RE: Paris 2012: the hot Kia Pro_Cee'd
Friday 28th September 2012
Kia will enter the hot hatch market in mid-2013 with a 200hp-plus version of the new Pro_Cee'd revealed at the Paris motor show.
Paris 2012: the hot Kia Pro_Cee'd
New Golf GTI too derivative? Kia's got an alternative on the way...
The hot Pro_Cee'd will go head-to-head with the 2.0 TSI version of the VW Scirocco, says Kia’s UK president Paul Philpott. He downplayed suggestions the car would be a rival for the more powerful hot-hatch elite such as the 250hp Ford Focus ST or 265hp Renaultsport Megane.
Philpott was tight-lipped about the size of the engine, but the three-door coupe-esque Pro-ceed should be capable of a 0-62mph time below seven seconds and a 140mph-plus top speed.
Kia has stayed out of the performance market until now, concentrating instead on building up the brand’s standing and sales in the UK and Europe. According to Philpott, the brand is now at the point where it is ready to enter the hot-hatch market. The Pro_Cee'd will be unveiled at the Geneva motor show in early March, with the car arriving in the UK a few months afterward.
Kia sources also said that a powerful version of the Rio supermini could also be on the horizon. However, Philpott would only confirm that Kia was “studying the potential” for such a car.
Discussion
The back's a bit lardy, but no more so than the latest Megane / Focus etc.
I reckon Kia are on to a real winner here, if it's priced right. The Koreans are definitely edging ever closer to breaking the UK market.
Don't Kia have a 7 year warranty package too - that could be a real dealmaker on a car in this market.
I reckon Kia are on to a real winner here, if it's priced right. The Koreans are definitely edging ever closer to breaking the UK market.
Don't Kia have a 7 year warranty package too - that could be a real dealmaker on a car in this market.
Edited by vrsmxtb on Friday 28th September 10:33
kambites said:
Guvernator said:
That actually looks pretty decent. If they price it right at around £16k then it will sell like hotcakes.
I suspect it'll be a little more than that, since the current top-spec 1.6 diesel already costs 16k. I'd imagine something like 18k?Dave Hedgehog said:
since the current golf gti with a few options can set you back 35k even if they charge 20k it will be a bargain
True. I don't think there are a huge number of individual options with the Kia, partly because they come reasonably well equipped as standard in the top spec models and partly because some of the more poncey features just aren't available. The seven year warranty is worth a fair bit, too.
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