The all-new Kia ProCeed merges stunning design with the space and versatility of a tourer in a five-door shooting brake body. The ProCeed will make its public debut at the 2018 Paris Motor Show, before going on sale exclusively to European drivers at the beginning of 2019. Built in Europe, to the highest standards of production, it also offers owners the reassurance of Kia’s unique 7-Year, 100,000-mile warranty. Carrying the name over from the second-generation Kia pro_cee’d three-door coupé, the Kia ProCeed has been designed, developed and engineered in Europe. A product of Kia’s European design, product development and R&D teams in Frankfurt, Germany, the ProCeed will be manufactured at the brand’s ilina production facility in Slovakia. It will be built alongside the Kia Ceed and Ceed Sportswagon, first introduced earlier this year. Matching the daring design and engineering which renders it the sportiest iteration of the new Ceed model family, the Kia ProCeed will be available exclusively as a ‘GT-Line’ or high-performance GT model. Production of the ProCeed shooting brake begins in November, and sales commence exclusively across Europe in the first quarter of 2019. It will be covered by Kia’s quality promise, with the brand’s industry-leading 7-Year, 100,000-mile warranty as standard.
The Kia ProCeed encapsulates the spirit and athleticism of the second-generation Kia pro_cee’d hatch. A shooting brake by design, the ProCeed presents an alternative to the traditional three-door hatch, and marries its imposing proportions with a compact footprint that hints at its outright agility. With the DNA of a coupé, the ProCeed is lower and longer than both the Ceed five-door hatchback and Sportswagon. Yet, it combines its striking visual presence with a dash of versatility, giving it a unique raked-back silhouette unlike anything in the family car segment. The Kia ProCeed has been designed at Kia’s European design centre in Frankfurt, Germany, under the direction of Gregory Guillaume, European Head of Design, and Peter Schreyer, President of Design and Chief Design Officer. The ProCeed will be available as a ‘GT-Line’ or high-performance GT model, a brief which enabled Kia’s European design teams to create a confident and sporty design for the halo model of the Ceed family. Low, lean and lithe, its stance and proportions are different, sharing only its bonnet and front wings with the Ceed five-door. With its own individual style and character, every other panel is new. Yet the ProCeed features many of Kia’s now familiar design motifs, and its ‘family face’ is instantly recognisable. With the iconic ‘tiger nose’ grille and wide lower air intake, the castellated windscreen, and the brand’s inimitable mix of taut creases and curvaceous sheet metal, it is every bit the contemporary Kia.
At 4,605 mm long, the Kia ProCeed is 5 mm longer than the Ceed Sportswagon, with a longer 885 mm front overhang. At 1,422 mm in height, its roofline sits 43 mm lower than that of the Sportswagon, while ground clearance is reduced by 5 mm, to 135 mm. Constructed on the same ‘K2’ platform as other Ceed models, the 2,650 mm wheelbase remains unchanged. The rear of the car is what differentiates it fully from other models in the Ceed range, inspired by the layout of the 2017 Proceed Concept. Combined with its lower overall height, the new wide rear bumper gives the car an assertive, sporty stance, with dual-tip exhausts for GT and ‘GT-Line’ models enhancing its sense of dynamism and sportiness. The ProCeed name is spelled out in capitals across the centre of the tailgate, beneath LED tail-lights which span the width of the tailgate – giving the car a unique light signature. From launch, the ProCeed across Europe will be available in a choice of 10 paint finishes. The Kia ProCeed ‘GT-Line’ will have 17- or 18-inch aluminium alloy wheels, while ProCeed GT models are fitted with 18-inch wheels as standard.
Inside the cabin, the ProCeed features the same ergonomic cabin as its Ceed compatriots. The interior is characterised by high-quality soft-touch surfaces, metallic trim, and a horizontal dashboard layout. Kia’s 7.0-inch ‘floating’ touchscreen infotainment system sits at the centre of the dashboard, with audio and heating and ventilation controls situated below. The dashboard itself is angled slightly towards the driver. The Kia ProCeed diverges from other models in the Ceed family line-up with a series of changes designed to introduce a sportier ambience to the cabin. The grey roofliner of the Ceed and Sportswagon is replaced with black cloth to envelope and cocoon occupants, and the door sills feature metallic scuff plates. It is fitted with a D-shaped steering wheel as standard, and – for models equipped with Kia’s double-clutch transmission – drivers change gear with new metal alloy steering wheel paddles. The ProCeed has different front seats, depending on specification – with Kia’s ‘GT’ logo stitched into each. ProCeed GT models feature Kia’s new sports seat, with larger, firmer side and thigh bolsters compared to the original cee’d GT.
The ProCeed is powered by a wide choice of engines, to meet the powertrain expectations of European buyers – who are increasingly familiar with fast-revving, highly efficient turbocharged engines that offer immediate acceleration and a broad spread of torque. The ProCeed ‘GT-Line’ is available with a choice of three engines. Petrol options include Kia’s popular 1.0-litre T-GDi (Turbocharged Gasoline Direct injection) engine, producing 120 ps and 172 Nm torque. The most powerful engine for ‘GT-Line’ models is the brand’s all-new ‘Kappa’ 1.4-litre T-GDi power unit, which produces 140 ps. The engine’s turbocharger ensures its 242 Nm torque output is available over a wide 1,500-3,200 rpm band, making it responsive in a wide range of driving conditions. Both engines are fitted with a particulate filter to reduce tailpipe emissions, ensuring the Kia ProCeed goes beyond the requirements of the Euro 6d TEMP standard. Both engines offer a six-speed manual transmission as standard, while the 1.4-litre T-GDi is available with Kia’s seven-speed Dual-Clutch Transmission. Buyers can specify an efficient all-new ‘Smartstream’ 1.6-litre CRDi (Common-Rail Direct injection) diesel engine. Kia’s Smartstream powertrain philosophy seeks to enhance fuel efficiency and performance with reduced emissions.
With a power output of 136 ps, the 1.6-litre Smartstream engine can be paired with a six-speed manual or seven-speed Dual-Clutch Transmission. It produces 280 Nm when paired with the manual transmission, and 320 Nm with the seven-speed Dual-Clutch Transmission. Designed to go beyond the stricter limits laid down by the latest Euro 6d TEMP emissions standard, the Smartstream engine uses Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) active emissions control technology to regulate emissions. Marking the return of Kia’s high-performance ‘GT’ model, the ProCeed GT is powered by a 1.6-litre T-GDi engine, identical to that found in the Ceed GT. Producing 204 ps and 265 Nm, it is the most powerful engine in the line-up. The ProCeed GT and Ceed GT also see the introduction of Kia’s seven-speed Dual-Clutch Transmission for the first time, enabling quick-fire gear shifts via the metal alloy steering wheel paddles. Kia will release official acceleration and top speed figures once the homologation process is complete.
