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Is a used Kia Ceed a good buy?
The Kia Ceed is a family hatchback that acts as an understated rival to the likes of the big selling Ford Focus, the every popular Volkswagen Golf and the Vauxhall Astra to name but a few of the Kia Ceed’s direct competitors.
It’s also available in a variety of derivatives, including a Ceed Sportswagon estate, a sleek Kia ProCeed fastback and even a higher-riding Kia XCeed small SUV, though we’ll only be focusing here on the standard five-door hatchback and estate models.
There’s a fair bit of variety when it comes to the Kia Ceed models you’ll find listed for sale on BuyaCar. This is helped by the fact the third-generation Kia Ceed was first launched in 2018, so has been available as a new car for a few years now.
Versions range from limited-run First Edition models that were only available right at the car’s launch, to more affordable entry-level specs and newer additions to the Kia Ceed range such as the sporty GT-Line grades that joined the range in 2019.
A number of different engines can be found under the bonnet of the Kia Ceed. At the bottom end of the scale are the small 1.0-litre turbocharged petrols and top out at the punchy 1.6-litre turbo-petrol available in the flagship Kia Ceed GT.
For fuel economy-conscious buyers, there are also variations of a frugal 1.6-litre diesel. Unlike some other family hatchbacks, there aren’t any hybrid or plug-in hybrid versions of the Kia Ceed, though from 2021 onwards there were mild hybrid models that use a small motor generator unit that helps improve the fuel economy a little bit by giving the engine a light helping hand when you’re accelerating from a standing start.
Which used Kia Ceed should you buy?
Irrespective of the engine powering the particular Kia Ceed you’re looking at, the car overall should come pretty well equipped. From launch, all versions came with a decent specification (even the entry-level cars came out of the box with air-conditioning, all-around electric windows, a lane keep assist safety aid and a seven-inch touchscreen with built-in Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support).
Higher spec versions got LED headlights, cruise control and heated front and rear seats depending on the model. The Kia Ceed range was given a light update in 2021, with the main change being the new eight-inch touchscreen that replaced the original seven-inch screen).
What used Kia Ceed trim levels are available?
If the Kia Ceed sounds like it’s the used family hatchback for you, keep on reading for a run-down of the various trims and features that have been offered on the car.
Kia Ceed 2
While some Kia cars start off at a ‘1’ trim level, for this generation of Ceed the range began with the ‘2’ spec. As standard, this was fitted with 16-inch alloy wheels, cruise control, a reversing camera, air-conditioning, digital radio and a seven-inch touchscreen display with built-in Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support. When the Kia Ceed range was updated in 2022, the touchscreen was replaced with a larger eight-inch system.
Kia Ceed 3
In comparison with the ‘2’ cars, the Kia Ceed in ‘3’ gained rear privacy glass, automatic windscreen wipers and rear parking sensors. It also replaced the entry-level model’s 16-inch wheels with larger 17-inch items, and swapped out the seven-inch touchscreen for a larger eight-inch unit. As part of the car’s mid-life refresh in 2021, automatic air-conditioning was added.
Kia Ceed Blue Edition
The Blue Edition version of the Kia Ceed was a special edition model available at launch that, as its name implies, was only available with a blue paint finish. It was mostly based on the '2' trim, so came as standard with cruise control, air-conditioning and all-around electric windows, though it did introduce to the spec sheet privacy glass, rear parking sensors and LED headlights. It also replaced the '2' model’s 16-inch wheels with a set of 17-inch alloys.
Kia Ceed First Edition
As its name implies, this version of the Kia Ceed was available upon the car’s launch in 2018 and at the time it was on sale was the flagship specification. Power-adjustable heated and ventilated seats came as standard, along with an electric sunroof, LED headlights and a wireless charging tray for your smartphone. On the driver aid front, First Edition versions of the Kia Ceed were equipped with blind spot monitoring, emergency braking and an autonomous parking assist that can control the car’s steering when you’re parallel parking.
Kia Ceed GT Line
If you liked the look of the Kia Ceed GT sporty hatch, yet don’t have a big enough pocketbook to afford one, then there is a compromise out there in the form of the Kia Ceed GT-Line. While it goes without the performance-enhancing hardware of the hot hatch model, the Kia Ceed GT-Line does at least look the part with its sporty body kit and a new 17-inch alloy wheel design. Not every new addition on the GT-Line trim was purely cosmetic, though. Over the ‘3’ spec, the GT-Line version added keyless entry, LED rear fog lights, a heated steering wheel, and heated seats in the front.
Kia Ceed GT Line S
Building on the GT-Line spec, the GT-Line S trim gave the Kia Ceed an even more striking look, thanks to features like its big 18-inch alloy wheels and LED headlights. It also came with a few more creature comforts than the regular Kia Ceed GT-Line – highlights include power-adjustable front seats, heated outer rear seats, adaptive cruise control and safety assist. The exact engine under the bonnet depends on the car’s age. Early models have a 140hp 1.4-litre engine, whereas later models use a 160hp 1.5-litre.
Kia Ceed GT
Being the more performance-oriented model, the Kia Ceed GT’s main highlights over the standard car are its go-faster bits. It comes with a brawny 201hp 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine, more powerful brakes and stiffer suspension, with the latter resulting in a 5mm drop in ride height (the distance between the surface of the road and the underside of the car). Features-wise, the Kia Ceed GT doesn’t bring a huge amount to the table over the Kia Ceed '3' models. It gets the same eight-inch touchscreen, built-in sat nav and lane keep assist tech you’ll find on the higher-spec regular Kia Ceed models.