FRANKFURT: If the car is dying in the face of the ongoing onslaught from the popularity of SUVs, it certainly doesn’t seem to be worrying Kia too much.
Ahead of the 2018 Paris Motor Show next month, the Korean automaker has taken the wraps off two new cars that will be making their global debuts in the French capital: the 2019 ProCeed wagon and the new 2019 Ceed GT.
The really good news about the ProCeed is it appears to have survived the final phase of development leading up to the production version being unveiled without its styling being watered down from the concept we saw at last year’s Frankfurt Motor Show. That means it still has its attractive, almost-fastback roofline, wide taillights, and signature chrome window trim with a dorsal fin highlight at the rear. A small amount of the usual wagon practicality may have been negotiated away in the name of style, but it’s a tiny price to pay for a car that looks this good.
Anyone who is familiar with Kia and its naming conventions will know the Pro_Ceed badge used to be used exclusively for the three-door hatch version of the previous Ceed. Now it takes on the role of filling the gap between the Sportswagon and the standard five-door hatch with a sporty, shooting brake body style. The sporty aura is more than skin deep too, as this new ProCeed will only be offered in GT and GT-Line trim levels.
Although there are only two variants, buyers will still have a choice of no less than four different engine options. Base models will come with a 118bhp three-cylinder petrol engine, and the upgrade from there is a 138bhp 1.4-litre petrol. The ProCeed GT gets the most powerful unit, which is a 201bhp 1.6-litre turbo, and the quartet is completed by a 134bhp 1.6-litre CRDi diesel.
That 201bhp 1.6-litre turbo petrol engine also finds its ways into another new car Kia will be showing in Paris, the all-new Ceed GT. The Ceed GT certainly looks the part with lots of sporty styling cues, even if it’s more of a warm hatch than a hot one in terms of its performance. It’s also likely to sound pretty sporty and powerful too, thanks to a set of exhaust flaps and an electronic sound generator.
Keyword: Kia unveils new ProCeed wagon