Kia XCeed Quirks and Features

This is the forth Ceed brother in the Kia lineup. There's the Ceed Sportwagon, Proceed Sportwagon, Ceed hatchback, and now the XCeed. I will go on a limb here and say that the XCeed Xceeded (I had to) my expectations when it comes to its exterior look. This pseudo crossover is a bomb. Somewhat based around the ProCeed layout, the Xceed successfully employs the swept back roof design of the coupe and takes a few unique styling touches compared to any other Ceed currently available. Considering that crossovers like this sell like crazy, I am not even mad that Kia made it better looking compared to any other hatch in its arsenal. Regardless of its looks, the Kia XCeed is just a regular compact with the same tech you can find in any other Kia or Hyundai hatch. It does have some unique touches though! Here they are:

The 2020 Kia Xceed's Exterior is Unique Except for the Doors

Kia desired to create an emotional, engaging, and beautiful vehicle, expressed by the fact that every single exterior panel of the new CUV is entirely different compared to any other Kia hatchback, and it gives certain premium qualities to the XCeed. Sure, words premium and Kia do not exactly complement each other, but you have to acknowledge that Kias' courage gave us some cool cars – Stinger, I am looking at you. Unique touches on the XCeed comfortably put the C segment car in a rather unique niche. It may be a direct competitor to the Ford Focus Active, but its unique styling puts it a bit above the cool Ford. I do not see the Focus Active as an alternative to these cars. I say this because every single exterior feature on the XCeed differs compared to what you can see on other Ceed cars. Just like the GLA differs from the A-class. Kia is doing a magnificent job of creating cool niche vehicles.

Compared to the Ceed hatch, Kia elongated the overhangs, integrated a fastback roof, added new LED light styles, buffed up the fenders, increased ground clearance, and created an all-new rear end.

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In numbers, compared with the standard Ceed hatch and the ProCeed, it measures like this:

Length	4,395 mm	4310 mm	4605 mm
Height	1,490 mm	1447 mm	1422 mm
Width	1,826 mm	1800 mm	1800 mm
Clearance	184 mm (18-inch wheels)	142 mm	137 mm
Boot	426 liters	395 liters	594 liters

The 2020 XCeed Is The First Kia With A Digital Instrument Cluster

Automotive transfer of the designer Peter Schreyer from Audi to Kia in 2006 marked a significant shift in Kias' market appearance. Almost instantly, Kia started with the production of rather nice looking cars. Back then, everyone compared small Kias to small Audis. Right now, with the XCeed, we are once again in a position to compare the Kia with the Audi.The instrument cluster, along with a rather large but optional 10.25-inch digital floating screen in the middle, creates an interior layout somewhat reminiscent of Audi's. Kia outdid themselves when it comes to the tech inside the car.

The 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, dubbed Supervision, has a 1920 x 720 resolution, provides a bright look at all the imaginable features, including the turn-by-turn navigation instructions, smartphone information, and active safety features. Of course, conventional elements such as the speedometer and rev counter are mandatory. This display changes its appearance according to the mode you selected.

Interestingly enough, no other Kia has a Supervision option. It is, of course, an option in the XCeed, but I believe that it will be a piece of standard equipment for some, wealthier markets (in the U.K., Netherland, maybe even Germany).

The Kia Xceed Will be Offered with 48-volt Mild Hybrid Powertrains

Right now, the Kia Xceed comes with a:

1.0-liter, turbocharged	three-cylinder gasoline engine	118 horsepower
1.4-liter, turbocharged	four-cylinder gasoline engine	138 horsepower
1.6-liter, turbocharged	four-cylinder gasoline engine	201 horsepower
1.6-liter, turbocharged	four-cylinder diesel engine	114 horsepower
1.6-liter, turbocharged	four-cylinder diesel engine	134 horsepower

In the future, however, geeky Kia will come with a mild hybrid option that works on the 48-volt layout. This is huge as more and more manufacturers switch to high-capacity electric systems that support the integration of the mild—hybrid tech in its smaller cars.

I believe that the mild-hybrid setup for the Xceed will be based around the 1.6-liter diesel engine. In case of the Sportage, mild-hybrid with a diesel develops 182 horsepower. I except about 150 horsepower with the small 0.44-kWh battery and starter/generator helping the 1.6-liter diesel engine.

When?

Sometime in 2020.

Previously, we learned that Volkswagen is working on a 2.0-liter TDI with a mild-hybrid setup. The system will probably debut in the new Golf, and it is the only feasible solution to lower the emission of the diesel engines to satisfactory levels. Kia plays the same playground, and I can't wait to see how these systems compare.

What Are the Hydraulic Rebound Bump Stops On the Front Axle Of The 2020 Kia XCeed?

It is a city dweller that looks nice, with makeup taken from off-roaders. Kia did offer one tiny solution to justify XCeed's CUV styling - hydraulic rebound bump stops on the front axle.

Hydraulic bump stops work for the same reasons as regular bump stops – to help protect the vehicle and suspension components from hard bottom-outs.

In fact, Crawlpedia has a great explanation of how the hydraulic bump stops work:

"Hydraulic bump stops are filled with shock oil and nitrogen pressure. During the first stage of the bump stop stroke, the shaft and piston compress the nitrogen pressure which acts like a spring with an exponentially increasing spring rate. This allows the first 1/3 of the stroke to be relatively soft with the middle 1/3 being significantly stiffer. Of course, once compressed, that energy wants to be released so rebound valving is used to help prevent hard unloading of the bump stop.“

In real life, this means that hydraulic bump stops will additionally absorb long suspension travel that happens when driving recklessly on uneven surfaces. For you, it means an even more comfortable ride and a bit more freedom on gravel roads.