation vents and also the stitching of the seats with a funny honeycomb pattern are brought out. How little is enough for a better atmosphere on board!
The quality of the processing and the materials used is at a high level. I admit that I took the car for the test somewhat uninformed, I thought the XCeed was a distinctly unique and more luxurious model, where the interior was of adequate quality for the price of 729,000 for the tested model. Such a leather-trimmed dashboard looked downright luxurious to me.
However, upon closer inspection a few days later, I discovered that it was not leather. The top of the dashboard is only a guided seam, but it does not sew anything! But it won't just sink into your brain and you will subconsciously perceive it as something leather, even after a "scandalous" discovery. Anyway, I don't want it to sound scandalous, on the contrary. A very simple detail that costs nothing and will take the interior to new heights.
A pleasant surprise for me was the meeting with the basic model of the regular Ceed – the interior of which, apart from the color details and the number of screens, is practically no different. Another proof that the Koreans are on the right track and European automakers should beware.
SPACE AND COMFORT
Since the XCeed is a crossover, i.e. a bit of an SUV, you sit a little higher here than in a regular passenger car, however, since the XCeed is not an SUV, it has a relatively low ceiling, like a regular passenger car. In combination with a spatially significant roof window, the problem is probably easy, namely, there is no headroom. With my 185cm, I had to "sit on the floor" so as not to touch the ceiling. At the back, this ailment repeats itself, the low roofline "alá coupé" takes away headroom there as well.
The stylish design simply takes its toll, but in other aspects there is plenty of space in the XCeed. The seats are rather softer, but have decent lateral guidance, in my opinion an ideal combination even for long journeys. Due to the battery, the luggage compartment will offer only 380 liters, which is 46 less than the "non-hybrid" XCeed, but almost the same as the regular Ceed'. So no, it's not much.
Today, the interior is dominated by very modern screens, present in two pieces. One in the middle of the dashboard with a diagonal of 10.25 inches, the interactive instrument panel in front of the driver is 12.3 inches and you will find everything you need on it. The interface of both goes with the times. It is very funny and full of animations, as befits and belongs in 2020.
Bottom line, the interior of the XCeed is beautiful and of high quality, it does not commit serious errors in ergonomics, and I would not be afraid of long trips abroad with the XCeed. I like that even within the "concern" with the Hyundai car company, KIA maintains its distinctive, perhaps a little sportier style and actually peeks a little among the premium brands.
It may not take long, and KIA can easily be much more Audi than Audi itself. So all that's left is the snag with the sunroof. I have no qualms about saying it pissed me off. To have an ideal view from the car, I would have to move higher, so if you are taller and thinking about a stylish crossover, just buy an XCeed without a "window".
HONEY COMFORT AND QUIET
The Kia XCeed is not a racing car. It can be fast and even though it has sport mode, it is not even a sports car. It seems that the manufacturers are aware of where they are aiming their products and adjust the chassis accordingly. In the tested KIE, it was tuned to a comfortable note.
Just to be clear, this certainly doesn't mean the XCeed rocks like the Lincoln of old. Of course, it leans more in corners, but it holds the track excellently and the steering has a beautifully steep gear ratio. Although the main territory of the car is calm and comfortable driving, thanks to the powerful engine and multi-element rear axle, it can also be driven very reasonably.
If something really surprised me, it was the incredible acoustic comfort on board. They are responsible for gas-liquid shock absorber stops, something that has long been known from luxury cars of German provenance, but the Korean automaker used this solution for the very first time in its existence.
MILD-HYBRID DIESEL, UNFORTUNATELY IN THE MANUAL
The combination of an efficient hybrid system and an efficient diesel engine has always seemed like a good idea to me, well, here we have it. The base is a 1.6-liter four-cylinder diesel engine with 136 horsepower. The torque is 280NM from 1500 rpm. There is also a 48V traction accumulator battery, which takes up space in the trunk (however, it can be easily replaced) and has a capacity of 0.44 kWh.
How does such a powertrain work? In fact, you can't even tell it from a regular diesel. The electric motor, i.e. the generator and the battery, function here only as a kind of "kicker", which makes the work of the internal combustion engine easier here and there, or can be put to work when more power is needed. The battery then stores the recovered energy for later. Due to its size, however, it cannot be driven purely on electricity. The goal is mainly lower consumption, KIA claims that it should drop by 4% compared to the regular version.
The drive is completely no different from a regular diesel – you have plenty of torque available and you can shift into a higher gear at around 1,500 rpm. The diesel engine itself does not suffer from turbo lag, but it is the electric generator that creates its effect. It is most noticeable when starting from an intersection, when it "kicks" you forward in good faith, but no matter how careful you are with the gas pedal, letting go of the clutch so that it doesn't jerk you is downright impossible! The problem is repeated to a lesser extent even when shifting up.
Every year I drive about 80,000 kilometers with the manual transmission. With the tested Kia, I drove about a thousand of them, but even after such a portion, every traffic light felt like the first day of driving school. This just doesn't work. And that's not all. Although the shifting itself is quite accurate, the gears are graduated in a strange way. From one to five, the gears are relatively long, however, for example, the permitted 50 cannot be optimally driven on two or three. The six is, for incomprehensible reasons, quite short again… At 130, the six-speed engine spins 2800 revolutions.
Let's have some positives. You can select one of the three modes: ECO, NORMAL and SPORT with the button next to the shift lever. ECO recuperates the most, NORMAL is the best, and SPORT engages the electric motor more and also has a sharper response to the gas pedal (whereas shifting without jerking is almost impossible). By default, the car starts in ECO mode, so you have to change it every time you start it…
Vending machine please. I like manual transmissions, I'm a big fan of them and I'd take a manual whenever I have the option. But not today. KIA has an excellent 7DCT dual-clutch automatic and every kilometer I drove with the new Ceed I wished it was here. Although the drivetrain is otherwise wonderfully coordinated, the manual really spoils it here. The machine is definitely worth the extra 40,000.
What about consumption? Is the mild-hybrid system useful, or is it just an indulgence for the European Union? When trying to drive economically, I drove for 5.7 l/100km. With the SPORT mode on, it was 6.3 in the city. These are very decent results.
ALMOST PERFECT CROSSOVER
Today's world is different than it used to be. The competition is getting tougher, the EU is giving orders, and the VW concern is no longer a safe bet.
The new Kia XCeed is a breath of fresh air in the dying segment of compact hatchbacks. I'm not afraid that it would sell poorly, on the contrary. Most will buy it anyway for the simple reason that they like it, but the remaining qualities cannot be neglected. The Koreans are really doing well, the seed of success has been planted.
A quality representative of modern trends is standing before us. An excellent and honest car that, apart from the strange gearbox, made me happy all week.
The tested model cost 729,000, but you can have a very decent base for as little as 445,000. Anyone who wants a beautiful honey interior (everyone) will go for the TOP equipment, which, paradoxically, is not the highest, for 569,000 and 15 more to throw in. Add another hundred and you get a MILD-HYBRID with an automatic.
