Not everybody wants to follow the same route when it comes to motoring choices. The Ford Focus, Volkswagen Golf and Vauxhall Astra may be familiar faces, but the Kia Ceed is a valid alternative.

Being keenly priced, and with the backup of that seven-year warranty, the Kia Ceed makes a case for itself among those who want their budget to stretch as far as possible. A choice of frugal engines, generous equipment levels and an overall air of dependability are the core strengths of the Kia Ceed.  

Distinctive looks and a well-made cabin add to the car’s appeal. The practical interior of the Kia Ceed is also a major bonus, making it a prime choice for young families.

For everyday motoring, it’s hard to ignore the three-cylinder 1.0-litre petrol engine introduced as part of the 2015 update. Offered in a choice of two outputs (100PS and 120PS), it blends useful performance with decent fuel economy. Both versions can achieve more than 58 mpg.

A diesel engine might suit those who regularly make longer journeys. Here, the 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine is the best choice. It can achieve up to 72mpg, and is also available with the six-speed DCT auto gearbox. 

We would skip the entry level 1 specification, and jump straight to 2 trim instead. Standard equipment here includes alloy wheels, parking sensors, cruise control and front fog lights. If you can stretch the budget further, 3 trim adds satellite navigation.

Many buyers will be familiar with the Volkswagen Golf, affordable Ford Focus and Vauxhall Astra. All of them are well-established choices in the family hatchback segment.  

The Toyota Corolla, enjoyable to drive Honda Civic and Peugeot 308 are other popular options. 

The Kia Ceed shares a platform with the Hyundai i30, and offers a similar choice of engines. What helps the Kia Ceed stand apart is its impressive standard warranty. Offered for seven years or 100,000 miles, the cover is comprehensive and – as mentioned above – can be transferred to future owners.

The second-generation Kia Ceed was intended to bring new customers to the brand, and it feels genuinely well made.

Quality materials have been used throughout the interior. Everything has a reassuring solidness, helping the impression that the Kia Ceed is with you for the long haul. The soft-touch plastics remind us of a Volkswagen Golf, making it clear which customers Kia is trying to attract.

All cars above the entry-level 1 grade have a leather-wrapped steering wheel, along with leather coverings for the handbrake and gear knob. It means the most frequent touchpoints in the Kia Ceed’s cabin have a quality feel. Choosing a high-level Kia Ceed 4 adds leather seats to the mix, with three-stage heating for cold mornings. 

Higher-grade versions of the Kia Ceed benefit from quality upgrades on the outside, too. Privacy glass is a feature on all cars upwards from 2 specification upwards, including the special edition SR7 version. Top models also benefit from high-gloss black trim for the dashboard and centre console, which looks smart.

All Kia Ceeds have an LCD screen mounted high on the dashboard. Lower models use a 4.3-inch unit, used to display radio and multimedia settings.

Bluetooth connectivity for mobile phones is a standard feature from 2012 onwards. This includes voice recognition and the ability to stream music. The multimedia system includes a radio, combined with a single CD player with MP3 capabilities. USB and aux ports are also there to connect other devices.

Move to 3 grade or above and the Kia Ceed comes fitted with a 7.0-inch touchscreen. This controls the same multimedia features as before, but brings standard satellite navigation to the party. The mapping data is provided by TomTom and covers UK and European destinations. Models fitted with the reversing camera also make use of this screen for the rear-view display. 

It is worth noting that earlier Kia Ceed GT models did not come with the 7.0-inch touchscreen as standard. Instead, customers would need to upgrade to the GT Tech model, although the mid-life facelift saw it fitted to all GTs. 

High-spec versions also feature a colour screen between the dashboard dials. This can display the Kia Ceed’s speed, along with multiple other settings and information.

Interior space for passengers and their luggage was high on the list of priorities when the Kia Ceed was being designed. It meant a focus on maximising room, and making sure all would be comfortable inside.

Between the front-seat passengers is an armrest, whilst high-end 4 models gain a ‘premium centre console’ with a sliding cover for the cupholders. These cars also offer ventilation for those in the rear.

The rear bench will accommodate three adults, but on longer trips the Kia Ceed is better suited to being a four-seater. All the doors featured decent-sized storage bins, allowing plenty of space for bottles and other items. Cars above 2 specification have a folding armrest for rear-seat passengers. Standard on the Kia Ceed are ISOFIX child car seat anchors for the rear bench. These are supplemented by top tether fitments. 

With the rear seats in place, a total of 380 litres of luggage fits  in the boot. This marked an increase of 40 litres compared to the original Kia Ceed, and puts the car in contention with the Volkswagen Golf. The back seats split 60/40 and fold forward. With the seats down, the Kia Ceed can swallow an impressive 1,318 litres of whatever you need to carry. This puts it some 200 litres ahead of the comparable Ford Focus.

Those in need of even greater luggage space can investigate the Kia Ceed SW estate, which ups the storage potential to 1,642 litres with the rear seats folded down. Models above 2 trim also benefit from a luggage net, storage hooks and a cubby box in the boot. Beneath the boot floor is a space-saver spare wheel.

Kia launched the Kia Ceed to the UK market in 2012 with a choice of two petrol and two diesel engines. Petrol choices were the 1.4-litre GDi four-cylinder with 98PS, along with the 1.6-litre GDi four-cylinder unit producing 133PS. The 1.4-litre petrol is relatively underpowered for the size of the Ceed, and makes for rather slow but steady progress. Opting for the 1.6 ups the ante a little, and is likely to be preferred by those who drive outside urban areas. 

