Wednesday 28th November 2012

Kia announces a hot hatch

Rising Korean brand finally gets sporty with a 1.6 turbo three-door

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Kia has finally confirmed it's going to make a hot hatch. The company has been vaguely promising to heat up its Cee'd hatchback for ages, but now it has confirmed it officially.

Standard Pro_Cee'd bodes well for GT

Dubbed the Pro_Cee’d GT and based on the newly launched and good looking three-door version of its Astra/Focus rival, the car has so far only been revealed in picture form as this cartoonish rendering.

It does suggest however that it’ll be a bit of a looker. Aggressive bumpers and Golf GTI-style red accent lines will be matched to big, chunky wheels, promising a car that could just be the first desirable Kia. And, note to Ford, it's easier to make a hot hatch look good by basing it on a three-door.

Power will come from a 1.6-litre direct-injection turbocharged engine, according to the firm, but it didn't reveal the output. Speculation is that it'll achieve around 180hp for a 60mph dash in around seven seconds. It'll be mated to a six-speed manual gearbox.

That makes it warmish rather than hot next to the likes of the Focus ST and Astra VXR, but anything the swells the fast hatch ranks is fine by us.

The car will arrive "in the second half" of next year and while no price has been announced, we'd hazard a guess it'll be sub £20,000. It'll also come with Kia's seven-year warranty.

What do you reckon? Would you buy a Kia hot hatch?

[mattbvw]

The 3-dr cee'd that was unveiled a few months ago looked really good so this has some promise. Doubt it'll ever be up to the established performance hot hatches but they're new to this so maybe they're just aiming for a decent 'warm' hatch to start with. There's a 1.6 Turbo engine in their sister company's Veloster Turbo... that has 184bhp in EU spec and 201bhp in US spec.

[Benny Saltstein]

If it drives well then why not?

I can't help thinking it looks like a Hot Wheels car though.

[Codswallop]

Worst rendering ever. Given the reception that the Hyundai Veloster Turbo recieved, I am doubtful it will be a good steer either seeing as they likely share many components.

[LaurasOtherHalf]

The guy who owns the Kia/Mazda/Chrysler/ franchises round our way bought the reg K1 AGT many years ago for this very eventuality.

He put it on a brand new Mazda RX7 back in the day, Mazda certainly weren't very happy when they saw it & made him take it off!

[loudlashadjuster]

Article said:

..look good off..

I know journalistic standards at PH Towers have never been the highest, but it this really the way you are heading?

Re the car, I've driven the standard Cee'd and Kia will have to do a lot of polishing to make this particular turd into a class leader.

[petemurphy]

loving the kia grills - not something i thought i would ever say

[Batfink]

Those huge wheels and tiny windows make a lambo look practical as an everyday car.
Nice kids drawing..

Hopefully they will use some decent dampers on this as the Ceed is terrible on the rear.

[Agoogy]

Codswallop said:

Given the reception that the Hyundai Veloster Turbo recieved, I am doubtful it will be a good steer either seeing as they likely share many components.

CAR thought it a brilliant 'steer'.
It will use the same engione and but will provide more numbers.
I'm looking forward to it...cartoon sketch aside, it will look really good in the flesh.

[V8 FOU]

petemurphy said:

loving the kia grills - not something i thought i would ever say

KIA girls? Where?
Ohh the grilles.... I'll get me coat.

Btw looks ok to me.

[Krikkit]

I'm totally awestruck by these new Kias... A generation ago I'd have rather been seen in a bright pink micra, but now I think they're the best looking of all the hatches about at the mo! Bring on moar power.

[Johnnytheboy]

A 1.6 turbo? That'll set it apart from the competition at least.

[ajh38]

I think this has promise. This could be just a prelude for an even hotter version as if often the case. They're well built and in my opinion look good. 7 year warranty? What's not to like?

[LuS1fer]

A stupid rendering of impractical proportions that is about as much use to me as the North Star is, to a traveller on the London Underground.

I like the Sportage myself but eevn that is quite expensive. It seems to me that whilst Kia are starting to compete, they have lost their huge price advantage to do so. No such thing as a free ride and greater depreciation no doubt.

Give us a ring when you get something more credible by way of a picture.

[kambites]

I'd have thought Kia's depreciation would be quite good, given that most cars will still have a decent stretch of warranty left when sold on for the first time. I'd certainly pay more for a 4 year-old Kia than a 4 year-old Focus/Astra/Golf/whatever.

[Agoogy]

The rendering isn't usel;ess though is it.... it shows a potential wheel design...and more imnportantly the only aspect of the drawing whicg is anywhere close to relaity is the 'face' I suspect the rendering is to illustrate this point specifically - family grille, red accent stripe, more 'aggressive' bumper that will include distinctive DRL design....
I'm not a massive fan of DRLs but Schreyer does seem to be able to master the detail - and the family face is the key one...

[R32UK]

LaurasOtherHalf said:

The guy who owns the Kia/Mazda/Chrysler/ franchises round our way bought the reg K1 AGT many years ago for this very eventuality.

He put it on a brand new Mazda RX7 back in the day, Mazda certainly weren't very happy when they saw it & made him take it off!

made him take it off??

[deadmau5]

A manual 3 door hot hatch with a 7 year warranty for less than £20k. This sounds very promising and COULD take sales away from the new Clio RS. Let's hope they bring some consultants in for the handling like Proton did with Lotus.

[Mojocvh]

kambites said:

I'd have thought Kia's depreciation would be quite good, given that most cars will still have a decent stretch of warranty left when sold on for the first time. I'd certainly pay more for a 4 year-old Kia than a 4 year-old Focus/Astra/Golf/whatever.

Boy at work has an astra "Nuremberg" edition, quite a tidy car with plenty of "go" when you need it.

Or it did have.

Dealer maintained from new, all servicing and other work receipted and book stamped.

40,000m and turbo blown, due to a common failure as it's mounted integrally in the manifolds, he was wanting a good will gesture from Vauxhall to cover some of the cost-NO CHANCE.

The brand might not be everyone's cup of tea, neither might the vehicle, but that 7 year warranty could well be worth it's weight in gold........

[BBS-LM]

Anything under 200Bhp and it's not a hot hatch.

[kambites]

It would be a bit odd to reject a Kia on the basis of the badge and buy a Vauxhall. For me, Kia is the stronger of the two brands, these days.