Kia’s current standouts
TWO new low-emission models are joining the Kia range with the arrival of plug-in versions of the Kia Ceed Sportswagon and the XCeed compact SUV. Both use an 8.9kWh battery pack with a 44.5kW electric motor and a 1.6-litre direct injection petrol engine which combined produce 139bhp.
As such they are the first electrified members of the Ceed family of cars.
The smaller XCeed has a pure electric driving range of up to 36.6 miles on a fully charged battery, while the estate can manage up to 29.2 miles of zero-emission motoring. Emission levels are as low as 32g/km for the XCeed in its basic specification and 33g/km for the Sportswagon which equate to official fuel returns of 201.9 and 188.3mpg respectively.
Prices start from £30,695 for the XCeed plug-in while the Ceed Sportswagon PHEV starts at £29,995.
The latest Ceed offerings bring to seven the number of eco models available in the company’s new generation armoury.
Compared to conventionally powered models, both new plug-ins have smaller boots and fuel tanks.
Luggage capacity on the XCeed
PHEV is down to 291 litres from 426 litres while the Sportswagon’s cargo space is reduced from 625 to 327 litres to cater for the additional electrical systems.
Fuel tank capacity on both is down from 50 litres to 37 litres in the plug-ins and performance is comparable to the rest of the two ranges with 0 to 60 acceleration times of around 10.5 seconds and top speeds of 106mph for the Sportswagon although the XCeed PHEV is slower at 99mph.
Each of the new models makes use of a six-speed dual-clutch semi-automatic transmission and both get slight changes to their front designs to improve aerodynamics and further save on fuel.
Recharging times are said to be around two-and-a-quarter hours from 3.3kW AC charging points.
Both models have Kia’s new 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment and navigation system with the company’s UVO Connect telematics system which has been modified on the plug-ins to include information about charging points in the vicinity or en route to their navigation destination.
Another feature allows owners to schedule when their vehicle should charge at home, to help take advantage of cheaper off-peak energy tariffs.
The XCeed plug-in will be available in two trim levels with the entry level version based on Kia’s Grade 3 specification with more kit included on First Edition versions which are priced from £34,695.
Both models are also capable of towing loads of up to 1.3 tonnes – an unusual feature among the current crop of hybrids and helped by the 265Nm torque from the powertrain.