Is the Kia Ceed ULEZ compliant?

Most petrol Kia Ceeds from 2006 and diesels from September 2015 meet the Euro standards for London ULEZ and other UK clean-air zones, so they are generally exempt from the daily charge. Pure-electric versions are always exempt.

What insurance group is the Kia Ceed in?

The Kia Ceed sits in insurance group 15 of 50, towards the cheaper end of the scale. Your actual premium still depends on age, postcode, annual mileage and no-claims history.

Is the Kia Ceed reliable?

Our reliability score for the Kia Ceed is 64 out of 100 (about average), derived from DVSA MOT records, with a first-time MOT pass rate of about 81% at the reference age.

What economy does the Kia Ceed get?

Expect roughly around 50 mpg combined for a typical Kia Ceed, based on official figures and our running-cost model. Real-world figures vary with driving style, load and conditions.

What are the common problems on the Kia Ceed?

On the Kia Ceed, the issues that come up most by mileage include Suspension, Brakes and Tyres & wheels. The section above breaks down each one with its typical mileage, repair cost and severity.

How many Kia Ceeds are on UK roads?

About 127,008 Kia Ceeds are currently taxed and on the road in the UK, from DfT vehicle-licensing data.

Is the Kia Ceed reliable?

The Kia Ceed scores 64/100 on Forecourt's MOT-based reliability measure, ahead of 23% of the cars we track. That is computed from 1,767,317 real DVSA MOT test results.

How much does a used Kia Ceed cost?

A 2023 Kia Ceed with around 26,745 miles is worth roughly £15,200 today (typical range £13,700–£16,650). Dealer forecourt prices sit higher and part-exchange offers lower; newer or lower-mileage examples cost more.

How quickly does the Kia Ceed depreciate?

A new Kia Ceed typically loses about 35% of its value over the first three years, then depreciates more slowly. Buying at three to five years old avoids the steepest part of the curve.

What insurance group is the Kia Ceed?

The Kia Ceed sits in insurance group 15 of 50 — the cheaper end of the scale. Exact premiums depend on the trim (some versions sit a few groups higher or lower), your age, postcode and no-claims history.

What goes wrong on a used Kia Ceed?

The most common age-related issues we track for the Kia Ceed are: suspension (typically around over 100k miles, £150-£450 to put right); brakes (typically around over 100k miles, £150-£500 to put right); tyres & wheels (typically around over 100k miles, £80-£500 to put right). A full service history and a recent MOT with no advisories are the best protection.

What does the Kia Ceed cost to run?

Expect around 50 mpg combined, £195 a year in road tax, about £185 for a standard annual service. The full cost-of-ownership table above breaks this down per year and per mile for the exact year and mileage you choose.

Ranked #28 car in the UK · Hatchback · 5,602 units sold last year

Kia Ceed

The Kia Ceed is a sensible, well-rounded family hatchback - a credible VW Golf and Ford Focus alternative that leans on value, equipment and Kia's long warranty rather than badge appeal. Offered as a hatch, the Ceed Sportswagon estate and the sleek ProCeed, with 1.0/1.5 turbo petrols and the GT. Cross-shop the Golf, Focus, Octavia and the cousin Hyundai i30.

Body: Hatchback
Years: 2018–2026
Fuel: Petrol / Mild Hybrid
Economy: 50 mpg
Insurance: Group 14

The short version

56/100

Forecourt score

Value 82 · Reliability 17 · Insurance 84

The Kia Ceed holds its value well and is cheaper to run than most. Its MOT-based reliability is average, 64 out of 100, ahead of 17% of the cars we track. On three-year value retention it ranks better than 82% of models.

The Forecourt score blends how this car ranks against the catalogue on value retention, reliability and insurance cost (weighted 40/40/20). Higher is better; running cost is not yet folded in.

Pick your version

Estimates are tuned to the version you choose.

Fuel

Petrol · 998cc

Power

120 ps

Drivetrain

FWD

Cam drive

Chain

Quoted MPG

48 mpg

The volume Ceed. 1.0 turbo three-cylinder, 120 PS, ~48 mpg. Chain-driven; Hyundai-Kia reliability story.

Tell us about the one you're looking at

Year of registration2023

20182026

Mileage on the clock26,745 mi

0Expected: 26,745180k

Conditiongood

PoorFairGoodExcellent

Tidy and well looked-after for its age — the typical car.

Region

Remembered as you browse other cars.

Know the registration?

Optional — fills in the exact year and ULEZ status for your specific car. The registration isn’t stored.

