Kia XCeed Becomes 3-Wheeler in Moose Test, Hands Different from Ceed

But first, what is the XCeed? It's the crossover version of a hatchback. Even though it looks kind of rugged when you see one parked next to a Ceed you realize the differences are small.

Now, raised suspension is never a good thing when doing a test such as this. But the XCeed handles itself admirably, passing km77's review with a speed of 76 km/h just 1 km/h short of the Ceed. However, we want to draw attention to the way these cars behave.

It seems that the electronic stability control in the taller model is set up differently because, by the end of the test, the brakes have intervened so much to keep it stable that almost all the speed is gone. Also, you can see the rear pop up on several occasions.

On the other hand, the Proceed, which is a lowered sports wagon or a "shooting brake", also did the test at 76 km/h. Its handling looked more sporty, but the disadvantage was the tail was swinging out more often.

Another weird factor is the wheel and tire size. Even though it was the sportier model and had been fitted with a 140 hp engine, the Proceed had 225/45 R17 wheels while the XCeed with only 120 hp came with wider tires on larger 18-inch wheels. Maybe that's why the results were so similar.

This more diverse model range is helping Kia sales a little bit. Combined, all Ceed models should end 2019 with over 90,000 deliveries or about 25% more than last year. But it's obviously nowhere near as much as segment leaders such as the Golf, Focus or Octavia.