Kia Ceed Sportswagon (2012) first official pictures

Kia will launch an estate version of the Ceed family hatch in the UK on 10 September 2012, with an unashamed focus on grabbing crucial fleet sales. As such. the Ceed Sportswagon range is turbodiesel only, to try and entice fleet buyers in with low tax rates.

The Ceed Sportswagon kicks off at £16,895 for the entry-level, car, rising to £24,795 for the highest spec car. Read on for the full run-down of the Ceed Sportswagon range.

Kia Ceed Sportwagon: trims and specs

For a start, all models get the same 528-litre bootspace, which expands to 1642 with the back seats folded. A Focus estate musters only 476 and 1502 litres respectively, and an Astra Sports Tourer a piffling 500 and 1550 litres. The Hyundai i40 Tourer which shares a platform with the Ceed gets – you’ve guessed it – exactly the same bootspace, seats up or down.

Kia’s trimlines couldn’t be more logical (or unimaginative) in name: it’s simply 1, 2, 3 and 4. Ceed ‘1’s get electrically adjustable heated door mirrors, a height-adjustable driver’s seat, air-con,  front electric windows,, remote central locking, cooled glovebox, flat-folding 60:40 split rear seats, ambient front lighting, Bluetooth connectivity and an iPod-friendly audio system.

Ceed ‘2’ models come with LED running lights, leather steering wheel, gearknob and handbrake, a splash of chrome, all-round electric windows, luggage net, cruise control and rear parking sensors.

Upgrade to a Ceed 3 and there’s privacy glass, automatic headlights, automatic front wipers, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, dual-zone climate control, and a seven-inch touchscreen sat-nav interface, which doubles as a reversing camera screen.

And to be the envy of your fellow fleet drivers, talk the boss into speccing you a Ceed 4. The top-of-the-range Ceed is treated to 17-inch alloys, heated black leather seats and steering wheel, an electronic parking brake, a starter button for the engine, and rear air ventilation. Opt for the further loaded Ceed ‘4 Tech’ and there’s a panoramic sunroof, 10-way power-adjustable driver’s seat,  front parking sensors, lane departure warning system and xenon headlights.

Kia Ceed Sportswagon: the numbers

For comparsion, an equivalent Ford Focus estate equipped with a 1.6-litre TDCi engine produces 113bhp and 199lb ft, giving 0-62mph in 11.1sec and 120mph flat out. Interestingly, a 1.6-litre diesel Focus returns a claimed 67.3mpg and 109g/km – identical figures to the lower-powered 1.4-litre Kia.

Kia’s new 2012 Ceed Sportswagon: the prices