New Cars : 2014 Kia Pro Ceed

The new Kia pro_cee'd joins the cee'd hatchback and cee'd Sportswagon as the third instalment in the latest generation cee'd family and will be joined by Kia's first ever performance-orientated model - the Kia pro_cee'd GT - from the summer of 2013.

2014 Kia Pro Ceed

Kia's stylish new three-door hatchback is offered with a choice of two trim levels - 'S' and 'SE' - both of which are new and unique to the pro_cee'd. The 'S' comes with a very comprehensive level of specification whilst the 'SE' adds a host of luxury and comfort features usually the preserve of much more expensive machinery.

Two engines are offered in the new pro_cee'd line-up - a 1.6-litre GDi petrol and a 1.6-litre CRDi turbodiesel with Intelligent Stop & Go (ISG) - and both are available in each trim grade. A six-speed manual transmission is standard across the range and Kia's six-speed Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT) gearbox is also available in 1.6 GDi 'SE' guise.

EXTERIOR

Longer and lower than the previous generation version, the new pro_cee'd is Kia's most emotionally-charged vehicle to date and has been penned to show performance and dynamism from every angle, crease and curve.

"The all-new Kia pro_cee'd is a true clean sheet design," says Peter Schreyer, President and Chief Design Officer, Kia Motors Corporation. "With its distinctive form language and dynamic proportions, muscular stance and athletic lines, this 'coupe' follows a very different visual path to the cee'd. It's a completely different car on every level."

With the exception of the front body structure, several major parts of the bodyshell - the roof, body sides, and rear-end - have been redesigned compared to the current cee'd. Ring-shaped structures on centre pillars and tailgate opening area have been added in to ensure rigidity and collision safety. New pro_cee'd shares all the same external dimensions as the current cee'd save for its height - new pro_cee'd is 40mm lower than its 5-door sibling.

New pro_cee'd features a unique front design compared to its siblings. The front fog lights are inset into a new layered design and are sat in a more rakish lower bumper design complete with dark chrome highlights. The gloss black 'tiger nose' grille is slightly narrower and connected to the headlights with dark chrome extensions to lend the car a more aggressive stance that is further enhanced by the striking LED daytime running lights that are standard on all versions.

The front doors are 270mm longer (at 1,410mm) than those on the cee'd and, aside from improving rear accessibility, they work in harmony with the sloping beltline and narrow glasshouse, the lower roofline and the chrome window surrounds to give the new pro_cee'd a very sleek side profile.

As with the previous generation, the rear of the pro_cee'd is characterised by a steeply-angled rear window and bulbous tail lamps that sit astride broad shoulders. A black lower bumper strip with a set of integrated combination lamps and reflectors help to lend a hunkered-down feel to the rear. The LED tail lights create a strong night-time presence to the pro_cee'd thanks to a U-shaped LED pattern that is unique to the vehicle.

INTERIOR

The exterior's performance-orientated looks are echoed on the inside with a driver-centric layout to the dashboard and modern, premium touches such as the dark cloth trim, black headlining, piano black fascia trim and subtle chrome accents to the door handles, instruments and air vents.

The five-seat interior has been designed to be as ergonomically intuitive as possible with all the on-board and infotainment controls conveniently located for driver and passengers. Practicality is improved compared to the last generation model too. Boot storage is up 40 litres to 380 litres - the same as the 5-door cee'd - and up 15 litres to 1,225 litres with the 60:40 split-rear seats folded down and there are storage compartments in the front and rear, centre console and under the boot floor.

SPECIFICATION

To reflect how different the new pro_cee'd is to the rest of the line-up, it uniquely moves away from Kia UK's customary model nomenclature of '1', '2' and '3' for entry, mid-range and top-of-the-range versions. The 'S' grade offers a high level of specification for an 'entry-level' version whilst the 'SE' adds the comfort and refinement of many high-end features.

PRICING

pro_cee'd 'S' 1.6 GDi, 124 g/km - £17,495
pro_cee'd 'S' 1.6 CRDi, 100 g/km - £18,595
pro_cee'd 'SE' 1.6 GDi, 137 g/km - £19,495
pro_cee'd 'SE' 1.6 CRDi, 112 g/km - £20,595
pro_cee'd 'SE' 1.6 GDi DCT, 140 g/km - £20,795