Kia models get upgrades for autumn 2019

Kia has announced a raft of upgrades to its model line-up, with five cars benefitting from extra kit or new special-edition trim levels. The autumn updates include mild-hybrid technology for all diesel Kia Sportage models. All upgraded models are on sale now.

The company’s smallest car, the Kia Picanto, is now slightly more economical with the addition of stop-start technology, which Kia calls ISG. The ISG system is now fitted as standard on all cars with manual gearboxes. Meanwhile, the entry-level ‘1’ grade now has a different design of plastic wheel cover, and some cars with a 1.0-litre engine now come with four seats instead of five.

Best family hatchbacks to buy

The Kia Ceed gets a broad range of technology updates, as it continues to compete with family hatchbacks such as the Volkswagen Golf and Ford Focus. Its touchscreen is now an inch larger, at eight inches, across most of the range, although high-spec models are treated to a new widescreen 10.25-inch version. On the bigger touchscreen, you can have Kia’s UVO Connect app, which offers a range of online services like live traffic, weather and a parking-space locator.

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Top-spec Ceeds now feature a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, while the Kia Ceed Sportswagon in ‘3’ trim comes with Kia’s Advanced Driving Assistance Pack (ADAP) as standard. This includes forward collision alert and pedestrian detection on manual cars, while speccing the DCT automatic also adds smart cruise control, an electronic handbrake, rear ventilation controls and a sliding centre console.

The Kia ProCeed is available in a new GT-Line Lunar Edition trim level. Following on from a similar grade on the Ceed, the Lunar Edition comes with exclusive Lunar Silver paint, a panoramic sunroof and LED headlights. A heated steering wheel and heated seats are included, while the sporty interior trim is carried over from the GT-Line edition. The Lunar Edition costs from £25,340 and £26,840 with a manual or an automatic gearbox respectively.

Kia has already introduced mild-hybrid technology on some Sportage models but it has now rolled out the electric assistance onto all that have a diesel engine. The 48-volt system allows the engine to shut down when coasting below a certain speed to save fuel, and cuts emissions slightly to reduce both first-year road tax and the Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) rate for company-car drivers.

Rounding off the updates is a new Blue Edition trim level for the Kia Stinger. Besides the Electric Blue paintwork, this version of the Stinger features 19-inch alloy wheels and electrically controlled suspension - kit usually reserved for the powerful V6-engined Stinger GT S. The Blue Edition comes with a 242bhp 2.0-litre petrol engine and, at £37,375, is £1,400 more than the GT-Line S model.

Read our reviews of all current Kia models here, or see where the Kia Sportage features on our list of best medium-size and family SUVs.