Kia Ceed Sportswagen 1.4 CRDi: Test Drive Review

We’ve already found Kia’s Ceed Sportswagon in 1.6 diesel form to be an appealing alternative to the regular volume-brand estates, yet the entry diesel is an 89hp 1.4-litre unit offering 109g/km and 67.3mpg –  7g/km and 3.1mpg better than the 1.6.

The downside is that it’s only available in the lowest ‘1’ trim, which is short on frills, apart from alloy wheels, Bluetooth and air conditioning. The 1.4 is £800 cheaper than the 1.6 – which has an additional 37hp – and is only really suited to

job-need users, because drivers with a degree of choice would be wise to step up to the 1.6 for the extra power.

The 1.4 enjoys a 3.4p per mile advantage over the more powerful 1.6, but it comes at a compromise, especially as there isn’t the option of paying £1600 to move to another trim level in order to get kit such as a leather-trimmed cabin, cruise control and rear parking sensors.