The new Kia ProCeed is Another Piece of Forbidden Fruit We Can’t Have

Kia revealed the production variant of the ProCeed today and it looks almost as gorgeous as the concept that first debuted at the 2017 Frankfurt auto show. Unlike its predecessor, the new Kia ProCeed ditches the three-door hatch body style in favor of a more practical five-door shooting brake-like wagon. The ProCeed is just as wide as the European-market Ceed hatchback at 70.8 inches, but its roofline is 1.6 inches lower than the Ceed Sportswagon, and it rides lower than both.

 

The most distinguishing design detail on the ProCeed is the coupe-like roofline that gives it a more rounded silhouette than to the Ceed hatchback and wagon. Kia says that the Proceed will be the sportiest variant of the Ceed family, and in Europe, it will only be available in two versions. With a more aggressive exterior and seats with better bolstering, GT-Line models will be powered by a range of engines including a 1.4-liter turbo-four and a 1.6-liter turbodiesel I-4, both of which can be paired with either a six-speed manual or a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic.

The Kia ProCeed and the Ceed hatchback will also be available in a full-fledged GT model, which is Kia’s designation for its sportier models. Under the hood, you’ll find a 1.6-liter turbo-four rated at 201 hp and 195 lb-ft of torque. A six-speed manual comes standard, but for the first time, a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic will be available on GT models. Other notable handling upgrades on the ProCeed GT include stiffer springs, softer anti-roll bars, and optional Michelin Pilot Sport 4 summer performance tires. Kia says that the GT models underwent an extra six months of testing under the direction of Albert Biermann, Kia’s head of vehicle testing and high performance development.

Sadly, we don’t expect the Kia Ceed and ProCeed GT to come to the U.S. since Kia’s made it clear they were developed specifically for the European market. However, earlier this year we reported that Kia will be adding more variants to the Forte, including sportier models. With the arrival of the Ceed and ProCeed GT, we expect the Forte to also receive its own GT model in both sedan and hatchback guises powered by the same 1.6-liter turbo-four as its European siblings. Hopefully, the Forte GT will ditch the torsion beam rear suspension in favor of multilink setup for better handling.

Source: Kia

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