The mid-life updated Ceed hatchback comes in four trim levels with various upholstery options, touchscreens and connectivity features. We take a closer look inside.
In brief
The Ceed, designed by Kia's European teams in Frankfurt, is produced in Slovakia alongside the Sportage and constitutes about a quarter of Kia's European sales. Built on the K2 platform, it is wider and lower than its predecessor, with improved rear space and cargo capacity. The interior features a modern design with a touchscreen infotainment system and driver-centric controls. The Ceed offers various trim levels: “2,” “GT-Line,” “3” and “GT-Line S.” Infotainment includes a 10.25-inch touchscreen, Kia Connected Services, Bluetooth integration, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Safety features consist of advanced driver assistance systems such as lane-keeping assist, forward collision warning and more. Trim levels offer different features, including the GT-Line S’s panoramic sunroof, leather seats and JBL audio. The Ceed's versatility is highlighted by its foldable rear seats and dual-height luggage area.
In detail
The Ceed hatchback adopts cabin architecture from recent Kia models, featuring a sculptural and seamless dashboard. The dashboard is divided into an upper area housing the “floating” touchscreen infotainment system and a lower level containing audio and heating, ventilating and air conditioning controls. The center console is angled toward the driver's seat. The seats, provided by Adient, offer four upholstery options: black cloth for the 2 grade, black cloth and light grey faux leather on the GT-Line and black cloth and faux leather bolsters for the 3. The GT-Line S receives a black leather with suede seat upholstery. GT-Line and GT-Line S models benefit from a newly designed gear knob for a modern look.
The fascia trim is either metallic effect on grade 2 or satin chrome on all other versions, with satin chrome finish interior door handles for all other variants. The GT-Line and GT-Line S versions feature aluminum pedals. All Ceed models feature a center console armrest with storage box.
The interior features soft-touch materials, complemented by metallic or satin chrome trim on various surfaces. It also includes a leather-wrapped steering wheel and gear stick. The GT-Line variants add sporty elements, such as a leather-trimmed D-shaped steering wheel, black cloth and light grey faux leather sports seats with larger side bolsters, along with heated front seats and steering wheel, aluminum pedals, Smart-Entry System and upgraded reversing camera.
Infotainment and connectivity
The Ceed comes equipped with a 10.25-inch touchscreen on the GT-Line and 3 models and an 8-inch touchscreen on the 2, incorporating Kia Connected Services, including TomTom Live and UVO Connect telematics system. It also offers Bluetooth smartphone integration, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone compatibility. The Kia Connect feature provides live traffic information, weather forecasts, points of interest and parking details. It also offers diagnostic data about the car and enables drivers to send route directions and check their vehicle's location.
The GT-Line S features a 12.3-inch thin-film-transistor (TFT) supervision cluster display that relays vehicle information to the driver, rather than the 4.2-inch supervision cluster display on all other grades. GT-Line S models also receive an eight-speaker JBL premium audio system.
Advanced driver assistance system
As for safety features, the Ceed comes with standard advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) technologies, including high beam assist, driver attention warning, lane-keeping assist, forward collision warning with forward collision-avoidance assist and hill start assist control. The GT-Line S models receive smart park assist system parallel/perpendicular, with front and rear parking sensors as standard; blind-spot collision warning, rear cross-collision assist and intelligent speed limit warning.
Specifications
The interior and lighting highlights of the 2 include automatic headlight control, projection headlights, LED rear lights, black premium cloth seat trim, a leather-trimmed steering wheel, gearshift and hand brake and a rear center armrest. An 8.0-inch touchscreen audio display is provided, along with a 4.2-inch supervision color cluster display, reversing camera system with dynamic guidelines, DAB radio, Bluetooth with voice recognition and music streaming, together with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone compatibility with voice control. ADAS technologies include lane-keeping assist, high beam assist, driver attention warning with leading vehicle departure warning, hill start assist control and forward collision-avoidance assist.
GT-Line variants sit in between the 2 and 3, and incorporate LED headlights and LED daytime running lights, LED front and rear fog lights, automatic headlight control, electrically folding, adjustable and heated door mirrors with LED indicators and LED “honeycomb” rear lights. Interior features include black cloth and light grey faux leather upholstery, heated front seats, a heated leather-trimmed D-cut steering wheel with grey stitching, dual automatic air conditioning, all around electric windows with front auto up and down functionality, cruise control and speed limiter, auto-dimming rear-view mirror, remote central door locking and an electronic parking brake. Both the driver and front passenger have a seat height adjuster, together with power lumbar support. The steering wheel features both tilt and telescopic adjustment, the headlining is in black, and the front console garnish and door trim are finished in black high gloss trim. Both the fascia trim and interior door handles are satin chrome, and the pedals stand out thanks to the aluminum appearance.
The Ceed GT-Line comes with a six-speaker audio system, with DAB radio and MP3 compatibility and USB for connection of a media device. Bluetooth with voice recognition and music streaming is also provided, along with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. A 10.25-inch touchscreen satellite navigation system with European mapping and traffic messaging channel, as well as Kia Connected Services featuring TomTom Live is included. A reversing camera with dynamic guidelines is integrated into the center fascia screen, as well as the fitment of rear parking sensors.
While the 3 does not have the GT-Line exterior styling pack, 3 grade Ceed models benefit from all the same equipment as GT-Line, but with a dual-zone air conditioning, automatic defog system, an alarm system, electric windows all around and automatic headlight control. Also standard are LED front fog lights, LED headlights, electrically adjustable and heated door mirrors in body color with LED indicators and LED rear lights. The 3 grades also feature black cloth seat trim with black faux leather bolsters and power lumbar support for the front seats. It also includes a heated leather-trimmed steering wheel, gearshift and an electronic parking brake. Technology includes a 10.25-inch touchscreen satellite navigation with telematics, European mapping and traffic messaging channel, along with Kia Connected Services featuring TomTom Live. This system also offers a reversing camera system with dynamic guidelines, DAB radio, Bluetooth with voice recognition and music streaming, together with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone compatibility with voice control. Practicality is further enhanced thanks to an auto-dimming rearview mirror and rear parking sensors, in addition to a USB fast charger in the front center console. The central fascia and the interior door handles have a satin chrome finish. Unlike the 2 and GT-Line grades, the Ceed 3 also comes with a smart-entry system with an engine start/stop button, as opposed to a fold-away key.
The rear seats fold down in a 60:40 arrangement, and there is a dual-height luggage area floor with parcel shelf to hide luggage and valuables. A USB fast charger is provided on the front center console. Additionally, cupholders are provided in the rear armrest for added convenience for rear seat occupants, as well as at the front, in the center console with cupholder.
Topping the Ceed range is the GT-Line S model, which benefits from the same GT-Line styling pack. It comes with a panoramic sunroof with tilting/sliding function and an automatic electric roll blind; black leather with suede seat upholstery, powered seat adjustment (driver), a driver’s seat memory function, a 12.3-inch TFT supervision cluster display, an eight-speaker JBL audio system, a wireless mobile phone charging pad, and heated seats extended to the outer rear seats.
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