All manufacturers are constantly engaged in a mission to reduce costs, but given the lascivious curves of some of the latest Kias, you'd have to think the design studio swerved the penny-pinching antics reserved for the rest of the business.

It's money well spent when you think about it, because getting a car's lines right from the get-go is a sure-fire way of leveraging pounds from the public's purses and it also saves a whole load of money come face-lift time. This is certainly the case with the XCeed crossover, which has required little more than a subtle manicure to maintain its youthful looks. 

Revisions are limited to new LED headlamps, a revised grille and a new front bumper, with re-profiled air intakes, a rejigged rear diffuser, gloss black skid plate and reprofiled exhaust tips.

Of course, there's always scope to extract a little extra gravy and, in Kia's case, it is by offering an upgraded GT-Line specification. With some funky colour options and additional cosmetic enhancements, aimed at boosting the XCeed's street cred even further. 

While the dash isn't the most imaginative-looking thing on the planet - it is logically laid out, with a clear touchscreen infotainment system and a mixture of touch-sensitive buttons, dials and switches to control the sound system and heating and ventilating adjustments. 

There's also a decent amount of space for four and although the boot isn't particularly massive, it should be big enough to avoid any head scratching when it comes to packing the family's gubbins for that long weekend away.  

As well as the visual upgrade, there's a range of revised powertrains, including a plug-in hybrid, which combines an 8.9 kWh lithium battery, a 44.5 kW electric motor and a basic non-turbocharged 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine. Together, these units generate 141hp and 195 lb. ft of torque to the front wheels via a six-speed dual-clutch transmission. According to Kia, the battery is strong enough to provide an all-electric range of around 30 miles in mixed driving scenarios and up to 37 miles if you drive exclusively within the confines of the city. 

Initially, the electric motor does the donkey work and once the petrol engine is called on it works pretty seamlessly with its electric cohort. However, after the electric motor has devoured its full quota of volts, the economy-focused petrol engine does begin to struggle. This is particularly noticeable on drawn out inclines when even with the kick-down button pinned against the bulkhead, the engine picks up speed with all the enthusiasm of a pensioner hauling themselves out of their favourite recliner. 

The GT-Line car we drove came fitted with a far feistier 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine. To be fair, this car differed significantly from the version which will end in the UK, so we'll reserve final judgement until we've driven a more represented 1.5.