On July 1, 2013, Kia released the Pro_Cee’d GT and have announced that a 5-door Cee’d GT will be released early 2014.
The Pro_Cee’d GT is the companies first performance oriented car and the first European style “hot hatch” to come from a Korean manufacturer.
The GT models are a sign of Kia’s growing confidence in Europe, believing that they now have the style and brand recognition to deliver a truly desirable performance model in the region and for the GT to act as a halo model for the rest of the range. It is also the first Kia sold in the UK with a turbo-charged petrol engine.
The Pro_Cee’d GT uses a variant of the Kia/Hyundai T-GDi Gamma Engine. The engine in the Pro_Cee’d GT is the same as that used in the American market Hyundai Veloster Turbo, but different gear ratios and more aggressive suspension have been used. The Torque has also been dramatically increased to 265Nm (195 lbs ft) over the normal aspirated engine; though, where the standard T-GDi engine has all of its torque available between 1750 to 4500rpm, the engine as used in the Pro_Cee’d GT has been altered slightly, having its full torque available between 1750 and 4600rpm. The engine propels the car to 60 mph in 7.4s, 0.4s faster than the Veloster Turbo with the same engine.
The suspension in the GT has been modified over the standard Pro_Cee’d, giving a far more agile and sporting ride. As too has the steering, being more responsive and engaging, though it also comes without Kia’s “FlexSteer” system, meaning drivers will not be able to choose a different steering mode (of which there are three: Comfort, Normal and Sport).
