Kia Cee’d with 172Nm turbo engine
News of the latest Kia Cee’d is bittersweet for the South African market. Why? Although the new model comes with cosmetic refinements to the bumpers and LED light clusters, additional chrome bezels and a sleek mesh grille, the biggest revision sits under the bonnet. In Europe the Kia Cee’d will ‘seed’ the 3-cylinder turbo engine, good initially for 73kW and 172Nm with a higher output set to follow. The engine will be mated to a dual clutch gearbox as shown in Geneva earlier this year.
There’s no guarantee that this nascent engine and gearbox combo will find its way to South Africa, at least not in the beginning with concerns over fuel quality and high temperatures keeping Kia owners behind the wheel of either the 1.4-litre and 1.6-litre normally aspirated engines. A selection of diesel engines will be available with Co2 emissions dropping as low as 94g/km. A performance Cee’d GT and Procee’d GT will be equipped with larger turbo chargers for quicker acceleration and the sound symposer was also amplified to compliment this boost in power.
Changes not limited to the engine, are fulsome. Noise and vibration levels have been reduced and higher quality materials are fitted throughout the cabin. Kia’s infotainment system can provide live information on traffic and speed limits, although the functionality will depend on the country’s infrastructure.
The Kia Cee’d could be in South Africa by 2017 and its success will hinge largely on whether it arrives with that efficient 3-cylinder engine and fast-shifting dual clutch gearbox.