Estimated market value

£15,200

Range £12,800 – £17,800

medium confidence

When new (2023)£23,500Age-based value£15,275Mileage adjustment+£0Condition & region-£9Market calibration+£934Forecourt price£16,200Private sale£14,150Part-exchange£12,450

Buythis 3-year-old

Past the steep drop — most of the depreciation is behind it.

At 26,745 miles it’s about the ~30,172 typical for a 3-year-old.

Seen one for sale?

A data-led guide from the depreciation curve, UK parc trend and reliability — not financial advice.

The depreciation curve

How a 2023-registration Kia Ceed loses value over time.

Marker = your selection
Dashed = mileage either side

What it costs to own

Over

Based on the 2023 car with 26,745 miles you entered above — worth about £15,200 today — here is the cost of owning it for the next 5 years, at roughly 8,915 miles a year.

5-year total

£16,112

Per year

£3,222

All-in per mile

£0.36

Fuel per mile

13.9p

Depreciation£3,061

Fuel / energy£6,211

Servicing£1,765

Road tax£975

Insurance£4,100

Best age to buy — around 4 years

A 4-year-old example loses roughly £1,350 a year — under half the £3,450 a one-year-old sheds. The steepest drop is behind it.

Uses current UK pump and home-charging prices (DESNZ weekly), typical-driver insurance and manufacturer service intervals. "Fuel per mile" is just the energy input — so an EV at ~9p and a diesel at ~22p make running-cost comparison direct. A guide; your own costs will vary.

How it compares

Where this car ranks against the 340 vehicles in our index — higher is better.

Holds its valuebetter than 82%

Reliabilitybetter than 17%

Fuel economybetter than 76%

Cheap to insurebetter than 84%

Percentile rank across our full index. A measure is shown only where the data spreads meaningfully across the index.

Petrol, diesel, hybrid or EV?

How the available versions compare on price, running cost, and the headaches each tends to develop.

1.0 / 1.5 T-GDi (volume)

The honest family hatchback. 1.5 T-GDi '3' is the sensible buy. Kia 7-year warranty is the closer. Production ending 2025 — used residuals likely to firm up. Less efficient than hybrid rivals (Corolla, Civic Hybrid) but cheaper to buy.

New price: £25,000
Annual fuel / energy: £1,600
3-yr depreciation: 46%

Watch for

·DCT hesitation when cold — clears at temperature
·Touchscreen occasional freezes on pre-2022 cars
·1.5 T-GDi exhaust valve issues on a tiny minority (warranty fix)

Ceed GT

The 'warm hatch' Kia. Honest pace, easy to live with, decent value. Not as fun as a Focus ST or Golf GTI but cheaper and more reliable. ProCeed GT (shooting brake) is the same drivetrain in a better body.

New price: £31,000
Annual fuel / energy: £2,050
3-yr depreciation: 44%

Watch for

·DCT wear on hard-driven examples
·Tyre wear higher than other Ceeds
·Brake pad/disc life 25-30k miles when driven hard

Fuel/energy costs based on this week’s UK averages (w/c 22/06/2026) · Petrol 153.3p/L, Diesel 172.5p/L, Electricity 27.0p/kWh · DESNZ

Estimated insurance

Group 15 of 50 (low — cheaper end of the scale) · Comprehensive · 3 years NCB

Indicative annual comprehensive premiums for this car, by driver age band and risk profile. Pick the combination closest to your circumstances.

No-claims bonus3 years

0 yearsBaseline: 3 years15+

Risk profile:

Estimated annual premium · typical, age 33-39

£820/ year

Roughly £68 per month

Typical

Average UK driver — 3 years NCB, average postcode, no recent claims.

Age band	Lower risk	Typical	Higher risk
Age 17-25	£1,870	£2,337	£3,038
Age 26-32	£976	£1,148	£1,401
Age 33-39Selected	£722	£820	£968
Age 40-49	£613	£681	£789
Age 50+	£546	£607	£716

How we estimate this

Indicative annual comprehensive premium estimates. The 'Typical' figure represents an average UK driver in each age band; Lower and Higher risk show the realistic spread driven by factors UK insurers legitimately price on (postcode, occupation, claims history, NCB, voluntary excess, modifications). Based on 10,000 miles/yr, £250 voluntary excess, and the no-claims bonus selected above. Always get individual quotes before buying.

Expected annual costs

Adjust the annual mileage to match how you'll actually use the car. Insurance is what you selected above (age 33-39, typical risk, 3 yrs NCB).

