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Kia Ceed Sportswagon Review 2024

2021 Kia Ceed 1.5T GDi ISG 3 5dr Kia Ceed
1.5T GDi ISG 3 5dr
£12,470
View Kia Ceed cars for sale

Kia Ceed Sportswagon At A Glance

4/5
Honest John Overall Rating
A slimmed-down range limits the choice available, but the Kia Ceed Sportswagon is an extremely capable, well equipped compact estate that makes a strong case for itself.

+Comfortable and easy to drive. Feels well built. Impressive bootspace of 625 litres. Excellent 1.5 turbo petrol engine. Handles tidily.

-Ride can be firm on larger wheels.

Insurance Groups are between 8–20
On average it achieves 85% of the official MPG figure

Estate cars may not be as fashionable as SUVs nowadays, but a wagon still makes for a practical choice and the Kia Ceed Sportswagon is one of the best. Its relatively compact exterior hides a spacious boot and cabin, and it’s a worthy challenger to the Ford Focus Estate, stylish Peugeot 308 SW and ever-popular Vauxhall Astra Sports Tourer. Well built and generous with its specification, the Kia Ceed Sportswagon is also decent to drive, although it’s best to avoid models on the largest alloy wheel options if you value a supple ride. Read on for our full Kia Ceed Sportswagon review. 

Kia is a company that continues to improve with every new model. Compare this Kia Ceed Sportswagon to the first-generation Kia Cee’d and the improvements in quality, style and finish are huge. The Kia Ceed Sportswagon shows just how far the brand has come in a relatively short time.

The interior quality is really good, with lots of soft-touch materials and precise controls giving it an upmarket feel, yet there’s still that underlying sense of robustness about it. It feels like a car that’s built to last.

Being a small(ish) estate, the boot is all important here and the Kia Ceed Sportswagon has a wide and easy-to-load cargo area that’s low to the ground. With 625 litres of carrying space, it can swallow more than a Volkswagen Golf Estate.

There’s plenty of room in the rest of the car, too, with decent legroom in the back, thanks to lower seats, and a generally spacious and comfortable feeling throughout, helped by a wider body than the old model.

As you’d expect from a Kia, there’s plenty of standard kit and with no entry-level 1 model, the range starts with the 2, which has air-con, 16-inch alloys, a seven-inch touchscreen with DAB plus Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and a reversing camera. 

What you may not expect is how good the Kia Ceed Sportswagon is to drive. Thanks to precise steering and little body roll, it feels very stable and accomplished in corners. 

There is a downside, though, and that’s a slightly firm ride. It’s generally more than acceptable but something like a Ford Focus feels more compliant and settled at higher speeds. Road noise is noticeable too, especially from the back of the car.

However, the Kia Ceed Sportswagon still has plenty to recommend it, not least Kia’s seven-year warranty and a strong reputation for reliability and good customer service. Compared to the competition, it’s not as cheap as you may expect, but Kia often has very good finance deals available if you’re looking at leasing or a PCP.

Looking for a second opinion? Check out heycar’s Kia Ceed Sportswagon review.

What do owners think of the Kia Ceed Sportswagon? Check out our Owners' Reviews from people who live with the car day in, day out.

Reviews for Kia Ceed Sportswagon's top 3 rivals

Ford Focus
4/5
Family-friendly space and practicality. Great to drive. Impressive tech. Strong value for money.
Vauxhall Astra
4/5
Great design. Estate car practicality. A wide choice of petrol, diesel, plug-in hybrid or electric powertrains.
Peugeot 308
4/5
Distinctive styling and classy cabin. Lots of standard equipment. No weak link in the engine range. Good...

Ask Honest John

Can you recommend a replacement for a Kia Ceed?

"Our Kia Ceed has died after 13 years. We need a second hand replacement. We camp, roof box, bikes on back so need a bigger car. We cannot afford a lot. "
Have you considered a Kia Sportage? It's an SUV but not a big or inefficient one, so it'll be more practical and should feel familiar. A 2015-on Sportage will still have some warranty left. Other alternatives we rate include the Mazda CX-5, Volkswagen Tiguan/Skoda Karoq or Kodiaq, Honda CR-V and Ford Kuga. If you don't want an SUV, why not look at a newer Ceed Sportswagon, or a Skoda Octavia estate? Both will be much roomier than your Ceed and should be more economical than the SUVs.
Answered by Lawrence Allan

How can we get a good deal on a new car?

"We have a 2017 Volvo V90 D5 that has done 50,000 miles. It is bigger than we need.Given the price of second hand cars we wonder whether we should just look to get a new car (trying to negotiate a discount for cash) on the basis ours may have increased in value as well. We would then sell the V90 on through an organisation that buys cars if necessary. A mid-sized estate (such as a Golf) would suit us well. Do you have any advice on our approach and any suggestions as to what we should consider? Our budget is probably £18,000 to £20,000. Due to infirm knees we would prefer an automatic."
Getting a good deal on a new car will be the difficult bit. Used car prices are inflated because there's a shortage of new cars. A dealer will be reluctant to offer a good deal for cash - they make commission from finance sales. As a replacement for your Volvo, a Volkswagen Golf Estate sounds like a good choice. We'd also recommend a Kia Ceed Sportswagon or, if you can find one within budget, a hybrid Toyota Corolla Touring Sports. Also consider SUV alternatives like a Skoda Karoq.
Answered by Andrew Brady

Which used automatic estate car should I buy?

"We bought a 2019 Astra Sport Tourer 1.0 with 12,000 miles on it for £10,000. It was a great car for the first three months - comfy, quick enough, economical. Then a plethora of issues manifested (all fixed under warranty) including a new engine and gearbox. The car has been in the garage for best part of four months. Once we get it back, we're thinking to get rid of it immediately but what to replace it with? The courtesy car we have been given is an automatic and now my wife would prefer an auto box. We might be lucky to offload the Astra for £9,000. A similarly specced Skoda Octavia estate auto would be around £16,000 which is another £7,000 on top of the Astra and so I'm not sure it represents value for money. We like the Hyundai i30 estate but petrol models seem to be like hen's teeth. We use the car for our dog walking business and mainly do short journeys. "
Prices on cars have soared since the first quarter of this year so your money won't go as far as it did at the start of the year. To get a car to your specification – a 2019 automatic estate – a budget of £15,000 is realistic. Nothing wrong with the Hyundai i30 or the Skoda Octavia. The Skoda has slightly more room, feels nicer inside and is better designed, however the Hyundai has a five-year warranty also take a look at the Kia Ceed or Optima both are around £15,000 and have a seven-year warranty. For a budget option, the Dacia Logan is well worth considering – you'll get a 2019 model for less than £10,000, although it isn't available with an auto. The Dacia is fairly basic but represents unbeatable value. We doubt the dogs will complain.
Answered by Russell Campbell

I do 60 miles per day. Should I go for petrol or diesel?

"I currently do 60 miles a day to work and back, mainly dual carriageway and B roads. I was looking at buying a used Skoda Octavia Estate with the automatic gearbox. Would petrol or diesel be best? "
A Skoda Octavia sounds like a good choice and a diesel could be a good option for your mileage. Take a look at a Honda Civic Tourer, too – it's very spacious and will be a reliable choice. Alternatively, how about a Kia Ceed Sportswagon? It'll be very cheap to run and will come with a transferable seven-year warranty.
Answered by Andrew Brady
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