The Stonic looks quite serious despite the colorful accents – it’s for people who think that rainbow-coloured socks are the most outrageous thing they can wear
Pros Seven-year warranty Easy-to-use interior Easy to drive
Cons Noisy 1.6-litre diesel engine Interior feels cut price Tight in the back for passengers
Better to drive than most other small crossovers, but similarly flawed overall.
Pros Stylish to look at and agile around tow
Cons Kia sells more practical cars for less money
The Kia XCeed has a higher ride height, a range of cheap-to-run engines and lots of kit as standard. There are more comfortable SUVs with better rear space, though.
Pros Eye-catching looks Good range of engines Well equipped as standard
Cons Bumpy in town So-so digital dials Limited back-seat space
On the styling front, Kia has done a fairly good job.Despite what the cladding may suggest, the XCeed is still front-wheel drive only. it’s a Ceed hatch that has been raised by 44mm to create an almost-crossover. We say almost, because Kia already sells the Sportage as a crossover and the Sorento as a full-size SUV.
Pros Better looking than a Merc GLA and comparatively much cheaper
Cons Do you really need a coupé-ified crossover hatchback on stilts?
If the design, ergonomics and credible dynamics of the most recent Ceed demonstrate that Kia should now be considered alongside any other European maker of mass-market hatchbacks, then the Xceed is the derivative perfectly tailored to the current tastes of European buyers.
Pros More satisfying to drive than the class average, with good steering Attractive appearance gives the Xceed a good measure of personality
Cons Low-speed ride exhibits hard edges, despite the raised ride height Expensive compared with some rival cars
