Kia XCeed, Buying guide, MOT record and UK numbers
41,919 Kia XCeeds are licensed in the UK. In 2025 they passed 87.8% of initial MOT tests, 15.5 points above the 72.3% UK average.
Looking at a specific XCeed? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.
Kia XCeed at the MOT
87.8% of 25,404 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the XCeed 72nd of 575 models. Kia XCeeds aged 3 to 5 years passed 87.1% of MOT tests in 2025; examples aged 6 to 10 years did better, at 88.1%.
First-time pass rate, 2025
Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.
Pass rate by age at test
Kia XCeed tests in 2025.
Where XCeeds fail
Share of all failure items recorded on Kia XCeed tests in 2025.
The items testers recorded most often were wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively (23.7%), tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (15.7%) and condition has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords (8%).
The MOT page lists every common XCeed MOT failure. For one car's own results and advisories, run a free MOT history check.
What to look at on a viewing
The XCeed's most common failure areas, and what a tester checks in each.
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Tyres
Check tread depth across the full width of every tyre (the legal minimum is 1.6mm), and look for cuts, bulges and uneven wear.33.1% of XCeed failure items
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Visibility
Check the windscreen for chips or cracks in the driver's view, and that the wipers and washers clear it properly.30.2% of XCeed failure items
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Brakes
Make sure the pedal feels firm, the car stops in a straight line, the handbrake holds on a slope and no brake warning light is showing.14.2% of XCeed failure items
Kia XCeeds in the UK
41,919 were licensed at the end of June 2026. The number licensed has grown 181% since the end of 2021.
- Change since 2021
- +181%from 14,923 licensed
- Typical year of first use
- 2022half of those licensed at the end of 2025 were first used in 2022 or earlier
- First registered in 2025
- 3,785against 9,411 in 2022
- Declared off the road
- 1960.5% of those registered, under SORN
Licensed Kia XCeeds since 2019
Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.
Show the figures
| Date | Licensed |
|---|---|
| End of 2019 | 959 |
| End of 2020 | 7,183 |
| End of 2021 | 14,923 |
| End of 2022 | 23,445 |
| End of 2023 | 31,305 |
| End of 2024 | 37,447 |
| End of 2025 | 41,198 |
| End of June 2026 | 41,919 |
How old they are
Licensed Kia XCeeds by year of first use.
- Licensed at the end of 2025
- First registered that year
Show the figures
| First used | Licensed, end 2025 | First registered that year |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3,625 | 3,785 |
| 2024 | 5,755 | 5,890 |
| 2023 | 8,225 | 8,519 |
| 2022 | 9,019 | 9,411 |
| 2021 | 6,751 | 7,060 |
| 2020 | 6,885 | 7,264 |
| 2019 | 934 | 971 |
XCeed engines and fuel
1.0 litre engines made up 41% of Kia XCeed MOT tests in 2025, followed by 1.5 litre at 29%. Petrol accounts for 84% of licensed XCeeds and plug-in hybrid for 11%.
Engine size at MOT, 2025
Share of 25,404 initial MOT tests in 2025.
Fuel type, licensed XCeeds
DfT licensing statistics, June 2026.
| Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 35,015 | 84% |
| Diesel | 1,056 | 3% |
| Plug-in hybrid | 4,534 | 11% |
| Hybrid electric | 1,314 | 3% |
Other Kia models
The most-tested Kia models in 2025, against the XCeed's 87.8% MOT pass rate.
Kia XCeed FAQs
How many Kia XCeeds are there in the UK?
41,919 Kia XCeeds were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 196 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.
Is the Kia XCeed reliable?
MOT data does not measure reliability. It records whether a car met the roadworthiness standard on the day of its test. What it does show is an 87.8% first-time pass rate for the Kia XCeed across 25,404 tests in 2025, above the 72.3% average for all cars.
What should I check before buying a used Kia XCeed?
On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: tyres, visibility and brakes. Then check the individual car's own records. Outstanding finance, insurance write-offs and police stolen markers are not part of the MOT record, so they take a history check.
How do I check a Kia XCeed's history?
Enter the registration of the specific car. A Carpeep car history check reports outstanding finance, write-off category, stolen markers, mileage history, previous keepers, MOT and tax status, import and export markers and scrapped status in one £15 report.
Already found an XCeed?
Check its finance, write-off, theft, mileage and keeper history with a £15 vehicle history report.
Across the 1,389 vehicles of every make Carpeep has checked since November 2025, 19% had outstanding finance recorded and 13% an insurance write-off. More on the Kia history check. To confirm a car's identity, see the Kia VIN check.
- Outstanding finance
- Write-off records
- Stolen markers
- Mileage history
- Previous keepers
MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025 (class 4 initial tests, retests excluded), which also gives the engine sizes. Licensed, SORN, fuel and registration figures are from the Department for Transport vehicle licensing statistics (VEH0120, VEH0124, VEH0160). Government data is used under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability. History-check findings are anonymous counts from reports bought on Carpeep, each vehicle counted once, and are published only where at least 100 vehicles returned an answer.