Annual mileage8,915 mi/yr

2,000UK avg for this model: 8,91530,000

Routine service

£185

Annual main-dealer service

Major service

£210

Every 2 years, annualised

Road tax

£195

Standard rate, post year-one

Fuel

£1,258

50 mpg, £1.49/L

Insurance

£820

Age 33-39, group 14

Clean-air zones

✓ ULEZ compliant

Mild Hybrid variants are compliant with London ULEZ and all UK clean-air zones.
All petrol variants meet Euro 4 standards and are ULEZ compliant.

Based on London ULEZ standards — Birmingham, Bath, Bristol, Sheffield, Glasgow and other UK clean-air zones generally follow the same rules.

Total expected£2,668 / year

Excludes depreciation and unscheduled repairs (see next section).

Unexpected costs

What out-of-warranty repairs typically run, by mileage band. Your selected mileage is highlighted.

0-30k miles

£80

per year · low risk

30-60k miles

£240

per year · low risk

60-100k miles

£520

per year · medium risk

100k+ miles

£900

per year · high risk

Tyres

195/65 R15 · 205/55 R16 · 215/45 R17

What a full set of four will cost you (including fit and balance), and which brand each tier of buyer should pick. A typical set lasts about 24,000 miles.

Budget

£300

set of 4, fitted · £60 per tyre

Mid-range

£440

set of 4, fitted · £95 per tyre

Premium

£620

set of 4, fitted · £140 per tyre

What to fit

Optional extras worth paying for

Factory options ranked by how much of their original cost they recover at resale. Anything above 70% return tends to make money back; below 40% is paying for your own enjoyment.

Option	New cost	Added used value	Return
Tow bar (factory-fit) Niche, but the buyers who want one will pay for it.	£650	£450	69%
Parking sensors & reversing camera Near-expected now — its absence costs more than its presence returns.	£500	£300	60%
Heated seats / cold-weather pack	£450	£200	44%
Metallic or premium paint Almost universal — an unusual colour is the bigger resale risk.	£600	£200	33%
Panoramic / opening roof	£1,100	£350	32%
Larger alloy wheels	£700	£200	29%

Parts most likely to fail

Drawn from owner reports and warranty data. Filtered for relevance to 26,745 miles.

Watch now

Failure typically happens around your current mileage.

Upcoming

A known weak point — but you haven't reached its usual mileage yet.

Already due

Past its usual failure mileage. Either already fixed, or about to.

SuspensionUpcoming

Typical at over 100k milesCost £150-£450medium severityParts high

Recorded in 13.4% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 1,740,163 DVSA MOT tests analysed.

BrakesUpcoming

Typical at over 100k milesCost £150-£500medium severityParts high

Recorded in 11.1% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 1,740,163 DVSA MOT tests analysed.

Tyres & wheelsUpcoming

Typical at over 100k milesCost £80-£500medium severityParts high

Recorded in 7.4% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 1,740,163 DVSA MOT tests analysed.

Lighting & signallingUpcoming

Typical at over 100k milesCost £15-£120medium severityParts high

Recorded in 9.3% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 1,740,163 DVSA MOT tests analysed.

Driver's viewUpcoming

Typical at over 100k milesCost £60-£300low severityParts high

Recorded in 4.3% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 1,740,163 DVSA MOT tests analysed.

Identification & otherUpcoming

Typical at over 100k milesCost £20-£150low severityParts high

Recorded in 2.3% of MOT tests over 100k miles — from 1,740,163 DVSA MOT tests analysed.

"Parts low/medium/high" indicates how easy the replacement part is to source — discontinued or specialist parts mean longer workshop time and bigger bills.

Safety rating

Euro NCAP's independent crash-test rating for the Kia Ceed, from its 2019 assessment.

4/5

TEST YEAR2019

Rating expired (test protocol superseded)

The passenger compartment of the Ceed remained stable in the frontal offset test.

Independent crash-test data from Euro NCAP. Star ratings reflect the test protocol of the year shown — newer protocols are stricter, so a 5-star from 2024 represents a higher bar than a 5-star from 2014.

MOT outlook

How this model fares at its MOT as it ages — from 1,767,317 real DVSA test records.

MOT pass rate by age

85.6% at 3yr → 63.8% at 19yr

A 3-year-old Ceed passes its MOT 85.6% of the time; by 19 years that has slipped to 63.8%. The y-axis is zoomed to this model’s range so the trend is readable.

Longevity

0%of 19-year-old examples are still taxed and on the road — a useful read on how well the model lasts.

From 6,009 vehicles registered in 2007.

Survival by registration year

0% of 2007 cars still on the road

Each point is one registration cohort. Older cars on the left, newer on the right. A flatter line means the model holds up over time; a steep drop means cohorts disappear from UK roads faster.

