Used Kia Ceed Hatchback 2007 - 2012 review
It's not the most exciting of hatchbacks, but is capable and affordable.
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What's the used Kia Ceed like?
Ownership cost
Our recommendations
Reliability
Stuart Milne
Updated: 31 March 2009
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What's the used Kia Ceed like?
The Kia Ceed is capable and great value on the used market.
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Overview
It's not the most exciting of hatchbacks, but is capable and affordable.
Pros
- Good value
- good to drive and comfortable
- long warranty
Cons
- Rarer than rivals
- questionable cabin materials
- road noise
Used cars available now
In partnership with
Kia CEED
1.6 CRDi EcoDynamics 2 Euro 5 (s/s) 5dr
£595
Kia Ceed
1.4 1 Euro 4 5dr
£749
Kia Ceed
1.4 SR7 5dr
£850
Kia Ceed
1.6 CRDi EcoDynamics 2 Euro 5 (s/s) 5dr
£995
Kia Ceed
1.6 LS 5dr
£1,295
Kia Ceed
1.6 CRDi GS 5dr
£1,295
Kia Ceed
1.4 SR7 5dr
£1,299
Kia Ceed
1.4 S 5dr
£1,490
Kia Ceed
1.4 VR7 Euro 5 5dr
£1,495
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It is designed to be family friendly, and the cabin is just that. There's space for four adults, and the boot is large and easy to load. Cabin materials aren't of the highest quality, but the Cee'd still feels well built and solid.
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The Kia's light and responsive steering is good around town, and while the ride is generally comfortable, it can thump over bumps. The Cee'd remains composed at higher speeds, but its grip and stability is inferior to rivals such as the Ford Focus or Renault Megane. Road noise is an issue on poor surfaces.
Tips & Advice
How to test drive a car
There’s no substitute for a test drive in a new car. Take it on a variety of roads and surfaces to ensure it measures up.
Will the car fit your needs?
As part of the test drive, fill the car with regularly-carried luggage, and make sure the family can get comfy before you buy
Ownership cost
How much does cost to run a Kia Ceed?
The Cee'd cleaned up its act with the 2009 face-lift, making the newer models slightly lighter on your pocket in terms of fuel economy and road tax. This, combined with their fresher design, make them a better bet when considering resale values.
The older 1.4-litre petrol manages an average of 46.3mpg in both the Cee'd and Pro_cee'd, while the 1.6-litre returns 44.1mpg. The lower-powered 1.6 diesel does 62.8mpg, while the 113bhp version achieves 60.1mpg in the Cee'd and 58.9mpg in the Pro_cee'd. The 2.0-litre diesel comes in at 50.4mpg for both cars. The greenest Cee'd of all, though, is the Ecodynamics version, delivering 62.8mpg.
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Low-CO2 emissions keep road tax bills down, with only the 1.6-litre petrol models emitting more than 150g/km. Both 1.6-litre diesels manage an impressive 119g/km.
The servicing costs are a little higher than they are for rivals such as the Ford Focus and VW Golf, though.
Kia's seven-year warranty on the Cee'd will save you repair bills if anything fails, although you're not covered for wear and tear items such as brakes, clutches and exhausts. If you opt for a car 18 months old on Kia's approved used scheme, the warranty gets topped-up to the original seven years.
Tips & Advice
Never miss a motoring date
Remembering to arrange insurance, book a service or buy breakdown cover can be a pain. Fortunately, My What Car? is here to help
Our recommendations
Which used Kia Ceed should I buy?
It's a straight choice between the five-door Kia Ceed, the three-door Pro_cee'd. The three-door model is more sporty to drive, but the ride is too harsh and there's excessive road noise. The boot is slightly smaller than the five-door version's, too.
The 105bhp 1.4-litre petrol engine is willing and easy, but the 124bhp 1.6-litre is the better option overall. The 1.6-litre diesel comes with either 89bhp or 113bhp, but we'd recommend the more-powerful version because it offers decent performance, without big fuel bills. There's also a rare 138bhp 2.0-litre diesel, which is fast but not substantially better.
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The entry-level Cee'd S comes with air-con, front electric windows and a CD player, while the GS gets alloy wheels, remote central locking and a stereo upgrade. The LS (available with the 1.6-litre petrol and 113bhp diesel only) comes with climate control, rear electric windows and half-leather seats. There was also a Sport version of the 2.0-litre diesel available until the face-lift, with larger alloys, tinted windows and stability control as standard.
Kia face-lifted the Cee'd in October 2009, with new front- and rear styling, an upgraded cabin and different wheels. Kia also renamed the trims 1, 2 or 3, but kept the specification as before. The slow-selling 2.0-litre diesel was retired and the 1.6-litre Ecodynamics edition, with engine stop-start technology, was introduced. The Pro_ceed had to wait until early 2011 for a face-lift and a 126bhp version of the 1.6-litre diesel engine.
Tips & Advice
Avoid ULEZ and clean-air zone fines
If you regularly drive into a clean air zone, you’ll want to ensure your next car is compliant to avoid costly fines
Kia Ceed owner reviews
Sort by: Most Recent Star rating
Russell
Kia Ceed 1.6 diesel hatchback
Likes: Reliability
Oct 4, 2025 8:47 AM
Bought it 7 months ago had its 1st major blip. Linkage went plus the gear lever pivot. Then again it is 7>8 years old. Gear box was rebuilt before I bought it but they never replaced the linkage.
Ian
Kia Ceed 1.6 diesel hatchback
Likes: Value, Reliability, Servicing
Dislikes: Running costs
Mar 29, 2025 4:42 AM
Great value for money. And trouble free motoring.
How reliable is the Kia Ceed ?
Kia Ceed
Read reliability
Used cars available now
In partnership with
Kia CEED
1.6 CRDi EcoDynamics 2 Euro 5 (s/s) 5dr
£595
Kia Ceed
1.4 1 Euro 4 5dr
£749
Kia Ceed
1.4 SR7 5dr
£850
Kia Ceed
1.6 CRDi EcoDynamics 2 Euro 5 (s/s) 5dr
£995
Kia Ceed
1.6 LS 5dr
£1,295
Kia Ceed
1.6 CRDi GS 5dr
£1,295
Kia Ceed
1.4 SR7 5dr
£1,299
Kia Ceed
1.4 S 5dr
£1,490
Kia Ceed
1.4 VR7 Euro 5 5dr
£1,495
See all available cars
About the writer
Name: Stuart Milne
Title: Digital editor
Follow Stuart Milne on
Stuart has been a motoring journalist for more than 25 years, writing and editing for a wide range of consumer titles. Today, Stuart is responsible for the smooth running of whatcar.com and all of its related social and digital channels. And he’s the man responsible for making sure you're able to find What Car?’s industry-leading content whenever you search for it.
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