But it’s not overly sporty – the Ceed does well to balance those features with sensible styling. The dash is a nice mix of glossy black and chrome, with a button layout that’s a doddle to use.
The 8-inch touchscreen is a welcome addition, too, but more on that in a bit.
It’s got impressive flexibility
My tester was fitted with the 1.4 T-GDi – Kia’s 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol engine. And looking at the Blue Edition’s flashy paintjob and alloys, you’d be forgiven for thinking the Ceed’s turbo was geared towards pace alone.
However, it was just as comfortable going about its business at a leisurely pace. Below 2,000 revs the Ceed is smooth and quiet and can be driven sensibly without any effort to hold it back.
Mind you, when you take it beyond that point on the rev counter it’s only too keen to move itself through the motions. The turbo’s power kicks in and the car’s feel becomes a bit more dynamic.
And that quickly became a theme as the new Ceed seems as though it’s been equally setup for both driving styles.
Kia will always equal practicality
With a power count of 138bhp, it’s not quite hot hatch territory but it does give a cracking balance between power and economy.
On the newer and tougher WLTP test it also clocked 46 miles per gallon. Although you might not reach that yourself, it’s the marker of a car that sits at the wallet-friendly end of the spectrum.
In five-door form it adds to that practicality – with enough room for five and a decent wedge of space in the boot.
A bigger focus on tech
Another trend the Ceed has jumped on is the assistive tech that’s working its way down the ladder from the more premium models.
At one point you’d be hard-pressed to find that on anything lower than the top spec, but this Ceed – that still has a couple of trim levels above it – comes with a few handy features.
A camera in the rear feeds through to that touchscreen I mentioned before and lays coloured lines over the top of the real-time footage to show how close you are to obstacles behind.
It also has lane assist, which will shout at you if you stray over lines. However, it can be turned off if you don’t want it kicking off when you approach the lane boundary.
It retains the older models appeal, whilst improving it
You’ll still get the excellent 7-year warranty, and the reliability that comes with it, but you’re now also getting a few bits that bring Kia closer to its rivals.
The manufacturer is pushing in a new direction and showcasing what it can do at the other end of the scale. And the best example of that is perhaps Kia’s performance saloon, the Stinger.
With their latest effort, they’ve come up with something that looks great and has cracking flexibility with the 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol engine.
The All-New Ceed has improved on almost every aspect of its predecessor, but the extra feel and assistive tech inside is what gets the winning vote.
For more on the All-New Kia Ceed, including specification and offers, go to https://www.lookers.co.uk/kia/new-cars/ceed, or head over to LookersWebTV on YouTube to subscribe for our upcoming video reviews.
The Kia Ceed is also available on the Lookers Kia Motability Scheme.