What’s on the road

The fuel-type split of every Ceed currently MOT’d in the UK. From 180,039 vehicles.

Diesel 53.0%
Petrol 45.2%
Hybrid 1.2%

Common MOT failures by mileage

The defect categories this Ceed fails on most often, and how the failure rate climbs as the miles add up — from the same DVSA test records.

Category	0-30k	30-60k	60-100k	100k+
Suspension	1%	3%	8%	13%
Brakes	1%	4%	8%	11%
Tyres & wheels	3%	5%	6%	7%
Lighting & signalling	1%	3%	6%	9%
Driver's view	2%	3%	3%	4%
Identification & other	—	1%	2%	2%

Share of MOT tests in each mileage band with at least one defect in that category. The peak band for each is highlighted.

Typical mileage by age

The average odometer reading for a Ceed at MOT, by age — measured from the same DVSA records, not assumed. A useful yardstick for whether a given car has done more or fewer miles than its age suggests.

0 yr11,453
1 yr25,904
2 yr30,718
3 yr30,172
4 yr38,891
5 yr47,166
6 yr55,373
7 yr63,457
8 yr71,246
9 yr78,288
10 yr84,835
11 yr91,120

Mean recorded mileage at MOT by vehicle age, from DVSA test records (ages with at least 10 tests shown).

Reliability

64/ 100

Average

Composite of MOT pass rate, defect prevalence and cohort survival from 1,740,163 tests — high confidence.

MOT outlook · age 5 years

81%first-time pass rate

23th percentile — Among the worst — investigate carefully

Based on 179,129 MOT tests · ranked against 248 catalogue models with comparable data

Where this car sits in the catalogue

Pass-rate distribution across 248 catalogue models

Things owners say

01Kia's transferable 7-year/100,000-mile warranty is a key reason to buy used - check the remaining cover.
02The DCT dual-clutch auto wants regular servicing; the manual is simpler and cheaper to maintain.
03Spacious and well-equipped for the money; many are ex-fleet, so buy on history and condition.

Safety recalls

Manufacturers occasionally issue safety recalls to fix a fault free of charge. You can check whether the Kia Ceed, or your exact vehicle, has any outstanding recalls on the official DVSA service.

Check on GOV.UK

Opens the Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency recall checker. Choose the make, model and year of manufacture — no registration needed.

Theft risk

A general indicator from UK 2025 theft data and this car’s characteristics — not a prediction for any one vehicle.

Whole-car theft

Around average

Theft risk is around the UK average. Like most modern cars it has keyless entry, so relay theft is the method to guard against.

Parts theft

Higher

Hybrid versions are a catalytic-converter target — a hybrid cat is rich in precious metals and can be cut out in about a minute.

Worth doing

Keep keys in a Faraday pouch and away from the front door to block relay attacks.
A catalytic-converter guard or forensic marking makes a hybrid far less appealing to cut.

Clean-air zones

Whether driving a Kia Ceed into a UK clean-air zone will cost you anything. Rules use the same Euro standard across most zones — petrol from 2006 and diesel from 2015 onwards are exempt; pure electric is always exempt.

Charging zones for cars

City	Area	Daily charge	Likely outcome
London	All of Greater London (within the M25)	£12.50	Likely exempt Petrol from 2006 meets Euro 4.
Birmingham	Inside the A4540 Middleway	£8.00	Likely exempt Petrol from 2006 meets Euro 4.
Bristol	City centre and part of the Portway	£9.00	Likely exempt Petrol from 2006 meets Euro 4.
Glasgow	City centre	—	Likely exempt Petrol from 2006 meets Euro 4.
Edinburgh	City centre	—	Likely exempt Petrol from 2006 meets Euro 4.
Aberdeen	City centre	—	Likely exempt Petrol from 2006 meets Euro 4.
Dundee	City centre	—	Likely exempt Petrol from 2006 meets Euro 4.

Zones that don't charge private cars

Bath — City centre (Private cars and motorbikes are not charged).
Bradford — Outer ring road and the Aire Valley (Private cars are not charged).
Sheffield — Inside the A61 inner ring road (Private cars are not charged).
Newcastle & Gateshead — City centres and the Tyne, Swing, High Level and Redheugh bridges (Private cars are not charged).
Portsmouth — Part of the city centre (Applies to taxis, PHVs, buses, coaches and HGVs only).

Model-level guidance only. To check a specific registration, use the official gov.uk clean-air zone checker. Zone charges and boundaries are set by local councils and change over time.

