We test the new Kia Ceed Tourer: the logical family car

We test the new generation of the KIA Ceed Tourer, a family car that impresses with space, dynamic qualities, equipment, design… and price. With all the discounts, you can have it from 14,900 euros.

The Kia Ceed range keeps growing. Last summer we brought you the road test of the new Kia Ceed 5-door, on the occasion of its international presentation in Portugal, breaking down all its novelties and offering a guide to choosing the right engine or equipment.

And in January we went to Barcelona to get behind the wheel of the new Kia ProCeed, an interesting version halfway between a sedan and a classic saloon with a rear tailgate. A car, this “shooting brake”, that has no direct rivals among compacts.

Now, we have just tested one of the most interesting versions of the new Ceed range: the new Kia Ceed Tourer. And you will quickly understand why I say so. Right off the bat, a note: almost all the compact cars among the best sellers on the market have their corresponding family version: the Seat León, the Renault Mégane, the Peugeot 308, the Opel Astra or the Hyundai i30 CW, among others.

And another interesting fact: in Kia Spain they expect almost 30% of the sales of their new Ceed to correspond to this family version. Arguments are not lacking. Let’s take a look.

Fewer MPVs, more estate

With MPVs in clear retreat in the face of the push of SUVs, Kia wants the new Ceed Tourer to also cover the gap left by the Kia Carens. The Korean brand will thus compete with the new Ceed Tourer against conventional compact family cars. But it will also try to “fish in troubled waters”, where the Renault Scénic or the Citroën C4 Picasso, for example, keep swimming against the current.

And it is that, except for those who need greater height in the cabin, feel more comfortable driving in a higher position – and do not want an SUV – or need the versatility typical of MPVs with individual, removable seats, the Kia Ceed is still a very good compact family car.

Aesthetically it offers a very well-achieved line, more sporty and also more elegant than that of the previous generation Ceed Tourer. It measures 4.60 metres long, 1.80 wide and 1.45 high, with a wheelbase of 2.65 metres. And here is the key to its sportier silhouette: it is 20 mm wider and 20 mm lower, with 95 mm more length.

Boot capacity: class-leading

We enter one of the key aspects of a family car: its boot. And here the new Ceed Tourer stands out from all the competition. It has no less than 97 litres more than the model it replaces, reaching a total capacity of 625 litres. A figure more typical of family cars in the higher segment, and one that none of its rivals reach. The closest is the Peugeot 308 SW, with 610 litres. A Seat León ST stays at 587 litres.

Capacity alone is not everything. Kia has resolved very well everything related to practicality and ease of use when transporting luggage. For example, the loading height has been lowered. The rear seat backrests fold down very easily against the seat base, in a 60:40 split, leaving a flat floor flush with the boot.

Under the floor there is a practical divided compartment that allows small objects to be kept safely stowed. And there is no shortage of safety nets dividing the cabin and the boot, load-securing straps, or a floor rail system with sliding rings to organise the placement of luggage. Let’s see in a video everything that fits in the Kia Ceed Tourer.

https://youtu.be/agnXEGfu3Jc

Some versions can also fit an optional automatic tailgate Smart Power Tailgate, which allows the boot to be opened with a foot gesture without needing to use your hands, as long as you carry the key with you.

On the road: a long-distance family car

Everything we said in the Kia Ceed 5-door road test applies to the Tourer in terms of interior design, ergonomics, build quality or presentation. It is a comfortable car, you get used to it very quickly, with a dashboard that combines physical buttons that are easy to use for the main controls, and a floating touchscreen that can come in different sizes.

Compared again with the 5-door, there are not many differences when driving the Tourer… or when talking about its performance. Here, the Ceed Tourer does not stand out as much from the best as it can in interior space or in value for money.

And this is because there are cars like the Seat León ST, the Ford Focus or the Peugeot 308 SW that offer a better balance between ride comfort and steering precision. But the Ceed Tourer is a comfortable car and conveys a sense of security, especially when travelling, which is what it is designed for.

