I test drove the new Kia XCeed GT-Line S – it could turn out to be one of the most affordable family cars ever

I’m starting to wonder if our smartphones are making us stupid. Or lazy. Or both.

We no longer do simple calculations in our heads. We use the calculator app.

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We don’t remember family phone numbers. We go to “Favorites”.

We don’t read maps. We follow the sat nav blindly, knowing we should have turned left half a mile ago.

We don’t store any information because our devices have all the answers whenever we need them.

It’s getting to the point where we don’t even question whether deals are real deals — meal deals, auto finance deals, Black Friday deals, and so on.

Not all are. But I’m pretty sure this one is.

Let’s all give our noggins a little workout and crunch the numbers.

Kia says you can currently save up to £3,389 on a new petrol XCeed.

That’s £2,500 deposit contribution plus a further £500 for existing Kia owners plus two free services worth £389.

This means an XCeed ‘2’ at £23,395 is £201 a month over three years on PCP, based on 8,000 miles a year, with a £5,000 deposit or trade-in.

Hmmm. chin caresses.

That’s £201 divided by four weeks = £50.25 a week divided by seven days = £7 something a day.

For a solid and hassle-free family engine that’s at your door whenever you want it.

It’s actually £7.18 a day because I checked it on my phone.

If you can afford a little more then the GT-Line is £25,395 £246 a month. Less than £9 per day.

The top-of-the-line GT-Line S, pictured here in Kermit Green, costs £358 a month. Under £13 per day.

The main differences are the looks and the luxury on board, as technically all three cars are the same.

They use the same 1.5-litre turbo with a six-speed manual and make very similar numbers.

We actually averaged the official 44mpg on a mix of freeway and B-roads.

The GT-Line S is also available as a car for those who want easy city living.

Which brings me nicely to my next point.

Kia clearly designed the XCeed for modern life, as almost every aspect of the GT-Line S is actually pretty good.

It has heated seats front and rear, so there’s no racing to go shotgun racing on the school run.

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luxury on board

It has front and rear USB ports. Large front and rear drink holders. Panoramic sunroof. Heated steering wheel. twin screens. JBL sound system.

You can turn off the insidious Lane Keep Assist, which constantly tugs at the steering wheel, with a simple button, while the rear camera has dynamic guidelines to prevent you from having a whoopsie at Tesco.

Everything is easy with this car. everything makes sense
Well, almost everything.

I have one criticism and it has to do with smartphones.

To use Apple CarPlay, you need to connect your device with a cable, which of course charges the phone at the same time.

However, there is a charging cradle for mobile phones.

Really? Without wireless Apple CarPlay, there is little point in having a wireless phone charger.

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Other Kias have both. But for some reason this car doesn’t.

That being said, the XCeed is one of the most affordable family cars available today.

In time, it could turn out to be one of the most affordable family cars ever made.

Because the future points to battery-powered, self-driving smartphones on wheels and this is going to totally numb my brain.