Servicing & the dealer network

How well-supported Kia is across the UK — a practical read on how easy servicing, parts and warranty work will be to find.

Franchised UK dealers

~190

Large network

Mass-market

Network size relative to the UK's largest (Kia is 4.2% of all franchised outlets)

Servicing, parts and warranty work are easy to find UK-wide, and most independent garages know the brand well — which keeps maintenance competitive.

For context, the UK has roughly 4,500 franchised car-dealer outlets in total, plus about 15,500 independent garages.

Approximate figures, curated from public UK industry sources (NFDA, Car Dealer Magazine). Franchised networks shrink year on year — these indicate network size, not an exact count.

Dimensions & weight

Length

4,300 mm

Width

1,790 mm

Height

1,460 mm

Kerb weight

1,350 kg

Boot

380–1,250 L

Fuel tank

48 L

How many are still out there

Of every Kia Ceed ever registered in the UK, this is what's actively on the road, parked off the road on a SORN, or gone for good.

Total ever registered

131,395

Currently taxed & on road

127,008

97% of all registered

SORN (off road)

4,254

3% of all registered

Scrapped or exported

133

UK fleet trend — 2014 to 2025

-0.6% vs 2024

80,423127,008

Source: DfT VEH0124 vehicle licensing statistics (year-end 2025) · Updated 1 Jul 2026

Common questions

Kia Ceed, answered

Is the Kia Ceed ULEZ compliant?: Most petrol Kia Ceeds from 2006 and diesels from September 2015 meet the Euro standards for London ULEZ and other UK clean-air zones, so they are generally exempt from the daily charge. Pure-electric versions are always exempt.
What insurance group is the Kia Ceed in?: The Kia Ceed sits in insurance group 15 of 50, towards the cheaper end of the scale. Your actual premium still depends on age, postcode, annual mileage and no-claims history.
Is the Kia Ceed reliable?: Our reliability score for the Kia Ceed is 64 out of 100 (about average), derived from DVSA MOT records, with a first-time MOT pass rate of about 81% at the reference age.
What economy does the Kia Ceed get?: Expect roughly around 50 mpg combined for a typical Kia Ceed, based on official figures and our running-cost model. Real-world figures vary with driving style, load and conditions.
What are the common problems on the Kia Ceed?: On the Kia Ceed, the issues that come up most by mileage include Suspension, Brakes and Tyres & wheels. The section above breaks down each one with its typical mileage, repair cost and severity.
How many Kia Ceeds are on UK roads?: About 127,008 Kia Ceeds are currently taxed and on the road in the UK, from DfT vehicle-licensing data.

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Same underpinnings

Built on the Hyundai K3 platform

Hyundai-Kia's modern combustion / hybrid platform shared across small-to-mid-size SUVs and hatches. Different badges, often substantially different residuals, but broadly the same mechanicals and repair cost profile.

Hyundai-Kia K-platform (3rd gen) · Hyundai Motor Group

Common questions

Kia Ceed, answered from the data

Is the Kia Ceed reliable?: The Kia Ceed scores 64/100 on Forecourt's MOT-based reliability measure, ahead of 23% of the cars we track. That is computed from 1,767,317 real DVSA MOT test results.
How much does a used Kia Ceed cost?: A 2023 Kia Ceed with around 26,745 miles is worth roughly £15,200 today (typical range £13,700–£16,650). Dealer forecourt prices sit higher and part-exchange offers lower; newer or lower-mileage examples cost more.
How quickly does the Kia Ceed depreciate?: A new Kia Ceed typically loses about 35% of its value over the first three years, then depreciates more slowly. Buying at three to five years old avoids the steepest part of the curve.
What insurance group is the Kia Ceed?: The Kia Ceed sits in insurance group 15 of 50 — the cheaper end of the scale. Exact premiums depend on the trim (some versions sit a few groups higher or lower), your age, postcode and no-claims history.
What goes wrong on a used Kia Ceed?: The most common age-related issues we track for the Kia Ceed are: suspension (typically around over 100k miles, £150-£450 to put right); brakes (typically around over 100k miles, £150-£500 to put right); tyres & wheels (typically around over 100k miles, £80-£500 to put right). A full service history and a recent MOT with no advisories are the best protection.
What does the Kia Ceed cost to run?: Expect around 50 mpg combined, £195 a year in road tax, about £185 for a standard annual service. The full cost-of-ownership table above breaks this down per year and per mile for the exact year and mileage you choose.

Answers are generated from this car's Forecourt data — DVSA MOT records, DfT licensing statistics and our valuation model — and update with the weekly data refresh.