These are the first images of the 2013 Kia Pro_Cee’d GT hot hatchback. The images leaked out ahead of its official unveiling at the Geneva Motor Show in March. You can think of the Kia Pro_Cee’d GT as the Korean manufacturer’s answer to the Volkswagen Golf GTI. Essentially, it’s a regular Cee’d with a Hyundai Veloster GDI turbocharged engine squeezed under the bonnet.
When the first reports said Kia were going to stick the 1.6-litre petrol turbocharged GDI engine from the Hyundai Velsoter into the 3-door Pro_Cee’d to create it’s most hot hatch, we thought that sounded like a snug fit and promised a fairly competent car. Now, the first images of the Pro_Cee’d GT show us how Peter Schreyer and Kia’s design language want to differentiate the spiced up Pro_Cee’d GT from a regular one.
We like the look so far, as concerns the much more aggressive overall stance of the car. The new and more detailed tiger nose front bumper; boastful LED headlamps with four-prong fog lamps; enlarged front air intakes; pinstripe red highlights around the honeycomb-grille; beefed up 18-inch alloy wheels; deeper side skirts; redesigned rear bumper; a rear spoiler and the black / panoramic glass roof for that added upmarket feel.
The 18-inch alloy wheels are teamed with a lower and stiffer suspension to ensure the GT version hugs the road better, and the front brake discs measure 300 mm, while the ones at the back are 262 mm, both with red calipers for added ‘bling’ with stopping performance. Although we don’t have any images of it, the interior should receive a similar makeover, with red detailing paired with carbon fibre looking plastics, snug Recaro seats, aluminium pedals, GT logos and an all-around racier feel than the regular Kia Pro_Cee’d.
Most importantly, however, the success of the Kia Pro_Cee’d GT will rely on what it has under the bonnet and how it manages to create a stirring drive; something Kia’s are not renowned for as yet. The 1.6-litre turbocharged GDI engine from the Veloster Turbo is expected to deliver around 149 kW and 265 Nm, giving the Pro_Cee’d GT a 0 – 100 km/h performance time somewhere in the 7-second range, before it goes onto a top speed in excess of 200 km/h.
The Kia Pro_Cee’d GT will be unveiled together with the five-door Cee’d GT at the Geneva Motor Show, along with official details and pricing.