Kia is hard at work
developing a plug-in hybrid version of the XCeed and our spy photographers were
recently able to snap a prototype undergoing testing. The sleek-looking XCeed
was unveiled in petrol and diesel forms in June and, at the time, it was
reported that a 48-volt mild-hybrid and a fully-fledged plug-in hybrid would be
added to the family at a later date. It is believed that this particular test
car is that plug-in hybrid variant.
Kia confirmed last
year that the plug-in hybrid powertrain of the Niro PHEV would be added this
year to the regular Ceed family. This powertrain comes with a 1.6-liter petrol
engine delivering 104 hp and 147 Nm of torque paired with a 60 hp electric
motor for a total of 139 hp and 265 Nm. The Niro PHEV also features
a 8.9 kWh lithium-ion polymer battery pack and is good for an all-electric
driving range of 58 km.
The car
manufacturer has yet to say what powertrain that XCeed plug-in hybrid will
receive, but it makes absolute sense to utilize the same Niro PHEV-sourced
system found on the standard Ceed hatchback. The exterior design of the XCeed
plug-in hybrid will be largely identical to the petrol and diesel models, with
perhaps the only identifying features being some new badges and the inclusion
of a charging port on the left-side front fender.
Those not
interested in the PHEV can always choose between three petrol and two diesel
engines. These include a 1.0-liter three-cylinder with 118 hp, a 1.4-liter
four-cylinder delivering 138 hp and a 1.6-liter T-GDi delivering 201 hp. The
diesels both displace 1.6-liters and produce 113 hp and 134 hp respectively.
