Exceedingly likeable Kia ticks all the boxes

Julie Marshall spends a week with the sporty Kia XCeed crossover

KiamarketsitsXCeedasasporty compact crossover - and I suppose to an extent, it is.

It certainly looks the part with a raised ride height and tough-looking styling but the lack of four-wheel drive means it is destined to remain on the tarmac, rather than roaming the outback. The skid protectors etc are fashionable rather thanfunctionalbuttheygivethe XCeed a certain gravitas.

It ticks lots of other boxes though.Stylish,roomyandcomfortable with decent build quality and a good clutch of gizmos and gadgets to make family motoring safe and enjoyable.

Thereisalsoagoodselection of engines - two petrol and one dieselas well as a recently-introduced plug-in hybrid.

We drove the well-specced up First Edition ( 2, Edition, and 3 come before it) which was launched with a 1.4 turbo petrol engine delivering 138bhp and makingthedashfrom0-62mph in a little over nine seconds.

All models have a six-speed manual as standard but our 1.4-litre had the optional sevenspeed dual-clutch automatic transmission - though no paddles on the steering wheel to change gear manually

The driver sits pleasingly high which equates to good allround visibility and the fixtures and fittings are weighty and robust. Both driver and front-seat passenger have adjustable seats and the steering wheel adjusts forbothreachandrake.It’sheated as well which is a real bonus.

Although passenger space is not exceptional, especially in the rear, it’s on a par with others in the class and the dual-height bootisofadecentsize.Theouter rear seats are heated. The panoramicsunroofletsplentyoflight in but it does restrict headroom somewhat.

The Xceed looks sporty but it does not really give a particularly exciting drive. However, it sits well planted on the road and takes corners well. It’s also lightandmanoeuvrablearound town, which will be more of an attraction to family most buyers than the straight-line speed.

Communication is becoming ever more important to car buyers and the XCeed First Edition has a high-end eightspeaker system with DAB radio, Bluetooth, voice recognition, smartphone mirroring, wireless phone charging and a 10.25in touchscreen with satellite navigation.

There are a couple of USB ports and a 12v power socket in the luggage compartment.

Blindspot warning, lanekeeping assist, driver attention warning and forward collision avoidance are just some of the safety features.

I must say I rather like the XCeed. The controls are simple to use and the touchscreen is responsive. The 1.4-litre engine pulls well and we managed an average of 36mpg against the official 40.4mpg which didn’t disappoint.

The transmission shifts between the gears easily enough.

It has keyless entry and ignition with start-stop and smart cruise control and a smart park assist system - one day I’ll be brave enough to try out these parking functions for myself!

Price for the First Edition is £29,525 but the range starts at £20,840.

Peuge ot’s f a n c y i - C o c k p i t , with its very neat instrumentation panel display with a 3-D effect speedo reading, a full-colour touch screen angled towards the driver for ease of access, glossy toggle switches and Apple CarPlay and Android connectivity.

Also included are all the buzzes and beeps for lane departure warnings, driver attention and the like which are designed to ensure conthe form of a 1.5 litre, 100hp with manual gearing only.

T h e s p o rty £ 3 2 ,0 3 5, GT trim, as opposed to the GT L i n e, i s ava i l ab l e w i th j u s t one engine – the 1.2 litre 155 p etro l l i n ke d to th e e i g htspeed automatic transmission only – so great driving fun but limited options.

With a return of around 62mpg, the diesel is ahead on the economy stakes but the 130hp unit tested returns up to 50mpg, so healthy enough for most of us.

On the road, the 2008 offers an untroubled driving experience. Steering is re - sponsive as is the manual sixspeed transmission with its chunky handled gear stick.

Su s p e n s i o n h ove r s j u s t u n d e r t h e ‘ f i r m’ l i n e a n d handling is pleasantly predictable.

The high driving position offers a good view of the road ahead.