Kia Pro_Cee'd GT: Review

Euro hot hatch champs beware - the Pro_Cee'd GT's opening salvo is quietly very impressive

It's hard to believe that nearly seven years have passed since the Kia Cee'd was launched. Which means, of course, that they are all still in warranty. In the intervening period, Kia has made giant strides as a manufacturer, going from dull and worthy to producing striking looking vehicles of increasing quality and panache. So when Kia announces that it has set its sights on the hot hatch sector, it demands attention. And the Pro_Cee'd GT is the first step into the fray.

Looks the part but does it deliver?

The Kia's sharp lines take the addition of some subtle muscle very well indeed and the GT aero kit certainly has a hint of menace, courtesy of the jutting jawline and piercing quad LED driving lights. There are deeper side skirts and dark 18-inch alloys while the rear gets twin tailpipes and a diffuser.

Inside the changes are pretty subtle really. There are Recaro sports seats, metal pedals and a smattering of gloss black and red detailing to lift the Pro_Cee'd's nicely laid out cabin. There is also a clever little TFT display that shows the car's speed as well as torque and boost pressure. Kit levels are good, as you'd expect, with Bluetooth, voice recognition, air, cruise, auto lights, CD/radio with iPod connectivity and plenty more besides.

By the numbers
Let's whip round the basic figures: the GT is priced at a fiver under £20,000. It gets the turbocharged Gamma 1.6-litre petrol engine producing 204hp and 195lb ft of torque. Benchmark performance figures are 0-62 in 7.7 seconds and a top speed of 143mph. Fuel economy is a claimed 38.2 and CO2 171g/km.

Plenty of kit, as you'd expect from Kia

Kia is absolutely up-front about that fact that it doesn't see the GT as an outright performance car. Although the sportiest car the brand has unleashed to date, and unashamedly aimed at enthusiast drivers, it is designed to have a broad appeal - a warm rather than a truly hot hatch. Mind you, the test route is over 100 miles of simply wonderful driving roads so the GT's beefier brakes and lower, stiffer suspension will come in for some close scrutiny.

While it is true that the combination of almost traffic-free mountain roads, stunning scenery and blazing sunshine have a tendency to evoke positive vibes whatever the form of transport, the Kia will have its work cut out to impress. There is every type of twist and turn on offer here, from lock-stop hairpin to fearsomely fast flat-out kinks, flick-flack direction changes and nadgety, off-camber numbers. It also seems to be the launch destination of choice for hot hatches this year (Fiesta ST and 208 GTI also launched on these roads) so there is an interesting set of mental reference points laid down before the GT even turns a wheel.

Pro_Cee'd GT responds well to added muscle

Living is easy
Kia want this warm Pro_Cee'd to be easy to live with day to day and it certainly seems to be. The boot is a decent size. The sports seats are comfy, there's no booming bassline nor much crash or bounce from the suspension. It pootles politely around town and cruises calmly and quietly on the Autoroute.

Any choppiness in the ride smoothes out nicely at higher speeds and the GT exhibits a nice blend of suppleness and control. It soon becomes apparent that the engine doesn't really relish the upper echelons of the tacho, preferring you to shift up at around 5,000rpm and there is little benefit in pushing beyond this when the ratios drop you right back into the meat of the torque curve. The shift itself is light but positive and utterly acceptable.

You can flow with the GT, get into a rhythm: it's hard to upset the balance of the car. It feels faithful and predictable - but not in a boring way. There is a bit of movement in the chassis: it'll push progressively in tighter turns or if you are aggressive with the throttle and it will tuck in and tighten its line if you lift off or trail brake. Nothing alarming, but with that pleasant few percentage points of adjustability that lifts the driving experience nicely.

Kia has been modest in its aspirations...

First blood
There is a refreshing honesty and authenticity to this car which makes it surprisingly satisfying and if there isn't the razor sharp responsiveness that you might expect with a really hot hatch, there isn't the psychotic edge or the relentless fidgeting either. It's a well-judged and nicely balanced dynamic package which would flatter any driver. Grippy, supple, gutsy enough to blast past dawdlers and focus your attention when you get to the twisties. It rides really nicely - smothering the worst bumps but never at the expense of decent body control.

So where does the GT come up short? Well it isn't the quickest thing out there - as pitched, this is very much a warm, rather than a hot hatch. The brakes struggled after a couple of fast downhill sections and although they didn't give up the ghost completely, the pedal travel lengthened perceptibly and an interesting aroma soon filled the cabin.

...but has no need of being so, given GT's polish

The engine is not the most characterful. It lacks a bit of zing at the top end and a more satisfying exhaust note wouldn't go amiss. The steering is accurate but like most modern setups lacks real feel - although it does nothing to mar the driving experience it has to be said and the sports steering wheel is a nice thing to hang on to.

Warning shot
However, for me the overall package works. I really like the way it looks: modern, sporting but not OTT. It drove impressively, too. It was flogged mercilessly over three hours and never once did my colleague or I feel like backing off to spare its blushes. Never once did it fall apart under pressure nor feel as if it was going to do something spiteful. And, of course, there's the price. For £19,995 it seems like an awful lot of car - especially factoring that remarkable seven-year warranty.

As well as the entry model a GT Tech version will also be offered adding a seven-inch touchscreen with nav, reversing camera, heated seats and steering wheel, adaptive xenon headlamps, dual-zone climate and a few more bits and bobs for a premium of £2,500. A limited run of GT 1st Editions will add yet more styling goodies, unique wheels, sunroof, roller blinds and yet another £1,500 - just 50 of these will be earmarked for the UK. Next year there will be the introduction of a five door Cee'd GT.

And this is just Kia's first attempt - impressive

This car is quite an exciting prospect. Not just for the way it drives, not just for the way it looks, but for the intent it shows. If the Cee'd represented a desire to produce a car to appeal to European buyers and the Sportage to show that the brand stood for great design then this Pro_Cee'd GT takes both of those elements and stirs in some heart and soul and a genuine intent make a fast, fun and affordable performance car. That has to be good news for petrolheads everywhere.

KIA PRO_CEE'D GT
Engine: 1.6-litre petrol, turbocharged
Transmssion: 6-speed manual gearbox, front-wheel drive
Max power: 204hp@6,000rpm
Max torque: 195lb ft@1,750-4,500rpm
0-60mph: 7.7sec
Top speed: 143mph
MPG: 38.2 (NEDC combined)
CO2: 171g/km
Price: £19,995

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E38Ross

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