The 1.4-litre petrol was initially only offered with a six-speed manual gearbox. By contrast, the 1.6 petrol could be had with a six-speed manual or six-speed DCT dual-clutch auto gearbox. 

Early diesel engines were limited to the 1.4-litre CRDi four-cylinder with 89PS, and a 1.6-litre CRDi four-cylinder with an output of 126PS. Again, the smaller engine is notably relaxed in terms of performance, with the larger 1.6 the overall better choice. A traditional six-speed automatic ’box was offered for the 1.6 diesel only. 

The 2015 facelift saw the introduction of the 1.0-litre T-GDI four-cylinder turbocharged engine to the range. This was offered with 100PS or a higher-power version with 120PS. With updates across the Kia Ceed range, 2015 saw the introduction of a new 110PS version of the 1.6-litre diesel. Kia also released a new seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, but solely for the high-output version of the 1.6 diesel, now with 133PS.

Separate to the main Kia Ceed range, the GT model was launched in 2014. This uses a 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine making 204PS. Revisions would see the addition of a new turbocharger, making the GT accelerate from 0-62mph in 7.2 seconds.

Making the Kia Ceed refined was another priority for Kia, with a host of improvements made for this second-generation model. The company changed the way the front windscreen was installed to reduce wind noise, with thicker glass used for the other windows. Even the door seals themselves were redesigned to reduce noise from entering the cabin.

Overall these measures have worked, with the Kia Ceed generally able to keep road and tyre noise to an acceptable minimum. However, this means that wind noise becomes more noticeable, although hardly to a degree that would make regular use a pain. 

Refinement from the engine range is also more than acceptable, although some of the petrol units can become uncouth when pushed hard. The 1.6-litre petrol suffers from this the most, sounding unrefined when taken to maximum revs. In addition, the 100PS version of the 1.0-litre turbo petrol can produce some vibrations in the cabin.

Notably, the Kia Ceed GT features a special ‘GT Mode’ that generates additional engine sound in the cabin. None of these factors is significant enough to be a deal-breaker when it comes to the Kia Ceed. If anything, they simply highlight how refined the rest of the car is. 

Kia said the second-generation Kia Ceed benefitted from a stiffer body shell that used 57 percent more high-tensile steel than the car it replaced. Extra strengthening was added throughout the car, too. 

All of these clearly worked, with the Kia Ceed awarded the maximum of five stars by Euro NCAP in crash tests. Contributing to this performance is standard equipment that includes six airbags: front, side, and full-length curtain items. Other standard safety equipment for all Kia Ceeds includes electronic stability control and hill-start assist. The latter keeps the car held still when pulling away on slopes, avoiding the need to awkwardly balance the throttle and brake pedals.

Front fog lights are fitted to almost all Kia Ceed models, along with standard daytime running lights. Emergency stop signalling was included, flashing the hazard-warning lights if the driver needs to perform a sudden stop.

Rear parking sensors are standard equipment on all Kia Ceed models from 2 specification upwards, including the VR7/SR7 special editions. Kia Ceed 3 trim and beyond brings a reversing camera.

The range-topping Kia Ceed 4 Tech models go further with safety equipment, including xenon headlights, a parallel park assist system with front and rear parking sensors, plus an automatic lane departure warning system. Kia does also fit a space-saver spare wheel to the Kia Ceed hatchback.

The Kia Ceed scored a respectable 9.22 out of 10 in the HonestJohn.co.uk Satisfaction Survey, which remarkably is actually one of the lower scores achieved by the Kia range.

As a brand Kia did even better, placing fourth overall behind sister brand Hyundai, Lexus and Dacia. So as long as you make sure you get a good example, you should find that the Kia Ceed is a reliable companion.

Being a slightly larger family hatchback means a Kia Ceed may not be the default choice for young drivers. Yet there may be some whowish to get behind the wheel early in their motoring life. 

To keep insurance costs down, the Kia Ceed with the lowest insurance group rating is the 1.4-litre diesel in VR7 trim. This comes with a group 6 rating, in part due to a lowly 89PS output. 

Opting for the 1.4-litre petrol sees this increase slightly to group seven for Kia Ceeds with the lowest trim levels. Cars with the 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo petrol engine start at group 10 insurance for the 98PS model.

Due to the date of its introduction, the second-generation Kia Ceed falls across multiple different schemes for VED (road tax). The model with the lowest CO2 emissions of all is the 1.6-litre CRDi diesel, which emits just 94g/km in 134PS specification. This brings it into Band A on the pre-2017 rules for VED, making it eligible for free tax. 

Other models span the range of up to Band E for the pre-2017 rules, although the Kia Ceed GT is an outlier in Band H. That would bring a VED charge of £265. For cars sold after 1st April 2017, all Kia Ceeds fall inside the bracket of paying £165 per year for car tax.

Given the relative price of second-generation Kia Ceeds now available, most buyers should look beyond 1 specification as a starting point. While standard equipment may include air conditioning and electric windows, the price of higher-grade cars makes it a false economy. 

The Kia Ceed 2 offers the best value for money overall, and also the widest choice of engine options. Standard equipment includes cruise control, LED daytime running lights, leather interior details and rear parking sensors.

Stretching your budget to accomodate a Kia Ceed 3 depends on just how much you value the integrated satellite navigation, reversing camera and dual-zone climate control. We would, however, avoid paying more just to bag a Ceed 4 or 4 Tech. 

Later Kia Ceed GT-Line cars can also provide good value, combining the looks of the sportier Kia Ceed GT with a choice of engines that are cheaper to run.