Kia XCeed PHEV

FIRST DRIVE Is plug-in hybrid the best version of updated crossover?

- Shane Wilkinson

Running costs 201.7mpg (official) £61 fill-up

Performance 0-60mph/top speed 10.9 seconds/99mph

KIA is something of a hybrid pioneer and the XCeed crossover is one of its most popular models in the UK. It's likely, then, that this XCeed Plug-in Hybrid will be a big seller for the brand over here.

Refreshed alongside the petrol model we tested in Issue 1,751, this petrol-electric variant gets a similar round of updates. But its 1.6-litre engine, 8.9kWh battery and electric motor are unchanged, so total output stands at 139bhp and 265Nm of torque.

More important is the all-electric range, which is 30 miles. That's not the biggest by modern PHEV standards, but still a useful dose of electrification that could help to lower your running costs, with claimed fuel economy of more than 200mpg, CO₂ emissions of 32g/km and a Benefit-in-Kind company car tax rating of 12 per cent.

There are three driving modes, but we doubt that anyone buying a PHEV like this will select Sport on a regular basis. Eco and Normal are the natural choices, with the former maximising efficiency. There's not much performance to speak of anyway, because despite the boost of torque from the electric motor, the XCeed still feels sluggish to rev - and the petrol engine sounds coarse when worked hard.