Kia pro_cee'd GT ON THE ROAD

Review & Photos By Rob McSorley

So here it is. What Kia describes as the most eagerly anticipated new model in their entire history. As a trophy of their arrival as a mainstream manufacturer the pro_cee'd GT has been specifically designed for us Europeans who can't get enough of our potent hatches.

Kia however has chosen not to hold the GT up against the big-hitting players such as the VW Golf, Ford Focus ST and Renaultsport Megane. It makes a lot of sense as it's well down on power and Kia say a greater emphasis has been put on usability which it should be easier to live with day-to-day

With a starting price of just £19,995 this pro_cee'd GT is seriously cheap and still comes with Kia's very attractive seven year warranty. It should represent an interesting ownership proposition so we got our hands on an early example to see if it's any good.

The three door pro_cee'd is great starting point as it's certainly a looker. The GT adds the usual sporty touches such as 18 inch alloy wheels, extended side skirts, a tailgate spoiler, twin exhausts and more butch bumpers front and rear. There's also gloss-black honeycomb grills at the front and a saucy red pinstripe on the lower edge of the bumper. Menacing looking 'ice-cube' LED DRLs complete the look. It gels together brilliantly with oodles of road presence and is arguably more eye-catching than its stablemates.

The cabin has also been spiced up with the GT treatment. There's red stitching everywhere and figure-hugging Recaro sports seats clad in leather and faux-suede which grip you in all the right places. Red GT emblems on the steering wheel, floor mats, seat faces and kickplates as well as alloy pedals to help remind you that your are in something a little special.

The rest of the design is the same as other cee'ds so has plenty of stylish piano black trim with a driver-focused layout bringing all of the controls within easy reach. Its constructed using plush materials throughout and the black headlining and low roofline make for an appealingly cocooned feeling from inside. The dials are also very cool; the central dial is an LCD TFT screen which has two different displays that change by hitting a button labelled 'GT' on the steering wheel. When you do a digital speedometer is displayed with turbo boost and torque metres either side.

Cabin space is as before so there’s plenty of room for four adults and access to the rear is easy thanks to very long, wide opening doors. The boot too isn’t much smaller than the more practical 5-door cee’ds. The rear is however a little dark because of the small windows.

Under the bonnet Kia has fitted the GT with a 1.6-litre direct-injection petrol engine with a twin-scroll turbocharger; similar to the unit found in the Hyundai Veloster Turbo. It produces 201 bhp and 195 lb ft of torque between 1,750 and 4,500 rpm. Shorter gearing sees it reach 60 mph in 7.4 seconds and tops out at 143 mph.

To cope with the additional power the pro_cee’d has lowered suspension with stiffer springs and dampers, a thicker rear anti-roll bar and larger brakes. Its alloy wheels are also shod with sticky Michelin Pilot Sport 3 Tyres. Furthermore the steering has been completely retuned and gone is Kia’s Flex Steer system in favour of a single, weightier setup.

From the moment you set off the chassis’ new found stiffness if evident but the ride is still well damped and deals with bumps very well. Even when it does encounter a deep rut it remains composed. 

Throw the pro_cee’d into a corner and there is very little lean and bags of grip and the chassis remains neutral although it isn’t quite as agile as it could be. The steering is meaty but doesn’t feel very natural as its weighting is inconsistent and although accurate doesn’t give the driver much in the way of feedback. The brakes are responsive but can suffer from fade when really worked hard. 

The GT may be down on power compared to rivals from Ford and VW but it is far from slow. Its short gearing makes it feel much quicker than the figures suggest and once the turbo kicks in all hell breaks loose. You are instantly shoved back in your seat as you hurtle forward and the power keeps coming; it’s seriously addictive. 

Occasionally however it struggles for traction when the turbo fires up mid-corner spinning the inside tyre or both. You have to be very careful in the wet. The only minor annoyance is the engines slightly strained soundtrack and only gets worse the more you work it.

When you aren’t ringing its neck the pro_cee’d GT is pretty refined. The engine remains quiet and the composed ride makes it ideal for longer journeys. Tyre and road noise levels are also impressively low which means the GT is a great day-to-day motor.

Unfortunately running costs are a little more expensive than its rivals despite the power deficit. Kia quote 38.2 mpg combined but you would need to drive the pro_cee’d GT like a nun to achieve anywhere near that. During our week we managed 28 mpg which is probably more realistic. Emissions are also slightly higher than the VW Golf churning out 171 g/km of CO2 placing the GT in VED band H. 

Kicking off at just £19,995 for the cheapest pro_cee’d GT represents superb value for money. That’s around £6,000 cheaper than a Golf GTi and nearer in price to the Peugeot 208 GTi which is much smaller. It’s isn’t short of kit either. Automatic headlights, air-conditioning, cruise control, reversing sensors, Bluetooth, electrically folding/heated door mirrors and part-leather trim all comes as standard. 

Tech Data

Price as tested: £19,995
Engine: 1.6 16v 201 bhp - 0-60mph: 7.4 secs - Maximum Speed: 143 mph -
Economy: 29.1 mpg (urban) 46.3 mpg (extra-urban), 38.2 mpg (combined) - Emissions: 171 g/km (Band H) - VED (12 months): £195
Dimensions: Length: 4,310 mm - Width: 1,780 mm - Height: 1,425 mm - Wheelbase: 2,650 mm
*data from Kia UK

DriverVIBE Verdict

If 10 years ago Kia announced the arrival of a potent hatchback we would all have laughed. Today however things are very different. Kia has taken a great risk with the GT but it seems to have paid off. 

It’s quick, looks fantastic inside and out, comfortable, comes with plenty of kit and is seriously cheap. When you factor in Kia’s seven year warranty the pro_cee’d GT starts to make a lot of sense. 

It may lack the outright pace and handling prowess of its rivals and cost a little more to run but it is still hugely fun and easy to live with day-to-day. Having already been impressed by the standard pro_cee’d the GT is better in every way and has exceeded our expectations.

It also bodes well for future GT models that Kia has hinted could be on the horizon along with an even hotter version of the pro_cee’d. There will also be a GT version of the five door cee’d next year for those who need the additional practicality.

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