Mobility News | February – March 2020

However, the new Plug-in
Hybrid models feature a range
of new functions to enhance
usability for owners looking
to extract the most out of
the new powertrain. Both
vehicles are equipped with a
charging indicator, a visual aid
to tell owners that their car is
charging or when the battery
is fully-charged. Its location on
top of the dashboard means
drivers can instantly ascertain
the car’s state of charge at a
glance from outside the car (for
instance, when it is parked on
the driveway at home and the
owner hasn’t left the house
yet).
Both cars offer Kia’s brandnew
10.25-inch touchscreen
infotainment and navigation
system with Kia’s UVO Connect
telematics. Unique to the
new Plug-in Hybrid variants,
the systems incorporate new
functionality to help owners
locate available charging points
in their vicinity, or en route to
their navigation destination.
The screens can show
relevant information relating
to the powertrain, displaying
remaining charge levels in
the battery and energy usage
graphics. Owners can use
the touchscreen system to
schedule when their vehicle
should charge when plugged
in at home, enabling owners to
take advantage of cheaper offpeak
energy tariffs, if available.
The instrument cluster
features unique displays for
the Plug-in Hybrid powertrain,
displaying remaining charge
levels, anticipated electric-only
range and the flow of energy
between the battery pack,
engine and electric motor.
Standard on the Kia XCeed
‘First Edition’, Kia’s new fullydigital
12.3-inch ‘Supervision’
instrument cluster is designed
to deliver information as clearly
as possible with a range of
unique graphics displays. The
high-resolution 1920x720-pixel
Supervision display replaces
the conventional dials.
The ‘Driver Only’ heating,
ventilation and air-conditioning
system – activated with a new
button on the dashboard –
instantly de-activates airflow
to all cabin vents except
those nearest the driver.
This is designed to reduce
the draw on battery energy
from the ventilation system,
while still keeping the driver at
their preferred temperature.
Unlike conventional ventilation
systems, Kia’s ‘Driver Only’
system doesn’t simply
restrict airflow to certain
vents, rerouting it elsewhere;
instead, it switches off the fans
themselves, reducing energy
use at source.
From the first sketches,
Ceed was designed with
electrification in mind
The Ceed model line-up was
engineered from the start to
accommodate new hybrid
powertrains. This means that
the adoption of a Plug-in Hybrid
powertrain in the Kia XCeed
and Ceed Sportswagon has had
a minimal impact on packaging,
with the structure adapted
from the start to contain the
powertrain’s battery pack. The
8.9 kWh battery pack is located
alongside the 37-litre fuel tank
beneath the rear bench, unlike
many other plug-in hybrid
vehicles, in which the battery
pack takes up valuable boot
space. As a Plug-in Hybrid, the
Ceed Sportswagon – the most
practical iteration of the Ceed
range – provides 437 litres of
luggage space, and up to 1,506
litres with the 40:20:40 splitfold
rear seats folded down.
Luggage capacity in the Kia
XCeed Plug-in Hybrid is 291
litres, growing to 1,243 litres
with the rear folded down. Both
models will be available with a
Towing Pack for towing trailers
as standard – a rarity among
cars in the hybrid class.
Created specifically for
Europe
The next stage in Kia’s
electrification strategy, the
new Plug-in Hybrid versions
of the Kia XCeed and Ceed
Sportswagon are the first time
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