And this is where you need to fine-tune your choice of engine. The 1-litre three-cylinder with 120 hp that opens the range is an engine that goes much further than it may seem at first… but with consumption very sensitive to driving pace. It seems contradictory, but in most normal driving conditions you may end up spending the same or even less with the 1.4 T-GDi with 140 hp, which is more forceful when accelerating on long stretches.

If on the 5-door Ceed we would not hesitate to recommend the 1.0, in the Tourer, which is larger and in theory intended for longer journeys taking advantage of its enormous interior space, it is worth investing the 1,000 euros more that the 1.4 with 140 hp four-cylinder costs. You will get more performance and, comparatively, consumption will not be a problem.

And if you are concerned about consumption, the new 1.6 turbodiesel, with 115 or 136 hp AdBlue – both with – does not have the refinement of the 1.4 petrol, although it is not out of place in terms of smoothness and pleasant use. In real use, with either of the two you will average around 2.5 l/100 km less than with the petrol versions.

Prices and equipment of the Kia Ceed Tourer

While the top trims are reserved for the ProCeed, the Ceed Tourer range is practically equivalent to that of the Ceed 5-door, with the caveat that the 1.4 CVVT is not offered. Thus, you can choose between the 1.0 T-GDi and the 1.4 T-GDi with 120 and 140 hp respectively, and the 1.6 CRDi in 115 and 136 hp variants, combined with the Concept, Drive, Tech and GT-Line trims.

The price premium of the Tourer body over the 5-door is about 650 euros for the same engine and equipment

Considering final prices with all possible discounts, the price of the Tourer version over the 5-door represents an additional outlay of around 650 euros. An amount that, except for aesthetic or logistical reasons (for example, the size of a garage space), is worth investing, given everything the estate offers extra in versatility and space. Compared with the ProCeed, the Tourer is about 1,600 euros cheaper.

The equipment is very complete from the Concept versions onwards. But as with the 5-door, we recommend investing at least in the Drive, which adds climate control, rain sensor, 16″ alloy wheels and rear camera, among other elements.

As always with Kia, the GT Line version stands out. In addition to all the equipment from the generous standard specification that includes the Tech trim, it adds a panoramic roof, electric parking brake, LED headlights, Supervision instrumentation, JBL premium audio system, smart key, assisted parking and the sporty design elements characteristic of this variant.

Kia offers a direct discount of about 3,400 euros, to which another 2,100 euros can be added for financing the purchase, thus reducing the list price by almost 5,500 euros.

The final prices of the Kia Ceed Tourer with the direct discount (about 3,400 euros) and the financing discount (2,100 euros) applied start from 14,900 euros for the T-GDi Concept up to 22,105 euros for the GT Line version with this engine. The 1.4 T-GDi with 140 hp costs about 1,000 euros more for the same trim, and can be combined with the DCT dual-clutch gearbox in the Tech and GT-Line versions, at a premium of 1,700 euros over the manual gearbox.

With the diesel engine, the Ceed Tourer 1.6 CRDi Concept with 115 hp starts from 16,812 euros, and goes up to 23,512 euros for the GT-Line. Here, moving to the 136 hp engine costs just 600 euros, although the more powerful diesel engine is not offered with the Concept and Drive trims. The 136 hp 1.6 CRDi can also be fitted with the DCT gearbox in the GT-Line version.

Our two recommended options, to have a good level of performance and excellent equipment already, are the 1.4 T-GDi Tech with 140 hp, which costs 19,605 euros, and the 1.6 CRDi Tech with 136 hp, which comes to 20,612 euros.

At the top of the range, for less than 25,000 euros – exactly 24,805 euros – you get a Ceed Tourer 1.4 GDi with 140 hp fully loaded: GT Line trim and DCT gearbox. You will hardly find a family car as complete, although there are some, such as the one we consider its most direct rival: the Seat León ST.

Image gallery of the Kia Ceed Tourer